Where can I learn signs to help ASL speaking customers?

Question

I work at Long John Silvers, and we have a lot of older customers as our regulars. There are quite a few of them who are hard of hearing or deaf and use ASL to communicate. I’ve only ever been around when one woman, who was very kind and seemed surprised that I knew any ASL at all, came in. She’s one of our regulars, and I want to learn how to properly take her order for whenever she comes in again. It was kind of embarrassing for me to not be able to communicate with a customer. I felt awful about it and decided then that I needed to learn what I need to properly help my customers. I’ve been wanting to learn ASL years before I started my job, and I own two dictionaries and about five ASL VHS tapes, but I don’t know where I would learn all of what I would need to properly take an order. I can’t even figure out how to say hush puppies properly.

Answer 1

The best way to learn ASL would be to take formal instruction either from a tutor like here on Wyzant or in a class at your local community college or through adult education classes. I suggest checking with your local community college or university to see if they offer ASL classes and your local, nearby high schools whom often offer ASL classes in their adult continuing education programs. Trying to learn on your own through books or videos can be very frustrating as you have discovered. You do need the feedback you would get from a tutor or teacher in order to ensure that you are making and interpreting the signs correctly.

If you are interested in one-on-one tutoring I would be happy to meet with you and to gear my instruction toward your needs to communicate in the job setting at Long John Silvers.

Regards

Bill Newell