The Joy of Signing, a good place to start?

Question

My mom had known some sign language in the past and I would like to learn and she would like to re-learn. She really liked her Joy of Signing book but it is the second edition. Before I get the third edition I wondered if anyone had feedback on it it was a good place to start or if there would be better books we could use? She’s not super tech savvy so I want to find us a text book we can study. Any suggestions appreciated!

Answer 1

"Joy of Signing" is an excellent resource in order to establish a foundation of linguistic and signing abilities, especially for newer signers who are just beginning their ASL journey. However, I would state that the book itself was published back in the 1970's.

Now, a concept that many new signers fail to comprehend is this: ASL, like any other active language, is exactly that: active. The language itself is constantly changing over time. Certain concepts have been updated and others have been ultimately changed all together. That being said, it is vital that students, interpreters and other ASL professionals stay up to date with the ever-changing nature of the language.

I have been studying and using American Sign Language for nearly a decade now, and even I have had to adjust to changes regarding various concepts, vocabulary and presentation.

The ability to stay in coherence with the ever changing language will not only keep a signer current, but will allow them to grow exponentially in both their fluency and overall linguistic skills.

I hope this answer helps and that it brings you clarity!

Answer 2

Thanks for your question. "The Joy of Signing" was originally published in 1968 under the title "Talk to the Deaf". It was first released in 1978 as "The Joy of Signing". There have been several revisions and later editions since then.

This is basically a picture dictionary of signs with some accompanying information about the history of sign language, deaf culture and some information about the grammar of sign language. It is not a book that I would recommend or use as a definitive source dictionary of American Sign Language. The illustrations in this dictionary are not as easy to interpret and copy/produce in actual signing as are some other dictionaries on the market.

As a dictionary, reference book for American Sign Language I would recommend instead The Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language by Clayton Valli et al. You can look this up pretty readily on the internet.

To actually learn American Sign Language takes more than learning the individual signs. Learning the grammar of the language, how signs create meaningful utterances is actually critical. I would recommend, therefore, that if you wish to become conversational in ASL it would be best to take instruction from a Tutor or find a program in your local area that offers classes in ASL.

Thanks for your question and I hope my answer is satisfying.

Bill