My pleasure. How to use ASL University to learn sign language for free: 1. Visit Lifeprint.com and become familiar with the ASL University website. 2. Bookmark the official ASLU KZfaq master playlist: kzfaq.info/sun/PL6akqFwEeSpiLwRFA3ZvuOWMwPXwI7NqA 3. For quick reviews (to prevent memory extinction) bookmark the "Signs" channel playlist page: kzfaq.infoplaylists 4. If you use a desktop or laptop computer you can look up signs using this page: www.lifeprint.com/search.htm 5. If you use a mobile device you can look up signs using this page: www.lifeprint.com/search/index.htm 6. If you can’t find a sign after using the search options at Lifeprint.com then consider applying to join the Lifeprint-ASLU Facebook group and asking your question there. See: facebook.com/groups/Lifeprint.ASLU/ 7. Go through the ASLU Lessons for free: www.lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/lessons.htm Your comments, questions, or suggestions are always welcome. To contact Dr. Bill Vicars, see: www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/contact.htm Ways to support the ASL University channel: * For donation options, see: www.Lifeprint.com/donate.htm * Click the “thumb up” (like) icon on videos at KZfaq.com/billvicars * Click the “subscribe” button at KZfaq.com/billvicars (if you haven't done so yet) * Click the “Share” link and share the videos. Thanks!

I'm a tricky fellow. ;-)

Eric, Letting you know I went ahead and moved the "Learn how to count to 30" video to a position in the playlist closer to the beginning (just before the Lesson 6 material). Thank you for sharing your suggestion. It was a very good suggestion. I get so busy when the semester is about to start. Sometimes it is a real challenge to take care of it all. So again, thanks!

Jasmine was so terrific! It was a pleasure working with her.

Yah...that game is a hoot with multiple players. Plus you can use "fives" or "threes" etc. (not just sevens).

It is on my list of things to do. Then again, it is a very long list. As a work around, try asl.ms/mobile

Sure, but why would I want to be contacted by someone with a profile name of "ihate people"??? Life is too short to hang out with or correspond with folks who get off on negativity. However, yes, since you asked -- I have an email address. For contact info see: www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/contact.htm Plus people can contact me via my Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/Lifeprint.ASLU/ Note, to join the group, applicants need to read the rules and answer two questions or the moderators delete the application.

@@sign-language I'm so sorry sir I thought I shouldn't comment with this email, but I just did. Anyhow thanks alot for replying! And trust me when I say this i don't hate people haha it's just a profile name.

You can sign left hand dominant. That is fine.

@@sign-language thank you my mom said im suppose to do right hand im leaning ASL so i can show my mom who deaf in one ear and reads lips how to sign she wasn't taught when she was little

Again, it is absolutely okay to sign left-hand dominant. One of my assistants (Alex) is left-handed. (Probably others as well). Here are some links to videos of Alex signing left-hand dominant. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f9hlh6mhvsyqkZc.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y6-eYJybs7yrlmg.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ibRzmrab0crLl3U.html

Bill Vicars Yay! I am left handed and sign only a little, but want to learn much more. A friend who is fluent in ASL giggled at me when I signed with her (she is deaf) and told me that it looks funny. I asked if it was like I was talking backward and she laughed and said not exactly, more like with a fUnNy AcCeNt (like that). 😂

A KZfaq viewer comments: "I have been signing for 16 years and got my degree in ASL Interpreting. How is it that I am today-years-old that I learned that 1-5 tend to be palm backwards!!" --------------------------------------------- Response from Dr. Bill: Tut, tut, be specific or you will confuse the newbies. Finish your sentence: "1 - 5 tend to be palm backwards -- when done in isolation." (We do them palm forward as part of strings of numbers or occasionally for emphasis.) The tendency toward doing 1 through 5 with the palm facing backward has to do with proprioception. Think of that word as meaning: your "perception" (or awareness) of the position and/or movement of your body. Or in this case perhaps "non-conscious-proprioception." In simple terms: If it hurts, don't do it. Our brain feels when we are in pain or experiencing stress and does what it can (either consciously or subconsciously) to alleviate that pain or stress. Hold up a "V" hand, palm forward, fingers pointed upward. Notice the slight tension in your wrist and forearm? Now turn it palm-back and hold your forearm in a natural way such that it points toward 10 o'clock on an analog clock face. (Assuming here that you are right handed. If you are a leftie go for 2 o'clock). Notice the reduction in tension in your wrist?! It may not be much tension but it adds up over time. That is one of the reasons why Interpreters end up with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. You all are so busy trying to make your signing "clear" (thank you by the way) that you are causing yourself repetitive motion injuries. Sure, the number "2" (and 1, 3, 4, & 5) can be palm out in isolation when needed for emphasis or clarity. It certainly isn't "wrong" (unless you have the unfortunate experience of taking ASL from an overly prescriptive, anal-retentive teacher). Signing 1 thru 5 palm out (when not needed) adds just a teeny, tiny, itsy-bitsy, bit of unnecessary stress that foretells eventually you'll be taking ibuprofen, slathering on Aspercreme, and wearing a wrist brace to your (post-Covid-19) local interpreter get-togethers.

@@sign-language Wow, Thanks for the lesson. I didn't notice that before. Now I just gotta do what Yoda said, and unlearn what I have learned.

@@sign-language Im confused. Why would concern over tension in the hand be such a factor for numbers in isolation and not when the numbers are with other numbers? When they are not in isolation is exactly when your hands need a release from tension the most (but they dont get it). ?? I always thought the point of the tendency towards palm backwards for numbers in isolation is because when a number is in isolation, it is the most vulnerable to being mistaken for a letter because it may very well then be placed next to a letter with no other number around to make it clear whats really going on. This makes the difference between "2-D" and "venereal disease." Is the palm-backwards thing really more about hand tension than meaning??

Question: "I'm confused. Why would concern over tension in the hand be such a factor for numbers in isolation and not when the numbers are with other numbers? When they are not in isolation is exactly when your hands need a release from tension the most (but they don't get it)? I always thought the point of the tendency towards palm backwards for numbers in isolation is because when a number is in isolation, it is the most vulnerable to being mistaken for a letter because it may very well then be placed next to a letter with no other number around to make it clear what's really going on. This makes the difference between "2-D" and "venereal disease." Is the palm-backwards thing really more about hand tension than meaning?" Response: I didn't say tension was not a factor when the numbers (1 thru 5) are with other numbers (and thus typically done palm forward as part of a string). When doing a string of numbers there is actually less tension and work overall by keeping the palm pointing in the same direction throughout the string rather than to be switching back and forth. The palm likely defaults to "forward" for strings of characters likely due to the fact that letters are mostly palm forward and the sign for "hundred" is palm forward. If you are signing "74" and you are "already" pointing your hand forward to do a 7 it wouldn't make much sense to waste effort turning the hand backwards to do the 4. The numbers 6 and 9 two of the (what you called) "vulnerable" (to misinterpretation) numbers both stay forward and tend to deal with their vulnerability (heh) by using a "tap" if needed. Which is to say they don't use a palm back position to differentiate them from W and F. I stand by my assertion that the palm-back thing is indeed more about "less effort" than from differentiating a 2 from a V. That which typically distinguishes 2-D from V-D is not the handshape -- it is the context (and in some cases an added mouth morpheme). I will go so far as to state that the principle of "palm back" (for 1 - 5) when in isolation AND "palm forward when doing a string of characters" even applies to "2D." Which is to say that the (cough) right (cough) way to sign "2D" is to have the "2" palm forward because it is part of the string "2" and "D" and thus takes less effort if done palm forward as part of the "string" (even though the string is only two characters long). For a real life example of this see the one minute and fifteen second mark of this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z7NkY6eA19uVZY0.html Notice the signer (who is obviously very skilled and is presenting on a Deaf / ASL-related channel) is choosing to do the opposite of what you are suggesting. The likelihood that any skilled ASL signer is going to misunderstand the person in that video and assume that the person just randomly decided to start talking about venereal disease while discussing design formats is near zero. Context and ease of signing triumph for skilled signers.

@@sign-language Very well. Good explanation. I see it now.