The American Sign Language Phrase Book with DVD by Lou Fant and Barbara Bernstein Fant

I read The American Sign Language Phrase Book with DVD by Lou Fant and Barbara Bernstein Fant because it was the assigned book for my American Sign Language Class. The first part of the book gives the reader instructions on how to use the book as well as a guide to ASL. While it might be tempting to skip these two sections, they actually hold some good tips for learning the language. There were times when I had a little trouble discerning the movements in the book. I think this is probably inevitable in this type of book as the book uses still drawings to depict movement that is sometimes slight. The DVD is incredibly helpful in learning the signs. I quickly learned in class that, like any language, ASL is a living language which means it changes to meet the needs of those using it. Our instructor pointed out when signs have changed or when new signs have been added, but if you're relying only on the book to learn, you have no way to know about these changes. Anyone interested in learning American Sign Language will benefit from The American Sign Language Phrase Book with DVD.

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