Say Hello with Your Hands: First Signs in ASL

Did you know there is a whole language you can speak with just your hands and face, no sound at all? It's called American Sign Language, or ASL. Millions of Deaf people in the United States and Canada use ASL every single day to talk with friends, order pizza, tell jokes, and say "I love you."

- How to sign "hello," "please," "thank you," and "my name is..." - Why ASL is a real language with its own grammar, not just English spelled out with hands - How facial expressions change the meaning of a sign - One easy way to practice ASL with a friend or family member

ASL is NOT just English acted out with hands. It has its own word order and its own grammar, just like Spanish or Japanese do. For example, in English you might say "Are you going to the store?" In ASL, the sign order and your raised eyebrows together show that you're asking a question — the eyebrows are doing grammar work, not just showing feelings! ASL was shaped in the early 1800s at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, blending French Sign Language with signs already used by Deaf communities in America.

1. HELLO: Take your flat hand, like a salute, and move it away from your forehead. 2. PLEASE: Rub your flat hand in a circle on your chest. 3. THANK YOU: Touch your fingers to your chin, then move your hand forward and down toward the person. 4. MY NAME IS: Tap your first two fingers (making an H-shape) together twice. After you learn a sign, your face has to match it! If you sign "thank you" with an angry face, it can look sarcastic — your expression is part of the message.