American Sign Language: "Book
Review: "Basic Sign Communication"
"Basic Sign Communication"
In a message dated 5/25/2003 10:51:44 PM Central Daylight Time, rsalts@
writes:
Hello Bill,
While reading through your ASL grammar explanations, I came across the above
named book (Basic Sign Communication). How can I get a copy or is it available for purchase?
Is the book 'Learning American Sign Language' by Carol Padden, et al, also a
good book to get?
Thanks,
Richard
Richard,
I'd go to the library and
borrow an armload of ASL books. No sense spending money when you don't have to.
I like Carol's book "Learning American Sign Language." It is very user friendly.
I haven't used the Basic Sign Communication book for many years. But it is (was) a
great book! I stopped using it simply because some people in the academic
ASL teaching community couldn't get past their myoptic fixation on the title.
I reckon since the title didn't say "AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE" in flashing bold
letters that Many instructors knee-jerk relegated it to the "this isn't 'real ASL' pile" and
started calling it "Pidgin Signed English" (which some now call "contact
language.") That is unfortunate because the Basic Sign Communication book
is (was) full of ASL! It just used a "grammar translation" approach to its
sentences is all. (Thus it was bilingual/biculture It is also
full of other great information about a wide range of topics. It is
getting a bit old and could use an "update"--but other than that it is an
incredible buy for your money.
Want to help support
ASL University? It's easy:
DONATE (Thanks!)
(You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card
logos and click continue.)
Another way to help is to buy Dr. Bill's "Superdisk."
Dr. Bill's new iPhone "Fingerspelling Practice" app is
now available!
CHECK IT OUT >
Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription
Extension of ASLU)
CHECK IT OUT >
Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a
free mirror of
Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access)
VISIT >