Learn Sign Language with Ready! Set! Sign!

Ready! Set! Sign! is meant for beginning signers and will bring them up through the Intermediate level of signing. Those who know some signing can jump in anywhere along the learning curve.

The Ready! Set! Sign! 24-Lesson Series 5 CD-ROM Set provides approximately 13 hours of video instruction, teaching over 1,200 signs, fingerspelling, numbers and grammar concepts. You can you view any sign, at any time, usign Sign Search, and practice with immediate feedback after every instructional segment. Each lesson ends with a Cultural Moment video, and the series is completely accessible through closed captions.

The Ready! Set! Sign! Key Instructional Concepts Video is a 24 Lesson VHS containing the key instructional concepts from the 5 CD-ROM set, including each of the fifteen vocabulary lessons, instruction for all grammar concepts, and instruction for fingerspelling and numbers. This enables instructors without LCD computer projection equipment to provide group instruction usign a VCR and a TV monitor. The video is completely accessible through closed captions.

The Ready! Set! Sign! Cultural Moments Video contains all of the 23 Cultural Moments clips from the 5 CD-ROM set on VHS. It provides information about deafness, deaf people, and deaf culture, enabling instructors without LCD computer projection equipment to provide group instruction usign a VCR and a TV monitor. The video is completely accessible through closed captions.

The signs taught in Ready! Set! Sign! are all ASL-based and are accurate for use in communicating through American Sign Language (which has its own word-order syntax) and are accurate for use in communicating through Pidgin Signed English (which follows English word order). The Ready! Set! Sign! system makes it easy for beginners to learn hundreds of new signs.

Over 1200 signs are given, the equivalent of more than 3000 English words. A visual learning aid is associated with each sign. Search for any sign at any time during the instruction. Easy, familiar vocabulary increases in difficulty in small, manageable steps. Signs are organized by common conceptual learning characteristics. Over 1750 practice sentences provide immediate feedback.

The grammar concepts focus on core skills necessary for communicating in both ASL and Signed English. Although many additional grammar concepts and sign idioms are needed for further fluency in ASL, you'll learn visual grammar concepts to become a skilled signer at the intermediate level.

Lesson 2 - Facial Expressions Lesson 3 - Adjusting Signs to Fit the Situation Lessons 10 and 11 - Classifiers Lesson 15 - Size, Placement, and Plurals Lesson 16 - Speed, Intensity, Duration, and Directionality Lesson 17 - Asking Questions Lesson 18 - Selecting the Sign with the Correct Meaning

In addition to the vocabulary and grammar taught in Ready! Set! Sign!, there are 23 Cultural Moment video segments providing valuable information about deaf people and deaf culture.

Myths and Facts About Deaf People How the Ear Works Adaptive and Assistive Devices Communicating with Non-Signers Regional Differences in Signs International Signing Advocates for the Deaf The Deaf Community

Ready! Set! Sign! is a flexible instructional material which you can use as part of a multitude of learning strategies. Learners can personalize the materials in ways that match their learning styles and preferences. It will ultimately be up to you to decide how best to use Ready! Set! Sign!.

Progress through the lessons in our suggested order, 1 though 24. Study only those lessons of particular interest to you. Learn vocabulary you want, when you want it, usign the "Sign Search" glossary. Test with over 1750 practice sentences, phrases, words and numbers. View 23 segments providing information about deaf people and deaf culture.

The organization of the signs in the lessons and the related visual aids are based on a body of research that indicates that signs are learned quicker and remembered longer if learners have an iconic element that they can connect with each sign. Learners do better if they can see a relationship between the sign and its meaning such as a part or whole relationship (the whiskers of a "cat"), a functional or use relationship (open a "drawer"), a representational or classifier relationship (a person from head to toe "appears"), or an association (between "hospital" and the red cross armband). Our vocabulary lessons are organized to facilitate this iconic learning strategy to the greatest extent possible.