The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary

I bought this book to help prepare me for my second semester of ASL at El Camino College in Los Angeles. I figured since it is fairly new and has recently been updated that it would have alot of the latest signs being added to the language.

The dictionary is organized a little bit differently than other dictionaries I have used. 1 handed signs are listed, then two handed signs. I started to used the book to review signs but sometimes the pictures in the book weren't all that great. So I popped open the dvd. After a little while I found myself looking at the dvd signs more than the book. In fact I rarely even look at the book now that I have been reviewing the signs in the dvd. After reviewing the signs in the DVD I've found I've learned alot of the words in a short period of time.

Oone criticism of the book is that it advertises over 1900 sign illustrations in the book and the dvd. But the dvd only has about 1640 words. If there are 1900 words signed in the book then there are about 250 missing from the dvd. For example under letter 'z' on the dvd there is one word, 'zipper'. But there are 4 'z' words in the book. So for whatever reason some are left off.

Also, when you look at the dvd it can sometimes be a bit confusing what the definition of the word you're are trying to sign actually is. For example, the word 'associate'. Is that an associate, or is this a verb? Sometimes the dvd specifies this, but other times you have to guess from looking at the sign and guessing what it means.

And sometimes the sign illustration and the quicktime video don't match up. For example, the word 'war'. In the book it says to use two 'w' hands but the video does something different.

All in all it's a pretty good asl dictionary, although I wish they would put all the signs in the DVD since I rarely crack open the book now. And I wish they tighten up some of the mistakes that i've mentioned.

I also like Barrons 500 Flashcards. This is pretty good for beginners.[[ASIN:0764162225 Barron's 500 Flash Cards of American Sign Language]]

I bought this book once I started my ASL 1 class, confused by the variations on signs I saw in and out of class. It's my go-to book, even as an ASL 3 student. I love being able to look up signs I see but don't know the meaning of by referring to the sign shapes--very handy feature. I also love the slow-mo feature on the dvd. I wish all ASL dvds had this feature (including the Signing Naturally series of books we use in class). Of course I have many ASL dictionaries, hard copy and online, that I use to compare variations of signs. I'm sure any ASL student can appreciate how confusing the language is, with variations that include regional "dialects," home signs, generational preferences, and instructor preferences. This book, like any other ASL dictionary, isn't definitive, because there is no such thing in ASL. It's a good resource, though, the first one I reach for, and having the dvd loaded on my laptop is very convenient.

I bought this book as a requirement for a class I was attending. The book is a little dated, but the advantage of it is it is broken down according to hand shapes. Once you learn more about the 40 or more different hand shapes you can look up a sign that you have seen if you can identify the hand shape. It is great for refreshing your memory.

Helped me a lot to be able to look up the hand sign and find out the English meaning. Instead of looking at several different English words you think the sign might mean. You can also go to the back of the book and find the English word and it will tell you where you can find the sign that matches. I found very useful

I ordered this dictionary on the advise of a friend who teaches ASL and has many years experience with DEAF culture.

What a great find!

The dvd is easy to navigate and the book is extremely helpful in explaining handshapes and how to "think deaf" when signing..

This is truly a great value!

-Anthony

I started learning asl in June and purchased an asl dictionary. Soon I found I was wishing Icould look up what signs meant when I would watch the asl videos or speakers. You can look up signs or you can use it as a dictionary. The index tells you what page the sign is on. Never have regretted this purchase.

Book was recommended for use by Interpreter Training program teacher as an additional tool. I have gotten considerable use out of it over the past year in my transliterating and asl classes. Only one drawback just recently noted. The DVD is not supported by the newer MAC OS Lion systems so I'm forced to use it on a Windows based computer. Other than that, very satisfied with this book.

A must if you’re learning. You can look things up based on hand-shape.

Remember a sign but not its meaning? This book is for you. This dictionary doesn't have everything, but it is a godsend. It is the only resource I've found where you can look something up by handshape. (If I use it for English to ASL translations, I also check online dictionaries since signs have a lot of variation.)

This book is the answer to my anxiety over seeing signs that I couldn't understand, even in context! The book is arranged with the first half being one-handed signs, A - Z. And the second half being 2-handed signs with the dominant hand A-Z. Numbers are at the end of each section. What could be easier? Drawings show how the sign is performed and NMSs are explained. It's genius!