The ASL App

I liked this app for some time, but I just found an error in it, and that's enough to make me not trust it as a learning resource. An attractive woman (perhaps chosen for her attractiveness rather than for any particular experience with ASL) signs SIGN backwards, her front finger going down while her rear finger comes up. This motion comes more naturally to non-deaf people than does the correct motion of the front finger coming up while the rear finger goes down, which leads me to believe that this app was made by non-native signers who don't know the language as well as an instructor should. So, kind of sadly, this largely appealing app has now lost its right to reside on my phone. Lingvano is my favorite iPhone ASL resource; just wish it cost less, but I'm sure that won't be a problem for everybody, so there's my personal recommendation, fwiw...

The ASL App is a highly regarded tool designed to help users learn American Sign Language (ASL) with a focus on real-life, conversational phrases. Developed by Deaf creators, the app provides over 1,000 video lessons covering a wide range of topics, including basic vocabulary, everyday phrases, idiomatic expressions, and slang. The diversity of presenters helps showcase variations in ASL, enhancing users’ understanding of ASL’s grammar and cultural nuances. One of the standout features is the app's video-based teaching method, which allows users to learn signs with visual aids and English captions, offering valuable context for the differences in ASL grammar. The app’s slow-motion feature, turtle mode, makes it easier to follow and practice individual signs, while the "favorites" tool enables users to save videos for review, making it ideal for building a personalized flashcard deck. There is no subscription; a single $10 payment unlocks all lessons, which is a valued aspect for many users.

An excellent tool! This app has the clearest signs and the most expressive signers I’ve come across in any ASL app so far! The user interface is super easy to navigate as well. I really appreciate the fact that the app is deaf owned and operated and they make it accessible to hearing people like me when majority culture already makes it easier to exist in hearing spaces. I also really appreciate that the app teaches you ASL grammar by displaying text for the word currently being signed, and I love that they have examples of how you would use newly learned words in sentences, so you get to learn with context and you get to see how the signs might be used for different situations. Super helpful! Also I love how it provides signs and sentences for every day conversation - I can imagine how useful the basic signs and signing and dining would be when hanging out with deaf buddies. Also yay for queer signs!! $10 is a small price to pay for this awesome resource if you finish with the free material - I’ve learned a lot more from a bundle than I have from certain sign language classes. However, I would love if more bundles were added more frequently. Looking forward to more updates! Also, if I could continue where I left off in my favorites instead of starting back from the top every time I left the page, it would make it easier to keep track of my progress when I practice. This is is a great app and I highly recommend. I appreciate Bobbie Jo, kriston, and Matt’s super expressive and fun signs (haven’t gotten to some of the other signers’ bundles!) Thank you guys for all the work you put into this app!