ASL dictionary

[Jenng]

Can anyone recommend a good dictionary (not online I get little computer time)? Also if we start using sentences,,isn't ASL a different grammatical setup? Are we using SEE then? What should I do when I get into siging more complex sentences?

[Lezliej]

I found this discussion from November, Take a look:
http://www.signingtime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=687&highlight=dictionary

[aligreat]

Can anyone recommend a good dictionary (not online I get little computer time)? Also if we start using sentences,,isn't ASL a different grammatical setup? Are we using SEE then? What should I do when I get into siging more complex sentences?
SEE sign uses some of the same signs as ASL, but many of the signs are different. There are people who use ASL signs and English word order. Most deaf people are literate and will understand what you mean. It's hard because to really get ASL you will want to take classes. There really isn't a way to put some of it in a dictionary--like classifiers.

[c01dunlap]

...It's hard because to really get ASL you will want to take classes...
I agree! (I need to take a few myself, honestly.) Also, if you can, get involved with the deaf community for practice and learning (about culture as well).

In the meantime, a good on line teaching site by Dr. Bill Vicars (http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/index.htm) can also be a resource to learn more. If you have limited computer time, you might want to print out lessons, or consider buying the book (I know nothing about the book, though. Might be too basic, from a brief glance at the description). Well, FWIW...

[alices_dad]

We use SPE if you want to be precise. Signed Pidgin English uses ASL signs but English word order, but no verb endings or conjugations like SEE. We think of it like a kinesthetic highlighter to spoken words.