The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary

Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Finally a book that allows you to search for signs based on their handshape. Many ASL students have difficulty understanding ASL users. This book gives them a better chance to look up signs to comprehend them instead of using looking up an English gloss to learn what THEY want to say! The only drawback? Not enough! This book should be expanded. I hope to see more signs included in the next edition. (There will be a next edition right?)

Rating:
Summary: the only dictionary to buy
Review: Handshapes are crucial when learning asl. Forget the joy of signing book. This will get you much farther. It is modern and has more usuable signs than others. Well organized.

Rating:
Summary: Compact, Complete and Tremendously Useful!
Review: This book has been my best resource in three years of sign language study. It is beautifully produced and compact, which makes it easy to carry as a ready reference. The vocabulary has been most satisfactory for the first three years of ASL courses and I expect it will continue to be my most valued resource for many reasons, a few of which are as follows: (1) The vast amount of material covered in the introduction reinforces the areas of grammar, fingerspelling and usage covered in class. (2) The system of ordering signs by handshape reinforces the fact that ASL is an independent language. (3) The variety of glosses that can be expressed with a single sign are together, unlike every other dictionary I have seen. This not only creates the desired compact format, but helps the student learn and appreciate the range of expression possible in ASL. (4) It is the only true two-way signing dictionary for this language, which makes it an essential adjunct to learning the language. It is clear, with my continued use, that the authors are teachers and know just what is needed to promote learning.