I now have published my YouTube Channel, A Bridge to English. Check it out. This is only a beginning so please return to see what new videos have been added!

Forty plus teachers attended the workshop today. We had to bring in more chairs! What a fabulous, responsive group! I couldn't believe how quickly each person learned the signs. We successfully learned 30 signs during the workshop, meaning that they actually had 30 signs that they consistently remembered and successfully executed (signed)! Kudos to the teachers who were there this afternoon!
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I have posted the pdfs of the workshop under ASL Lessons so, hopefully, you will go there and check out the other lessons, as well.  As always, feel free to email with any questions or comments. I love hearing from you!I had to write something tonight about today's workshop! What an awesome group of teachers who attended! The room was full and we needed to get more chairs! I will post a photo tomorrow or if anyone took pictures, please post them in a comment or send them to me!

I just want to share with you a milestone in my life... my first published book! Please check it out on  https://www.createspace.com/6893212 .  It will also be up on Amazon US, UK and Europe in just a few days! This has been in my thoughts for 4 years now but I actually was able to find a very competent illustrator about 10 months ago and that is when the writing, designing and organizing of this book started to take shape! I have been retired from teaching full-time for the past 21 months and things have not yet slowed down! For those of you who know me well, you might say 'Is that any surprise?' 
Thanks to all my family, friends, and colleagues who were there to encourage me all the way! Thank you!
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I am so excited to let you know that my book is almost finally finished! I just couldn't wait to show you the awesome cover. I will keep you posted as to the release date. It seems like all I'm saying lately is: 'just a few more edits!' I promise that it will be very soon! 
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For the past month, I have been working diligently here in Ecuador to complete my new book for teachers of English as a Second or Subsequent Language. I am so excited that it is almost ready! The book started out to have only 100 to 150 signs but now has a total of 272 signs, not counting the handshapes, alphabet, etc.

I believe that the information in this book will benefit any teacher willing to use a new kinesthetic approach to the acquisition of 2nd language vocabulary. My illustrator, Dana, has done a fabulous job with the daunting task of drawing all of the illustrations used in this book.

I am a little nervous to announce this but MY deadline for the book to be completed is January 31st so that I will be able to self-publish it on Create Space in February. Then, I will also be able to bring printed copies to my workshop at TESOL International to be held in Seattle the 3rd week of March.

I can't wait to be able to share it with you as it is a work of love, for sure!

Also, if you are reading this, please add your email and/or make a comment so I know who is following this blog. I would love to hear about your experiences with sign or just your desire to try it. We all have various backgrounds so I would enjoy hearing yours too. 

​Thanks! Vicky

It is significant to understand what is meant by ‘signing space' with regards to a Deaf person. This is the area that provides for optimum viewing of signs as they are formed. As a general rule, signs stay within the dashed circle, allowing for the movement of the signs. The shaded area is for fingerspelling and you need to be careful that you are holding your hand still, not bouncing it as you spell.
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Of course, if you are addressing a large audience, your ‘signing space’ will increase and, if you are talking privately with another person, this area will decrease.

​I have discovered that teaching ASL handshapes first is a very effective and accurate way for non-signers, teachers and students, to learn American Sign Language for the first time. It is important that teachers understand and produce the sign correctly as they will be the ones teaching their students the signs. It is not as crucial for the students because they will gradually self-correct just as in the process of learning to speak.

By learning a specific handshape properly, teachers are able to sign many different words by just changing the location of the sign on the body, the direction of the palm of the hand and the movement of the sign, allowing the learner to not only learn one sign but a multitude of signs in a very short time. It shortens the time necessary to accomplish the goal and it enhances the teaching/learning experience.

There are approximately 40 different handshapes and every one of them has these four parameters in relation to our body:

• handshape (the actual shape of the hand)
• palm orientation (which direction the palm is facing: up, down, out, in)
• location (where on the body is the sign made)
• movement (how does the sign move or not move)

When learning any new sign, get in the habit of looking for these four parameters. This will help you learn, produce and remember the sign more quickly.

​I have discovered that teaching ASL handshapes first is a very effective and accurate way for non-signers, teachers and students, to learn American Sign Language for the first time. It is important that teachers understand and produce the sign correctly as they will be the ones teaching their students the signs. It is not as crucial for the students because they will gradually self-correct just as in the process of learning to speak.
By learning a specific handshape properly, teachers are able to sign many different words by just changing the location of the sign on the body, the direction of the palm of the hand and the movement of the sign, allowing the learner to not only learn one sign but a multitude of signs in a very short time. It shortens the time necessary to accomplish the goal and it enhances the teaching/learning experience.