Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations
Like Duolingo, but for Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations
- Visual signals replace sound for getting attention in ASL
- Facial expressions function as the tone of voice in sign language
- A small wave is used for people nearby or already looking your way
- A flat expression makes a greeting feel robotic or unfriendly
- A light double-tap on the shoulder is the standard polite touch
- Touching the head, back, or arms is considered intrusive
- Choosing the correct method to get attention based on distance
- Wave size should match the distance and urgency of the situation
- Interrupting an active conversation visually is often rude
- Understanding the role of facial expressions in greetings
- Matching wave size to the social context
- Eye contact is the 'open channel' for communication
- Signing before someone is looking means the message is lost
- Flicking overhead lights once or twice is a standard group signal
- The sequence of starting a conversation correctly
- Waving a hand in the peripheral vision of the group is effective
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
In sign language, what part of your body acts like the 'tone of voice' to show your emotion?
Get it right to open this lesson and 169 more in the app.
Where Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations takes you
Go beyond simple gestures and start truly communicating. This course bridges the gap between knowing signs and having fluid, natural conversations with the Deaf community.
- 1
Jump Into Your First Conversation
- The Essential Hello and Getting Attention
- Fingerspelling Your Name and Eye Contact
- Numbers 1-30: Counting and Palm Direction
- Me and You: Directing Your Signs
- Module 1 Review: The 'Nice to Meet You' Dialogue
- 2
Navigating Your Immediate World
- Family Ties and Gendered Space
- Hungry or Thirsty? Food and Drink Basics
- Expressing Needs: Want, Need, and Please
- Time of Day: Morning, Afternoon, and Night
- Module 2 Review: The 'Ordering Breakfast' Dialogue
- 3
The Logic of ASL Grammar
- Topic-Comment: Why ASL Isn't Coded English
- The Five Parameters of a Sign
- Eyebrows as Punctuation: Question Grammar
- Module 3 Review: The 'Asking for Help' Dialogue
- 4
Describing Your Life and Feelings
- Emotions: Showing How You Feel
- Colors and Basic Classifiers for Shapes
- Daily Routines and Habitual Movement
- Likes and Dislikes: Expressing Opinions
- Module 4 Review: The 'Weekend Plans' Dialogue
- 5
Spatial Awareness and Movement
- The Signing Space: Setting Up Your Canvas
- Directional Verbs: Giving and Taking
- Advanced Classifiers: Sizes and Textures
- Body Shift: Taking on Different Roles
- Module 5 Review: The 'Storytelling' Dialogue
- 6
Handling Real-World Scenarios
- At the Restaurant: Ordering and Paying
- Directions: Getting Around Town
- Emergency Situations and Medical Signs
- Small Talk: Weather and Hobbies
- Module 6 Review: The 'Lost in the City' Dialogue
- 7
Deaf Culture and Advanced Nuance
- The History of ASL and Community Values
- Regional Signs and Slang
- Idioms: Phrases That Don't Translate Literally
- Visual Listening and Backchanneling
- Final Review: The 'Full Life Story' Dialogue
7 sections · 34 units · 170 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Hands-On ASL: Real Conversations today.
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