How to Learn French Sign Language
French sign language differs from American sign language in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, there is no universal sign language, forcing each country's deaf community to learn a new language to communicate with one another. Langue des signes française, or LSF, is the native language of more than 100,000 deaf French citizens. Although you'll most likely need to travel to France or find a very specialized school, LSF can be mastered on your own terms.
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Instructions
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Learning LSF (French Sign Language)
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Seek out a class or tutor to teach you LSF. It is very difficult to self-teach. Advertise on Craigslist looking for a tutor, contact a nearby American Sign Language school and ask about LSF classes, or scour community boards that may feature a tutor or an LSF class.
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Start with the basics. Take as many notes as possible. Videotape your sessions if you can, so you can refer back to them when you study.
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Do your homework; slacking on your homework or assignments will make it more difficult to learn the language. It is difficult to learn a language when you are not around native speakers, so the more homework you do, the more reinforcement you get.
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Practice. Find an LSF language group or a partner from the class. Practice conversing in LSF with one another to make yourself more comfortable and familiar with the language. You will likely give each other tips and help correct each other's errors.
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Scour the Internet and check out books on LSF. These websites and books will give you an idea of the history of LSF as well as help you learn some new words and phrases. Watching movies and instructional videos on LSF is helpful as well.
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Travel to France, if you can. There is no substitute for being surrounded by a community of LSF speakers. Study abroad or volunteer to work at an institute that teaches LSF.
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