Welcome to My Deaf Friend. If you’re here is because you want to learn American Sign Language and I’m excited to help you along that journey.

There are many great programs and instructors out there teaching languages. The key to advancing quickly developing a high proficiency in a new language is 2-fold. First, get a good teacher and/or instruction. Second, get into the community and socialize with native users of the language you want to learn.

It boils down to this; to ensure your success in learning ASL, get out and meet some Deaf people. Get interested in who they are and learn about their culture. Remember, you are a foreigner in their "land." Learn and respect the differences in Deaf Culture.

Please don't learn ASL with an attitude of, "I'm going to help Deaf people." And don't be shy about meeting Deaf people. So many ASL learners think, "I'll mess up" or "I don't know enough ASL to meet Deaf people."

Deaf people struggle to communicate with hearing people every day of their lives. Most of them are happy to see someone trying to learn their language to communicate with them.

By the way... You WILL mess it up. You WILL get it wrong. But then... you'll get it right. So, keep pressing on and keep on signin'!

About the instructor: JP Cappalonga has a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Deaf Studies from California State University, Northridge. CSUN is the leading university on the West Coast in regards to post-secondary education in Deaf Studies and ASL. His wife also graduated from CSUN with a degree in Deaf Studies. They are fluent signers and interact with the Deaf Community regularly. JP currently works as an ASL teacher and has been for over 10 years. He and his wife adopted a Deaf daughter who now attends a school for the Deaf.