English Interference: What It Is and How to Avoid It

If you’ve ever been told, “That’s English on the hands,” you’ve encountered English interference.

English interference is one of the most common—and most frustrating—challenges for people learning American Sign Language (ASL). The good news? It’s completely normal. Even better news? Once you understand it, you can start fixing it.

Let’s break it down.

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What Is English Interference?

English interference happens when someone signs ASL using English word order, English grammar, or English sentence structure instead of true ASL structure.

In other words, your hands are signing…
…but your brain is still thinking in English.

This often shows up when learners:

• Sign every English word
• Use English sentence order
• Add unnecessary words like is, am, are, the, a
• Mouth English heavily while signing
• Translate word-for-word instead of concept-for-concept

ASL is not English. It has its own grammar, rhythm, and visual structure.

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A Simple Example

English:

I am going to the store later.

English Interference (wrong):

I AM GO TO THE STORE LATER

ASL (more accurate):

LATER STORE I GO

Same meaning.
Different structure.
Visual clarity first.

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Why English Interference Happens

English interference isn’t a mistake—it’s a stage of learning.

Most ASL learners:

• Grew up speaking English
• Learned English grammar first
• Are taught vocabulary before structure
• Feel safer “matching” English words

Your brain wants to translate instead of restructure.

That’s normal.

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Common Signs of English Interference

If you’re wondering whether this applies to you, look for these habits:

• Signing every word in an English sentence
• Using ASL signs for is / am / are / was / were
• Signing in straight English word order
• Fingerspelling words that already have signs
• Signing fast but looking “choppy” or unclear
• Being understood by teachers—but not Deaf signers

If you’ve done any of these… welcome to the club.

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Why English Interference Is a Problem

English interference can:

• Make your signing harder to understand
• Look unnatural to Deaf signers
• Slow down communication
• Block fluency at higher levels
• Cause frustration when “everything feels right” but still looks wrong

ASL relies on visual clarity, not spoken grammar.

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How to Avoid English Interference

Here’s the good part—you can train your brain out of it.

1. Think in Concepts, Not Words

Before signing, ask:

• What’s the main idea?
• What’s the most important information?

ASL prioritizes meaning, not sentence matching.

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2. Drop the Extra English Words

ASL doesn’t need:

• is / am / are
• a / an / the
• to / of / for (most of the time)

If the word doesn’t add meaning visually, it probably doesn’t belong.

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3. Learn ASL Sentence Structure

ASL often uses:

• Time first
• Topic-comment structure
• Visual descriptions
• Facial expressions as grammar

Learning structure matters more than learning more vocabulary.

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4. Watch Deaf Signers (A Lot)

This is huge.

The more you watch fluent Deaf signers:

• The less English interference you’ll use
• The more natural your signing becomes
• The faster your brain adapts

Turn captions off when possible.

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5. Practice Rewriting, Not Translating

Instead of:

How do I sign this English sentence?

Ask:

How would a Deaf signer say this idea?

That shift changes everything.

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A Final Reminder

English interference does not mean you’re bad at ASL.

It means:

• You’re learning
• Your brain is transitioning
• You’re at an important growth stage

Fluency comes when English steps back—and ASL takes the lead.

And that moment?
It’s worth the work.