This post goes hand in hand with the previous post. As soon as you show any hint of knowing American Sign Language people will just start signing away. To avoid the deer in the headlights look maybe start right off the bat with saying that you just know a little bit of sign. Then the person you are conversing with will hopefully take it easy on you. Hopefully! Don’t forget to make sure your face is matching how you feel. I would practice in a mirror as well because sometimes people think that they are showing a certain emotion on their face when in fact it’s kind of blank! Over exaggerate! This is a visual language! You may feel a little funny in the beginning but that’s normal. Check out the video 
About the Author:
Michelle has been learning ASL for 11+ years. She went to Bristol Community College and graduated with her Associates in Deaf Studies. She then moved to NH and enrolled in the Sign Language Interpreting Program at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester and graduated with her Bachelors in Communications. You can follow Michelle on Twitter.