Is Anyone Out There Learning Sign Language?

If you're going to learn ASL or BSL, you have to realise that it is a totally separate language of its own and not a technique of translating words or sentences into hand gestures. Sign language goes beyond hand signals and lots of the meaning of words or sentences is carried thru visible cues like body language or eye contact in association with the hand signals.

You do not have to maintain eye contact to have a conversation with spoken English. When using sign language, from the other perspective, looking away is a signal the conversation has finished.