![]() ![]() There is no universal language for the deaf – all over the world, different sign languages have developed that vary from one another.Ī spoken English speaker from the USA, for example, can generally understand someone from another English speaking nation such as England or Australia.īut with sign language, someone who signs using American Sign language would not be able to understand someone who signs using British Sign Language (BSL) or even Australian Auslan. With strong roots in French Sign Language, ASL evolved to incorporate the signs students would use in less formal occasions such as in their home or within the deaf community.Īs students graduated from the American School for the Deaf, some went on to open up their own schools, passing along this evolving American Sign Language as the contact language for the deaf in the United States. A Brief History Of ASLĪSL is a relatively new language, which first appeared in the 1800s with the founding of the first successful American School for the Deaf by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. The “gestural” component refers to the body movements or “signs” that are performed to convey a message. The visual component refers to the use of body movements versus sound.īecause “listeners” must use their eyes to “receive” the information, this language was specifically created to be easily recognized by the eyes. When we discuss ASL or any other type of sign language, we are referring to what is called a visual-gestural language. For many, it will come as a great surprise that ASL has more similarities to spoken Japanese and Navajo than to English. ASL is the third most commonly used language in the United States, after English and Spanish.Ĭontrary to popular belief, ASL is not representative of English nor is it some sort of imitation of spoken English that you and I use on a day-to-day basis. Here's Kristine… What Is American Sign Language (ASL)?ĪSL, short for American Sign Language, is the sign language most commonly used in, you guessed it, the United States and Canada.Īpproximately 250,000 – 500,000 people of all ages throughout the US and Canada use this language to communicate as their native language. How learning ASL is different from learning English.Some similarities between ASL and English.5 common misconceptions people have about ASL.Today I'm delighted to feature a guest post from Kristine about American Sign Language (ASL). ![]()
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