American Sign Language
1). What is American Sign Language? American Sign
Language (ASL) is a complete, natural language that has the same
linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs
from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face. It is
the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and hard of
hearing and is used by some hearing people as well.
2). Is sign language the same in other countries? There is no universal sign language. Different sign languages are used
in different countries or regions. For example, British Sign Language
(BSL) is a different language from ASL, and Americans who know ASL may
not understand BSL. Some countries adopt features of ASL in their sign
languages.
3). Where did ASL originate? No person or committee
invented ASL. The exact beginnings of ASL are not clear, but some
suggest that it arose more than 200 years ago from the intermixing of
local sign languages and French Sign Language (LSF, or Langue des Signes
Française). Today's ASL includes some elements of LSF plus the original
local sign languages; over time, these have melded and changed into a
rich, complex, and mature language. Modern ASL and modern LSF are
distinct languages. While they still contain some similar signs, they
can no longer be understood by each other's users.
4). How does ASL compare with spoken language? ASL is
a language completely separate and distinct from English. It contains
all the fundamental features of language, with its own rules for
pronunciation, word formation, and word order. While every language has
ways of signaling different functions, such as asking a question rather
than making a statement, languages differ in how this is done. For
example, English speakers may ask a question by raising the pitch of
their voices and by adjusting word order; ASL users ask a question by
raising their eyebrows, widening their eyes, and tilting their bodies
forward. Just as with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas
in ASL vary as much as ASL users themselves. In addition to individual
differences in expression, ASL has regional accents and dialects; just
as certain English words are spoken differently in different parts of
the country, ASL has regional variations in the rhythm of signing,
pronunciation, slang, and signs used. Other sociological factors,
including age and gender, can affect ASL usage and contribute to its
variety, just as with spoken languages. Fingerspelling is part of ASL
and is used to spell out English words. In the fingerspelled alphabet,
each letter corresponds to a distinct handshape. Fingerspelling is often
used for proper names or to indicate the English word for something.