Sign language is manual communication commonly used by people who are
deaf. Sign language is not universal; people who are deaf from different
countries speak different sign languages. There are more than 300
different sign languages in use around the world. They vary from nation to
nation. Even in countries where the same language is spoken, sign language
can have many different regional accents that bring subtle variations to
people's use and understanding of signs. The gestures or symbols in sign
language are organized in a linguistic way. Each individual gesture is
called a sign. Each sign has three distinct parts: the handshape, the
position of the hands, and the movement of the hands.
American Sign Language (ASL) is the most commonly used sign language in
the United States. 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.
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.
Studying ASL promotes better awareness of and sensitivity
to the deaf and hard of hearing community. As someone proficient in ASL,
you will develop a strong appreciation for deaf culture, and you can
promote understanding and acceptance of the language among others.