American Sign Language – Useful to Know, Easy to Learn!
| October 21, 2011 | Posted by admin under American Sign Language |
Ever watch a group of deaf people telling jokes in sign-language and wish you could do that? (Or at least understand what was being said so you could enjoy the joke too!) Well, you can. It is neither difficult nor expensive to learn.
There are about half a million deaf people in the U.S. almost all of whom speak American Sign Language. ASL is also spoken by an untold number of friends, relatives, associates, employers, employees and other associates of deaf people. ASL is probably the third most-spoken language in the U.S. after English and Spanish.
American Sign Language was developed by deaf people to communicate with other deaf people. It is a unique, complex, versatile and effective language in itself. With roots in the French Sign Language of the end of the 16th century, combined with Native American Sign Language, it took on its own unique flavor.
You may remember the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806), from your history books. It was headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and was the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast.
They took along a French-speaking, part-Indian fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau, whose young Shoshone Indian wife, Sacagawea, translated for the expedition.
Indian Tribes along their route all spoke different languages. But the Native Americans used sign language to communicate between different peoples. The sign language they used seems to have been very widely, even universally, known and understood.
Elements of that Native American sign language were incorporated into American Sign Language. Moreover it is a three-dimensional language using more than just simple hand signals to convey meaning.
A language that is spoken and not written tends to evolve and change faster than one with a written record, dictionaries and other authorities to keep the form intact and more or less static. So there are regional, even city-wide dialects. Signs for special terms and ideas are frequently confined to speakers in one local area.
But the basics remain the same, and can be easily learned by watching videos of the words and syntax being used. Excellent learning courses are available on the Internet where they can be bought and sent out on DVD's or downloaded directly in digital form.
It is interesting to note that messages in American Sign Language can be conveyed clearly at much greater distances than those of any language conveyed only by sound. For privacy concerns, it is also much more difficult to record surreptitiously.
To learn more about the useful and interesting language called American Sign Language or ASL, follow the links below.
For more about American Sign Language, including resources to learn it, visit the Rocket Langauges Sign Language Course.
oh good. i like it!!!!!!!
Very interesting article. I really like it!
very good description, love it a lot!!
it is very interesting language to learn.
it iz a very useful thing
It's surprising to know that many people use ASl in the US. I've had the chance to learn the alphabet and certain words and swear words when my best friend dated someone who was deaf. We communicated via cell phones and pens and paper, and I thought that ASL would be another good skill to learn.
is a good idea to learn sign language, I like it
Very useful resources for beginners in sign language.Very rare to find anywhere
very useful... it really helps me right now that I am studying sign language on my own.
Learning sign language is not a easy task to be done. And if it is done it would be the most easier language to communicate with the peoples those who are deaf. Overall language is more important to communicate for deaf people.
Good iniciative.Keep the job
good idea
very good !!!!!!
Sign language is the most international language ever. No matter where are you from if you know it you can communicate with any person who knows it too. This is only a good thing do know!
Very interesting article. I really like it!
I started sign language here in my country. Asl is somehow similar to fsl filipino sign language. I like it!
very good description, love it a lot!!
this is a great insight about this subject. I've been searching information about sign language and your approach seems nice and clear. good job
sign language is very usefull,thanks for the post