ASL or American Sign Language is the language of the deaf community. Its legitimacy as a distinct language, legal recognition, and increased education initiatives have propelled its popularity. This has enable it in bridging communication gaps between the Deaf and hearing communities and fostering cultural appreciation. This post will discuss in detail the benefits of learning American Sign Language, how children learn signing, best apps to learn ASL.
What is American Sign Language
American Sign Language is most commonly known as ASL. It consists of the same linguistic properties as the spoken language, with the grammar that differs from English. This ASL is expressed by the movements of one’s face and hands.
Fig. 1 – Introduction to American Sign Language
Different Sign Language – BSL and LSL
American Sign Language is the primary language used by many North Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. Also, a lot of citizens use it too. However, it’s a known fact that there is no universal sign language. Below are the two most widely used sign languages.
British Sign Language
Different sign languages are used in different regions, or countries like British Sign Language commonly known as BSL, vastly varies from ASL. A person who knows American Sign Language may not understand BSL. Few of the countries across the globe have adopted several features of American Sign Language in their sign languages.
A person or a committee did not invent ASL. The specific beginning of ASL is unclear, but few people suggest that it was formed more than 200 years ago.
Local Sign Language
The creation of ASL occurred from the intermixing of the local sign languages and French Sign Language (LSF or Langue des Françoise). ASL includes few elements of LSF and the original local sign languages and over time, these have changed into a complex, rich, and mature language.
Modern ASL and modern LSF are completely distinct languages. They still contain some similar signs, but each other’s users can no longer understand them.
Fig. 2 – Few Interactive Words in Sign Language
Different Body Language
ASL is a language completely different from English. It contains all the fundamental features of a language, including its own rules for pronunciation, word formation, and word order. On the other hand, all languages have ways of signaling, like; asking a question instead of making a statement; languages differ in how this is done.
For example, native speakers may ask a question by raising the pitch of their voices and by adjusting word order. But, ASL users will ask questions by raising their eyebrows, widening their eyes, and tilting their bodies forward.
Just like other languages, ASL has regional accents and dialects, the same way we speak a few English words differently in different parts of the world. ASL has regional variations in the rhythm of signing, pronunciation, slang, and signs used. Factors like age and gender can affect the usage of ASL and contribute to its variety.
Fingerspelling in Sign Language
Fingerspelling is a part of American Sign Language. People use it to spell out English words. In it, each letter corresponds to a distinct hand shape. We can also use it for proper names or to indicate the English word for something.
Understanding Fingerspelling is very important when you are new to sign language and once you are fluent in ASL, dependency on Fingerspelling reduces.
Fig. 3 – Fingerspelling Alphabet
How do Most Children Learn Signing
Parents are often the source from whom the child learns his or her native people, but for children who are deaf, additional people are the source from where they learn to communicate. A child born deaf with parents who are deaf too and already use ASL will begin to learn ASL naturally, the same way a child picks up spoken language from hearing parents.
On the other hand, language may be obtained differently for a deaf child with hearing parents who have zero experience with ASL. In a research, it points out that 9 out of 10 children are born deaf to parents who hear. Some of these parents choose to introduce sign language to their deaf children. Parents with hearing ability choose to learn sign language along with their kids. These children learn sign language through deaf peers and become fluent.
Recent research on sign language helps scientists understand the neurobiology of language development. This will help in providing a translational foundation for treating injuries to the language system, for employing signs in therapy for kids and adults, and for diagnosing language impairment in individuals who are deaf.
Fig. 4 – Few Signs in American Sign Language
Best Apps to Learn American Sign Language
The best Apps to learn this sign language are:
- The ASL App
- Memrise
- Signing Exact English
- SignSchool
Fig. 5 – ASL App
How many People use ASL in the United States
Most Speakers, ranging from 500,000 and two million, use this American Sign Language for covering more mass. However, producing an accurate count of uses is difficult as the census does not yet include this sign language, unlike other languages.
Benefits of Learning American Sign Language
Advantages of learning American Sign Language are:
- It enhances cognitive development.
- It surely improves your memory.
- You can communicate with the Deaf community.
- You will be a better listener and multi-tasker.
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