Sign language has played an important part throughout history; it has removed the barrier between those who can hear and those who are deaf. Sign language is a form of communication that does not rely on verbal speech. It uses visual-spatial medium to express communication (Stewart & Akamatsu, 236). Hands, fingers, body, and facial features are used to visually transmit linguistic information. The signs are formed by hands, which convey symbols that are similar to spoken words and phrases. These facial and body movements serve as articulations and modifiers of speech. Through different body movements the deaf are able to communicate with each other and find a common way to connect in a non-vocal way.
The historical account of American Sign Language is traced to the early nineteenth century. The structure and lexicon of American Sign Language (ASL) were derived from French Sign Language (FSL) during the early 1800’s (237). Evidence has proven that the first established American school for the deaf was in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1817. The founders of the particular institution were Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc. They were both educated in the use of French Sign Language prior to the establishment of their institution in America. They originally used French Sign Language in their institution, which influenced the signing behavior of many of their deaf students. Since then, it has been a calculated fact that sixty percent of signs in American Sign Language derived from French Sign Language. The other forty percent of signs in ASL were created by the deaf community. After a century, the format of ASL became recognized as a legitimate language. In turn, there have been many misconceptions throughout the years of how America...
... middle of paper ...
...language and speech validity. It provides a great way for children and adults alike to learn how to speak through body language. Sign language is a wonderful way to talk with the silent tone of body motions and communicate with others who share the same knowledge and passion of talking with visual movements.
Works Cited
Aronoff, Mark, Meir, Irit, and Wendy Sandler “The Paradox of Sign Language”. Morphology”Language, Vol. 81, No. 2 (Jun., 2005), pp. 301-344.
Drasgow, Erik.“American Sign Language as a pathway to linguistic competence”. Exceptional Children. Vol. 64.3 (Spring 1998). pp.329.
Stewart, David A., Akamatsu, C. Tane. “The Coming of Age of American Sign Language”. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Sep. 1988), pp. 235-252.
Stokoe, William C. “Sign Language Structure”. Annual Review of Anthology. Vol. 9 (1980). pp. 365-368.
Alice Cogswell - The Beginning of American Deaf Education - Start ASL. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2016, from https://www.start-american-sign-language.com/alice-cogswell_html
In this article, “The Deaf Body in Public Space,” Rachel Kolb explains how interacting with people who do not understand sign language could be difficult. With her hearing disability she struggled to communicate with her peers. Kolb further explains the different situations she has encountered with people and comments that are made with first intercommunications. Going further she also mentions how she struggles with two languages and two modes of communication.
In American Sign Language a major part of the language entails being able to express emotions and types of questions through the use of non- manual signals such as when asking a yes-no question the eyebrows will go up but when asking a wh-question such as what the eyebrows go down. Another way to express something is through mouth morphemes this is the way your mouth is shaped to convey different meanings, such as size and grammar. Non-manual signals and mouth morphemes are just as important as any sign and enrich the language to make it possible to effectively communicate.
Sign language is a natural human language, they have their own vocabularies and sentence structures. Sign language comes into practice wherever Deaf societies come into existence. Sign language is not identical worldwide; every country has its own language and accents; however, these are not the verbal or transcribed languages used by hearing individuals around them.
Sign language is a method of communication for people who have hearing or speech impairments. Sign language is a language that is made up of gestures using the hands and some facial expressions which classifies it as a visual language. There are two different versions of sign language for english, American Sign Language (ASL) and Pidgin Signed English (PSE). Both are widely used across the world, but the signer who uses the versions and the syntax will be different, while the signs and the actual use will be the same.
During registration last semester, when I decided to take this course to see if I wanted to continue onward with ASL as my minor, I was not sure what to expect. Through my brief introduction of Deaf culture during my first sign language courses, I knew some vague details about historical events. Gallaudet had been mentioned several times within not only my workbook, but also by my professor. I could have given you a short synopsis of the oral movement that threatened to wipe ASL out as a language. Though I knew these facts, and a few traits about Deaf culture that I had experienced firsthand, there was so much that I had not considered before the readings and journals for this course opened my eyes.
In the Unites States and Canada, an estimated range of 500,00 to 2 million people speak/use American Sign Language. According to the Census Bureau, ASL is the leading minority language after Spanish, Italian German and French. ASL is the focal point of Deaf Culture and nothing is dearer to the Deaf people’s hearts because it is a store of cultural knowledge and also a symbol of social identity, and social interactions. It is a fully complete, autonomous and natural language with complex grammar not derived and independent of English. ASL is visual manual, making visual manual words, moving the larger articulators od the limbs around in space. English uses audible words using small muscles
When arguing in favor for ASL to count as a foreign language, one could say that sign language itself wasn’t necessarily originated in America. In fact, French sign language came about long before American Sign Language did. This means that the origin of the language wasn’t located in the U.S., causing it to possibly be considered foreign. The word foreign can be interpreted with various levels of literality, changing the way the language is viewed. Signing is different from other means of communication in that it is non-verbal. In effect, it can’t necess...
In general, sign language—as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as “any means of communication through bodily movements … used when spoken communication is impossible or not desirable”—has been used by dozens of cultures for ages, but American Sign Language (ASL) is fairly new. The Native Americans hold one of the earliest records of sign language with their ancient system of communication using signs to converse and break “language barriers” between tribes who spoke different dialects (American). Because many of their cultures were so intertwined with various “shared elements,” the Indians were able to devise “common symbols” to communicate with each other without the use of formal interpreters (American). Across the sea, Juan Pablo de Bonet of Spain was conducting his own research of sign language for the deaf and published the first documentation of a manual alphabet in 1620 (Butterworth). Before ...
Bahan, Ben. Hoffmeister, Robert. Lane, Harlan. A Journey into the Deaf World. USA: Dawn Sign Press.
In part two the book is about the view of American Sign Language and the way people have naturally created grammar and the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language from basically nothing. He demonstrates that this languag...
How many people do you know that know American Sign Language (ASL)? Sign language provides you with positive interests. You may not think ASL might be important to know, but actually knowing sign language can be ideal for oneself. ASL has been known as another way of communication that can help you improve your daily life. Sign language just means communication “spoken” through body language, gestures, and facial expressions. Sign language leads to a major change in communication. ASL was fully recognized in the 1960’s and became popular. Sign language has many benefits because many people in the U.S. are deaf or hard of hearing, it enriches relationships, and it promotes self-esteem and confidence.
THESIS STATEMENT: American Sign Language didn’t begin around 1814 which is fairly new language compared to modern languages such as English, Spanish, and French. ASL started when deaf education was first introduced in the United States. In this speech, we will be discussing the following: where, when, and why did ASL started, the history of Martha’s Vineyard, recognition of ASL as a real
This paper will define the term sign language, give a brief history of how sign language was created, types of sign languages, grammar and syntax within American
Imagine using no spoken words, not hearing at all, yet at the same time communicating perfectly. By use of American Sign Language (ASL), many people communicate everyday. They share stories of hope and despair, trade ideas and opinions, cry and laugh. Their difference is one that is important in their lives, yet does not in any way decrease the value of those lives. Deafness is such a unique, insightful, and wonderful loss. It is one with such beauty and meaning. Deafness is one "disability" that isn't really a disability at all. Instead many prefer to look at it as a culture. The Deaf culture is made up of primarily deaf people who view their hearing loss as a different way of life. These people use their native tongue, American Sign Language, to communicate. ASL is a "full" language. it has adjectives following nouns, in addition to verbs, adverbs, and pronouns. It is not a language made up of gestures or miming. Signing is a precise process. It is a combination of one's face, body, eyes, shoulders, and hands moving in synch. A person cannot fully "speak" the language without understanding the importance of all five aspects. You can change the meaning of a phrase completely by raising your eyebrows, repeating the sign, or enlarging the space used. You create a whole picture, the scenario as it takes place. You explain to the receiver the mood, time frame, and event all in a short amount of time. Take an airplane ride, for example: you could sign the place quickly taking off, flying steadily to its destination, and having a bumpy landing, all with one movement. In the same sense, you can describe a person, a place, or an object to the tee. Giving directions is a snap, and telling a story is marvelous.