What is Sign Language?

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Sign language

    There are many different signed languages from all across the world, totalling about 300. Sign language, in general, is any communication system that relies on body movements and hand gestures. Because it is so expressive and intuitive, historians believe that most early human cultures developed forms of sign language before spoken.


Baby Sign Language


    With a growing number of studies supporting the benefits of it, more and more parents are using sign language in infant language development for hearing children. Baby Sign Language is based on ASL but replaces some signs with more intuitive ones. 

    Children who are exposed to Baby Sign Language typically develop speech faster than children who are only exposed to verbal language. And because it's easier to express emotions with sign language, most babies encounter less frustration and form stronger bonds with their parents. It's also been theorized that sign language improves confidence and self-esteem.

ASL and its Origins

    American Sign Language (ASL) is mostly used in America and Canada, though some sign languages "adopt" ASL signs. 

    The origin of ASL is unknown, but it is widely accepted that it originated over 200 years ago and began as a mix of Langue des Signes Française (LSF or French Sign Language) and local sign languages in American deaf communities. 


ASL versus English

    Contrary to popular belief in the hearing world, ASL is not a sign language equivalent to English, as it has a grammar structure of its own. It is Signing Exact English (SEE) that uses signs to create a word-for-word sign language translation of English.


Gaining Popularity


    In the modern world, sign language is used by deaf and mute people who cannot communicate verbally, people who wish to communicate with deaf people, and anyone else who wishes to. It is gaining popularity among younger generations, largely due to the merging of the deaf and hearing communities with the rise of newer technologies and social media.


Why Learn Sign Language?

    Sign language is a great gateway into understanding the Deaf Community and their Culture. Learning sign language can be an eye-opening experience of life without hearing and can lead to a greater appreciation for the ability to hear and innovative ways that people work around hearing loss on a daily basis.

    There are also many careers opportunities that come with knowing a signed language and can be an eye-catching skill to put on a resume.




    The expressive nature of sign language can also help with clearer verbal communication. Sign language relies heavily on body language and "facial grammar" (facial expressions). So sign language can help in gauging people's emotions.

    That's why American Sign Language is used in so many countries across the globe and why it was the third-most studied language in American colleges in 2018.

Sources

“American Sign Language | Communications | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2021, www.britannica.com/topic/American-Sign-Language. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.

“American Sign Language.” NIDCD, 29 Oct. 2021, www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.

Educational Playcare. “Benefits of Sign Language for Young Children | EPC Blog.” Educational Playcare, Educational Playcare, 16 June 2016, www.educationalplaycare.com/blog/sign-language-benefits-for-young-children/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2021.

Looney, Dennis and Natalia Lusin. "Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Summer 2016 and Fall 2016: Preliminary Report. [PDF]" Modern Language Association, Feb. 2018, https://www.mla.org/content/download/83540/2197676/2016-Enrollments-Short-Report.pdf. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

“Sign Language | Communications | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2021, www.britannica.com/topic/sign-language. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.

SignSolutions. “What Are the Different Types of Sign Language? | Sign Solutions.” Signsolutions.uk.com, 3 May 2021, www.signsolutions.uk.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-sign-language/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.


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