What Is Sign Language – American Sign Language?

Sign language is a manual method of communication. American Sign Language is the third most used language throughout the world. Sign language has its own grammatical structure. One main feature of sign language is the use of facial expressions. When conversing with someone using sign language, it is imperative to use facial expression to enhance the understanding and concepts being conveyed. Without facial expression, your message may be misunderstood, or not understood completely. Another aspect of sign language is the use of body language. This includes the use of shoulders, and gestures. You may have to shift your body from side to side in order to convey the correct meaning. Sign language is a complex system of communication used by millions of people daily.

What Are Some Attributes of Sign Language?

As mentioned above, sign language used the use of facial expressions, body language and grammatical features. Another major attribute of sign language is the use of fingerspelling. The rule in sign language for fingerspelling is when a word is a proper noun (name of person, place, or thing), you would fingerspell that specific word. However, you would not “make up” signs for proper nouns because it is easier than fingerspelling. Additionally, when you fingerspell, you have to make sure your “pronunciation” is clear, and you do not bounce your letters. Remember, if the person you are signing to, does not understand you, the communication will be lost. Again, sign language is a very intricate form of communication.

Who Uses Sign Language?

Sign language is used by hearing and deaf people alike. Some deaf people learn sign language at a young age, while others wait to learn at a later time. Some deaf children are born to hearing parents and will learn sign language from them. On the flip side of that, some deaf children are born to deaf parents, and their first language would be sign language. American Sign Language is used throughout the United States and North America. Additionally, American Sign Language is used throughout the world, and used by many different countries.

Why Learn Sign Language?

There are numerous reasons to learn sign language. One reason to learn sign language would be in order to communicate with deaf family members and friends. Unfortunately, many deaf children are born to hearing parents, and 90% of them do not learn sign language. Another reason to learn sign language would be for a career choice. Some people learn sign language and become interpreters for the deaf. As you can imagine, there are not enough interpreters for the deaf in the United States. Some people learn sign language with friends in order to talk “secretly”, when in a crowded place. Whatever your reason is to learn sign language, people around you will benefit, and so will you. It is never too late to start learning sign language. There are online sign language websites that offer lessons for everyone to learn. Check them out today to see if you would benefit from online learning. Again, learning sign language is fun to learn and rewarding. It can easily be one of the most valuable learning tools you will ever acquire.

By: Paul Fugate

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