American Sign Language
Posted: 2008-05-04, 9:47
ASL Lesson 1: Introduction
Hi!
I'm going to do my best to make some ASL lessons here. It will mostly be about grammar, and maybe fingerspelling, but I have no way to make videos to show you the signs. So, I'll just direct you to one of the dictionaries.
So, how about an introduction?
ASL and English are NOT the same. BSL (British Sign Language) is not mutually intelligible with ASL. ASL is related to Old French Sign Language (OFSL), and BSL is related to Australian, and New Zealand Sign Language (I believe). Sign language is also not a primitive form of English. It's a proper language, only instead of being spoken with the mouth, it's spoken with the hands. There are many movies in ASL (this year is in fact one of the best years for ASL movies).
I'm sure you understand by now. Sign language is just as in-depth as spoken language, with language families and distinct grammar.
The second most important thing to know about ASL is that just signing is not going to cut it. Your body posture, facial expression, head/body movement, etc. are all very important! For example: the word like can be signed with your body "looking happy" as I like to say (smiling, erect, just generally pleasant), or with your body "looking sad" (slouched, frowning etc.) The first one conveys like, and the second dislike. Using the same sign!
Something to also understand is the use of speech. Most hearing people can't understand deafness. If you talk, the receiver can also glean further meaning from your signs, through lip reading and maybe slight hearing (if they are using a hearing aid or something).
To understand ASL you also must understand deafness and all the terms that go along with that. Here are some "vocabular words":P
Adventitious Deafness: A person is born hearing, but it becomes non-functional later in life.
Audiogram: A graph on which hearing tests are recorded.
Congenital Deafness: People who are born deaf; the opposite of adventitious deafness.
Dactology: A big word for fingerspelling.
Fingerspelling: Use of the Manual Alphabet to form words and sentences.
Manual Alphabet: The ABC's of ASL.
Post-Lingual Deafness: Deafness after you learn how to talk.
Pre-Lingual deafness: Deafness occurring before you learn how to talk.
Total Communication: The use of all means of communication to prevent many ways of communication-hearing aids, lip reading, ASL, writing etc.
Next lesson we will begin talking about how to actually sign.
In the mean time:
My Favorite ASL Dictionary-ASLPro
An In-Depth History of ASL
Hi!
I'm going to do my best to make some ASL lessons here. It will mostly be about grammar, and maybe fingerspelling, but I have no way to make videos to show you the signs. So, I'll just direct you to one of the dictionaries.
So, how about an introduction?
ASL and English are NOT the same. BSL (British Sign Language) is not mutually intelligible with ASL. ASL is related to Old French Sign Language (OFSL), and BSL is related to Australian, and New Zealand Sign Language (I believe). Sign language is also not a primitive form of English. It's a proper language, only instead of being spoken with the mouth, it's spoken with the hands. There are many movies in ASL (this year is in fact one of the best years for ASL movies).
I'm sure you understand by now. Sign language is just as in-depth as spoken language, with language families and distinct grammar.
The second most important thing to know about ASL is that just signing is not going to cut it. Your body posture, facial expression, head/body movement, etc. are all very important! For example: the word like can be signed with your body "looking happy" as I like to say (smiling, erect, just generally pleasant), or with your body "looking sad" (slouched, frowning etc.) The first one conveys like, and the second dislike. Using the same sign!
Something to also understand is the use of speech. Most hearing people can't understand deafness. If you talk, the receiver can also glean further meaning from your signs, through lip reading and maybe slight hearing (if they are using a hearing aid or something).
To understand ASL you also must understand deafness and all the terms that go along with that. Here are some "vocabular words":P
Adventitious Deafness: A person is born hearing, but it becomes non-functional later in life.
Audiogram: A graph on which hearing tests are recorded.
Congenital Deafness: People who are born deaf; the opposite of adventitious deafness.
Dactology: A big word for fingerspelling.
Fingerspelling: Use of the Manual Alphabet to form words and sentences.
Manual Alphabet: The ABC's of ASL.
Post-Lingual Deafness: Deafness after you learn how to talk.
Pre-Lingual deafness: Deafness occurring before you learn how to talk.
Total Communication: The use of all means of communication to prevent many ways of communication-hearing aids, lip reading, ASL, writing etc.
Next lesson we will begin talking about how to actually sign.
In the mean time:
My Favorite ASL Dictionary-ASLPro
An In-Depth History of ASL