2006-09-17 14:31:33 · 7 answers · asked by nobodyinparticular...lol 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Sign languages differ just like spoken langauges--some originated in different places with different signs and grammar, and even for people signing the same language there may be "accents" from place to place. American Sign Language is closely related to French Sign Language, because the first American teachers of the deaf were largely educated in France, but they aren't so close that a signer of one could understand someone signing in the other.
2006-09-17 15:47:38 · answer #1 · answered by Mekamorph 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your question implies that you think that sign language is somehow connected to spoken language. That is not the case. English and ASL (American Sign Language) are completely different languages, and they are not related to each other, since they were created separately. Sign languages and spoken languages are considered the same by linguists because they are equally complex and capable of expressing ideas and concepts. There are many many sign languages and they are not mutually intelligible. One particularly interesting one is Nicaraguan Sign Language, which was only started in the last 20 years or so. Linguists have been able to document the development of this language from the beginning, giving us valuable information about language development.
2006-09-18 16:17:02 · answer #2 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the US many non hearing people use ASL, American Sign Language, but not all. And every language has their own sign language. Think of it as if it were a spoken language where all different places speak differently. Even inside the US people have different dialects and accents!
2006-09-17 14:44:22 · answer #3 · answered by seaelen 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
merboot is correct. I not sure of all the differences, but, I took American Sign Language (ASL) and at the time there were others. Guess the world will have these Barriers of communication for many years to come.
2006-09-17 14:41:44 · answer #4 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nope, sign language is different in different languages. There's even a big difference between British sign language and American sign language.
2006-09-17 14:35:41 · answer #5 · answered by merboot 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. to illustrate, British sign Language and American sign Language are fairly distinctive and jointly unintelligible, even nevertheless the listening to people of england and u . s . a . share the comparable oral language.
2016-10-01 02:15:48 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always wondered about this. It should have been the same, it will be great that way. But life is always difficult, we make it difficult.
2006-09-17 15:02:41 · answer #7 · answered by pinky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋