Is Sign Language the Same around the World?

Answer 1

No - even countries that speak the same language have different sign languages - eg Australia and England. The fact that the Australian sign language is called Auslan makes me think that it is only used in in Australia.

Answer 2

Not really, but again that depends on which sign language you are talking about. One of the most popular is ASL (American Sign Language), but regional variations can differ substantially. In the United Kingdom, British Sign Language (BSL) is used over ASL and has many word and grammar differences from the American version (go figure). The French have their own version as do Asia and the Middle East.

Other version have very specific and deliberate punctuation in them which would be very difficult for a native ASL user to understand without some practice and exposure to it.

So if your question was "Is ASL the same all around the world?" the answer would still not be 100% yes, but likely much closer to accurate. Just as English isn't exactly the same all around the world - accents and local variations make it different from place-to-place.

Answer 3

Contrary to popular belief, sign language is not universal. Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages develop, but as with spoken languages, these vary from region to region. They are not based on the spoken language in the country of origin; in fact their complex spatial grammars are markedly different. However, various signed "modes" of spoken languages have been developed, such as Signed English and Warlpiri Sign Language. Hundreds of sign languages are in use around the world and are at the core of local Deaf cultures. Some sign languages have obtained some form of legal recognition, while others have no status at all.

Answer 4

No, signed languages vary significantly. The sign for "mother" in the US is different from that used in Britain. But ASL, American Sign Language, is the most widely used form of signed language on Earth. It's used beyond the borders of the US, and by Deaf people in non-English-speaking countries. For example, it's used in Congo, in Zimbabwe, in Haiti, and in Singapore - despite the fact that the hearing populations of these countries do not share a common language.

Because sign languages are developed by Deaf people, they have no connection to the spoken language of the country where the Deaf person lives. They are independant languages with their own grammar and form.

ASL, for example, has no relationship to British Sign Language - despite the fact that hearing people in both countries speak English! ASL is closer in form and grammar to French Sign than it is to British.

Answer 5

bkzalley gave you a good answer. Signed languages are independent from spoken languages, but, like spoken languages, there are many sign languages in the world.

Answer 6

i assume some signs and indicators may be the comparable, yet over all, sign language selection from usa to usa, in basic terms like "regularly occurring" languages. as an occasion, the sign language spoken in britain isn't comparable to the yankee sign language, even nonetheless the two those international places talk english. yet I do think of that those that talk distinctive sign languages can talk greater desirable than those with distinctive spoken languages, with the aid of fact they are so used to creating gestures with their arms.

Answer 7

No. There are many, many variations of sign language.

Actually, sign language closer to shorthand than to spoken language. It uses symbols .. brief forms .. for words and meanings.

Answer 8

no, there are many forms of sign language

Answer 9

Yes my sister teaches the hearing impared and she has told me that sign language is the only universal language

Answer 10

I think so although there might be changes for the native tongue.