What are the major difference between American Sign Language and European Sign Language?

Question

And how many different systems of sign language is there throughout the world?

Answer 1

Sign language is not standardized for the most part. Even in America, there are many dialects of ASL, because sign language is regional. Also, there is not just one sign lagnauge is Europe. A nation's sign langauge reflects their culture. SInce there are many cultures, there are different sign languages.

Just a side note: American Sign Langauge is different from British Sign Language and Manually Sign English (which is putting a sign to a word and keeping everything else the same; this doesn't constitute another langauge linguistically). ASL was actually derived from French Sign Language because the English wouldn't help the American deaf without a price.

And the first poster's statement is wrong. Different signed languages aren't as different as spoken languages. If a deaf person was immersed into a foreign deaf community, he/she would acclimate at a much quicker pace than a speaker. This is because sign language is a conceptual langauge, and most deaf-signers convey main ideas through mostly imagry rather than concrete grammar rules.

Answer 2

Europe itself has many sign languages, depending on which country you are in. Every country has its own form of a signed language. ASL (American Sign Language) derives from LSD (French Sign Language). Even though we got the basics of ASL from France it has developed over the years and become a unique and separate language. Many people think our sign is like that of England, but is it very different. BS (Britain Sign Language) is a two handed sign language much different than ASL. Many of the colonies outside of Britain in the early years use a sort of BS, but like ASL it changes over time.

Mexico has its own unique sign language also. While living in Texas there were many Deaf Mexicans who came to American and I had to learn to communicate with their signed language. Many countries have their own language. Iraq, New Zealand, France, Spain, etc.

Even Japan has its own unique signed language, and so does China. Some of the other oriental countries do not though because within their countries deaf children are less than adequate and are shunned from the culture. But, the children will sometimes develop "home signs" to help communicate.

Answer 3

ASL and any other system of sign language are as different from each other as English is to any other foreign language. There are actually hundreds of sign languages, just as there are spoken languages. In the USA, ASL and Signed Exact English (SEE) are separate languages.