american sign language?

Question

Is American Sign language so much its own language that some American deaf people don't really know English?

Answer 1

ASL is its own language, with its own grammar and vocabulary. It started with people who all lived in an English speaking language, many signs have English based parts. Some things do not have a sign, in that case the English word will be used (spelled.)
But all user of ASL live in a speaking nation with a written language, so they all learn a second language, being English, so they can communicate with the people who do not know ASL.
Besides, many people who use ASL do hear a little, are loosing their hearing but still hear enough to understand a bit, have learned to lip-read and/of used to hear and speak English or have learned to speak when deaf.
Or are bilingual and have learn ASL as speaking person.

So if they live in the USA, even when they speak ASL they will certainly know a certain amount of English, some will know it better than you do.

Answer 2

Act D's answers are not quite right. ASL is not a shortened form of English.

ESL is English as a Second Language. I think he/she meant ESE, or Exact Signed English.

Answer 3

They would have to know the English words to understand the sign equivalent of that word.

Answer 4

You mean that because they use sign language that they cant read?

Answer 5

no, ASL is a shorted signed form of spoken Engligh.
ESL is sign language that should be signed exactly as proper english is spoken.

Answer 6

no