This is the typical basic sign language that most people will learn.
American Sign Language is a manual language. The language was developed 1800 and most of the
signs are strongly enfluenced by French Sign Language. The alphabet is signed using one hand, That
being your dominant hand. The sign Language used in america is not universal. Some Countries use a
two handed form of signing.
American Sign language
American Sign Language(ASL) combines Gestures and fingerspelling to make a visual language. ASL is
a very flexible language but it mostly centers around the concept of what a person is going to say.
You first set up what you want to say (the broad view) and work your way down to the details (the
narrow view.
Examples:
*English- I saw a movie last night; it was awesome!
*ASL- Past night movie me see wow me.
English- i gave the blanket to grandma in the winter because it is cold.
ASL- Winter me give to her Grandma blanket Why? she cold she.
English- I went to the store.
ASL- Me touch store finish me.
You can notice the deaf first set up "when" and "who"; the add the smaller details of "why" and then
at the end of sentence, they again state "who".
ASL is a true, complete and rich language in its own right, unrelated to english. ASL is a major
Part of American deaf cutlure.
Second
Subcategory: How Sign Language was developed
In the late 1700's a man named Laurent Clerc traveled from France to America by the request of a man
named Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Clerc and Gallaudet had met in France while Gallaudet was there
studying methods of teaching the deaf in order to begin a school for the deaf in the U.S. compressed
by what he saw Gallaudet ask Clerc to return tot he U.S. Clerc obliged.
Clerc had an enormous job ahead of him. Up to that point there really had not been one single sign
language in the U.S. Deaf people just made up their own signs. Clerc and Gallaudet estabished the
first school for the deaf in 1812 and there Mr. Clerc began teaching French Sign Language to the
deaf in America. The French Sign Language with commonly used signs in the U.S. became the standard
sign language in America and is still used to this day.
Louis Laurent Marie Clerc
(December 26,1785 - July 16,1869)
The Alphabet
The Future of American Sign Language
ASL is starting to be referred to as a foreign language. The reason for this growing idea stems from colleges and universities recognizing
ASL as a fulfillment for foreign language credits in many college degree programs. Gary Olsen, former Executive Director of the National
Association of the Deaf, referred to this notion of ASL as a foreign language as “an American ground swell” (Bella Online, 1999).
Sign language classes are growing nationwide with increased demand for this “simplified” language. The future of ASL is bright and
vibrant with the number of people in the deaf community growing everyday, as well as the number of ASL classes that occur on a daily
basis. ASL is now being recognized by many schools across the U.S. as a foreign language, and more schools are jumping on the idea
everyday, so ASL will be around for a very long time. After all, ASL is the fourth most spoken language in the United States today,
but who knows, it might move up on this list.
American sign language is rooted in the ideas of many French doctors and educators. ASL combines gestures and fingerspelling to make sentences and phrases that enable the deaf community to communicate with the rest of the world. It is the most complete system of signed language in all of the world and will continue to be this way throughout its existence. ASL has grown tremendously in popularity over the years and will only help bridge the communication gap between two very vibrant cultures in the United States and the world.
The Burton Vision Story
The dictionary is your best friend. How many times have deaf students heard that refrain. But those who work with deaf students on a regular basis know that English meaning is inaccessible in a written dictionary for many deaf and hard of hearing students. A student may know just enough of the words in the definition to conclude a completely inaccurate meaning. For many years Michael Burton has been a walking, living "dictionary" for his students. But "walking dictionaries" have limitations of time and energy. Burton's first efforts at providing sign language meanings in his absense was through videotape. It quickly became obvious, however, that fast forwarding and rewinding was much too frustrating and unrewarding. Students required instant access to sign language information. Each program contains a laserdisc and a software package that includes pretests, lessons, review tests and post tests. The tests included with each Burton Vision package allow the student and teacher to gauge the student's information level and progress before, during or after the instruction. Many of the tests are in ASL. For the first time teachers can test a student's knowledge and conceptual ability independent of English literacy. The computer provides a printout of the student's performance on the test -- including a listing of the correct and incorrect answers -- so that there is a full record of the individual's performance. All Burton Vision modules are flexible for the instructor. The teacher can modify the lessons and tests to meet specific student needs. Burton Vision continues to develop new discs and software to enhance educational programs for the deaf and hard of hearing.
