French Influence On American Sign Language

American Sign Language was influenced by France. Abbe de l’Epee was a priest in Paris. Once he visited a local minister’s home, he had seen two young girls were signing to each other. After that he realized that he can do something with that to help more deaf people. Therefore, in 1771, he established the first free educational institution of sign language in France. He modified the Old French Sign Language constantly, and then it became to his own form named Old Signed French. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was the most important people of American Sign Language. He was a congregational minister in America. In 1814, Dr. Gallaudet was influenced by his neighbor Mason Fitch Cogswell’s deaf daughter Alice Cogswell. After Gallaudet had heard there were some sign language institutions in France, he decided to travel to Europe in 1816. In Europe, there were many schools for deaf, and the most famous was l’Epee’s school. Many deaf students graduated from that school, included Laurent Clerc. Clerc taught Gallaudet sign language and how to teach it. Gallaudet was so interested in it and persuaded Clerc to go back with him and set up the first school for deaf in America. Clerc agreed. …show more content…
Then, Clerc became the first sign language teacher in America. However, Gallaudet and Clerc found that their students would use shorter and simpler form to communicate outside the classroom. Therefore, Gallaudet improved and developed Old French Sign Language and combined the OFS with the “natural language” to the new American Sign Language. After that, ASL became an important tool that helps deaf people to communicate with each other and the