There are multiple versions of Sign Language, although the standard form that is widely accepted in the United States is American Sign Language (ASL). One version that derived from ASL is Black Sign Language (BSL) in which it is a dialect of ASL. BSL is primarily used among deaf African-Americans and has a commonality to ASL but there is a distinct difference in social attitudes, lexicon/semantics, phonology, morphology, and syntax (Brockway, 2011). The reason for this difference was the segregation of African Americans from their White counterparts. The language was founded during the Civil War, so Black students were not educated the same way their White counterparts were. For this reason, BSL was almost considered to be a separate language
…show more content…
This may be due to the languages using similar signs from their origin, such as using gestures that influenced a specific sign. But there is also the possibility that after segregation, students being able to communicate with one another in the classroom may have shaped the languages currently allowing for the commonality between both languages. With this stated, not all BSL signers interact with ASL signer and vice versa (Brockway, …show more content…
Young BSL users in Texas stated that BSL is more powerful in expression and movement and had more rhythm when compared to ASL (73). The young signers also stated that ASL was monotonic as well as snobby (73). Thus, this relates back to the prior implication stated earlier in which social attitudes vary between the two languages because the BSL signers also mentioned that politeness and courteous is also different in which BSL can be considered rude because of its lack of eye contact. But this could just show that there is a distinct variation of proper and improper forms of the languages because some ASL vocabulary and movement can be considered inappropriate as well. So, this can just be related to the context of the conversation that the BSL signers noticed, or that BSL is more English based in that they try to take on the culture that is seen within hearing individuals
This may be due to the languages using similar signs from their origin, such as using gestures that influenced a specific sign. But there is also the possibility that after segregation, students being able to communicate with one another in the classroom may have shaped the languages currently allowing for the commonality between both languages. With this stated, not all BSL signers interact with ASL signer and vice versa (Brockway, …show more content…
Young BSL users in Texas stated that BSL is more powerful in expression and movement and had more rhythm when compared to ASL (73). The young signers also stated that ASL was monotonic as well as snobby (73). Thus, this relates back to the prior implication stated earlier in which social attitudes vary between the two languages because the BSL signers also mentioned that politeness and courteous is also different in which BSL can be considered rude because of its lack of eye contact. But this could just show that there is a distinct variation of proper and improper forms of the languages because some ASL vocabulary and movement can be considered inappropriate as well. So, this can just be related to the context of the conversation that the BSL signers noticed, or that BSL is more English based in that they try to take on the culture that is seen within hearing individuals