Sign languages

Around 2000 there started a trend, new mothers were teaching their young children “baby sign.” Other moms told them they could teach their infants and toddlers, certain signs, such as “milk”, “diaper”, “juice”, etc., and would be able to communicate with their children. When introducing her book Baby Sign Language Basics, Montra Briant says “I was also intrigued by the idea of being able to communicate with my baby before she could talk – what would she say?” (2009, p . ix) The concept of…

linguistic minority who face many communication barriers in the health care setting. For the Deaf population, American Sign Language (ASL) is the preferred method of communication, if not their native language. ASL is its own language, consisting of syntax, grammar, and vocabulary separate from that of English. Thus for many Deaf individuals, English is a second language and a language that they may not be completely literate in. This is critical to consider as most health care information is…

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…

The Dark Age of Sign Language In the 1800’s many schools around the world were being built for deaf education. Many Deaf activists studied the deaf in many countries to establish schools. A few of the people are Thomas Gallaudet, and Charles Michel de l’Epee’. They were men who helped teach and create sign language to the deaf community. During these times there were deaf politicians, artists, lawyers, educators, and excetera who used sign language and became successful. Later on after 1880…

Luckily there is the American Sign Language (ASL) which will become beneficial to you as you try to navigate your way back home. American Sign Language is one of the biggest and most used languages in the deaf community. However, this hasn’t always been the case in the 1700’s many deaf people had little no value in society. American Sign Language is essential to the deaf community. How did this great language come about? With learning ASL, you will truly understand the language by connecting…

of hard of hearing. Being truly proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) is not purely based on signing skills. Those who are considered fluent signers are those who understand the underlying concepts and conversational innuendos, such as idioms. American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language currently being used by approximately 250,000-500,000 Americans of all ages (Baker-Shenk 47). The language was developed from French Sign Language through the collaboration of Laurent Clerc and…

I was interested to learn that Clerc brought over the old french sign language and over time it adapted and mixed with the signs used in Connecticut. I was also surprised that there was a lot of hereditary deafness in their communities and how sign language was accepted as well as any speech. I felt sad to hear that people were ashamed for using sign language. It made me think of my younger sister and her best friend. My sister is special needs and she had an ear infection when she was very…

The American Sign Language (ASL) Club made its debut at Ramapo College educating the community during an event associated with Disability Awareness Month. “We believe in more than fighting the stigma. We want to push for equality and respect,” said junior Kira Abrams, president of ASL Club. “We hope to achieve an environment where disability is seen as a different and equally valid way of navigating the world, where a person who requires some accommodations to do well in an environment…

There are a few different types of sign language around the world. However, the most common sign language is used in the United States is ASL (American sign language). Moreover, deaf people not only have their own language, but also have their own culture like hearing people. The deaf culture is very important to the deaf community. And, as an ASL student, I have more chances to join in two Deaf events to have a closer view of Deaf Culture in general, or more specific American Deaf Culture. The…

American Sign Language is a unique language with diverse syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and morphemes, which includes grammatical aspects which are not present in English including classifiers. Despite the limited research in specific areas of ASL, due to ASL not being officially recognized as a language until 1960, the importance of classifiers is indisputable. Classifiers are “designated handshapes and/or rule-grounded body pantomime used to represent nouns and verbs” by representing a class…