Language And The American Sign Language - 953 Words

A few of the important factors that I thought were important in this unit were the American Sign Language itself, the rules of social interaction in the Deaf culture, and Deaf literature. American Sign Language is well described in the book, â€Å"Introduction to American Deaf Culture† by Thomas K. Holcomb. Holcomb explains how American Sign Language is often confused with â€Å"English on the hands.† However, Holcomb cites, â€Å"Research has clearly determined that ASL has an independent grammar that happens to be quite different from English (Holcomb, p.115). It is an honest mistake to believe that ASL is the same as English except instead of orally communicating, it communicates with the use of hands. I myself also believed in that same concept. When I started to learn ASL, I couldn t help myself from asking my deaf friends how to sign the word â€Å"to† or â€Å"the.† The concept I learned from interacting with my friends is that ASL is a completely different language with its different set of rules and grammar. Even until today, I cannot have a good established conversation in sign language because I need to adapt to the different gr ammar. It is important to know these rules about the language itself because that way it will be much faster to progress with the language. In terms of social interaction, in this unit I learned the importance of staying connected and reporting back to the deaf community is essential. â€Å"Social contacts are cherished and often infrequent, it is expected that DeafShow MoreRelatedNotes On American Sign Language1464 Words   |  6 Pages American Sign Language Overview American Sign Language is language that is predominantly spoken and used by all ages who may be deaf or communicating with someone who is deaf. It has lingua franca language, and many use it as a second language. We use a variation of sign language each day, for example our body language or hand gestures. When we are trying to explain something or imply how we feel we move and have expressions. Sign Language uses those emphasis of gestures to imply importance, emotionRead MoreSummary : American Sign Language 957 Words   |  4 PagesHarmony Kelly Mrs. Barbara Carr American Sign Language 1 20 October 2015 Alice Cogswell What would you do if you were Deaf and living in America during the early 1800’s and before? Think of how hard it would be to learn when the teachers in the classroom would talk out loud and you couldn’t hear what they were saying. It was very difficult for Deaf students who lived before the 1800’s to get any education. Rich people would send their children across the ocean to Europe where they could attendRead MoreAmerican Sign Language And Deafness Essay1438 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Sign Language and Deafness in American Culture Deafness has been an obstacle thousands of people have had to overcome since the dawn of time. Even in the not so distant past, the future was typically very bleak for individuals who were born or became deaf. However, the future of an individual who is Deaf has become much brighter due to the development of American Sign Language. As the name describes, this language relies solely on visible movements and facial expressions with no auditoryRead MoreAmerican Sign Language ( Asl )1686 Words   |  7 Pages Classifiers are handshapes we use in American sign language (ASL) to show the movement, placement, orientation, size, and shape of a noun. Since ASL is a rule-governed language when using classifiers you must first identify the noun, then you can use the classifier to show how the object moves or is placed in relationship to other objects (Aron). American sign language uses eight different kinds of classifiers for specific categories. Since classifiers cover a wide variety of uses there are severalRead MoreThe American Sign Language Community Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesthe criteria Swales states is necessary to be a discourse community, I did an in depth research on the American Sign Language community. Through my study, I was able to meet all six characteristics. Literature Review According to Swales, there are two types of communities: speech and discourse. Swales defines a speech community as a group that shares similar linguistic goals, similar language, or both as â€Å"a community sharing knowledge of the rules for the conduct and interpretation of speech† (SwalesRead More American Sign Language Essay1675 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Sign Language In learning about the deaf culture I have taken on a new understanding about the people it includes. Through readings and the lessons, I have learned that being deaf has both its hardships and its blessings. The beauty of the language alone makes one want to learn all that he or she can about it. In this paper I will discuss the beauty of the language and the misconceptions the hearing world has about deafness. The deaf culture has often been labeled as the deaf- and-Read MoreAmerican Sign Language ( Asl ) Is A Visual And Natural Language1029 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican Sign Language (ASL) is a visual and natural language. It is used widely by the members of the deaf community in the United States (Valli Lucas, 2000; Andrews, Leigh, Weiner, 2004). About 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents (DOH) (NIDCD, 2015). 10% of deaf children are born to families with one or both deaf parents (DOD) (Mitchell Karchmer, 2002). Deaf children of DOD will use ASL as their primary language rather than spoken English or a different language such asRead MoreAmerican Sign Language And Numerical Stories1118 Words   |  5 PagesA-Z stories in American Sign Language and numerical stories as well were introduced around the 1940’s (Bauman). Gilbert Eastman stated that A-Z and numerical stories were most likely created as early as the 1900’s at the Ohio School for the Deaf (Ba uman). However, with the advanced technology of the 20th century American Sign Language numerical and A-Z stories may be cherished and videorecorded for future generations (American Sign Language Literature). What are A-Z and numerical stories? A-Z storiesRead MoreThe Development of American Sign Language Essay2934 Words   |  12 Pagesdevelopment of American Sign Language in the United States dates back to as early as the 1600s. On Martha’s Vineyard there was a relatively large Deaf population due to genetics and heredity. This was thought to trace back to the first people of the land, who traveled from Massachusetts and carried this genetic deafness with them. Because there were so many people that were deaf living there, it was extremely common for all people, deaf and hearing, to learn their own version of sign language. This earlyRead MoreHistory And Perceptions Of American Sign Language Essay2063 Words   |  9 PagesHistory and Perceptions of American Sign Language Sign language is one most common ways for deaf individuals to communicate without using of their voices. Different cultures and languages will typically have their own version of sign language so signs are not always universal, just like gestures are not universal. Signs are culturally bound in communication just like verbal languages and gestures are culturally bound. I will examine the history of American Sign Language, as well as how it has been