ASL and dialects ?

[highlands]

I am not American but I wonder if ASL is a uniformed(standard) sign language all over the USA or it may have different dialect forms in different parts of the country ?

another question,Canadians use same sign language as Americans ?

*just curious.. *

in my country, the sign language is still non standard.. There are some standardization studies that are supposed to end in 2009.I'm thinking of learning sing language if I could find proper sources .

 

[Reba]

There are regional differences in ASL across the United States.

 

[deafskeptic]

Reba is correct. Not all signs are the same all over the country.

When I attended VSDB in VA, the sign for birthday would be signed this way: make a b handshape and place it against the side of your face and then move it up and down slightly.

I remember being very annoyed with one of my teachers who was HOH and better in ASL than me because she refused to believe me when I showed her how some signs were different. She believed me only on the sign for birthday because she had visited VSDB and someone was having a birthday party and they used that sign at the birthday party.

 

[Interpretrator]

another question,Canadians use same sign language as Americans ?

The two main sign languages used in Canada are ASL and LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise). I think LSQ is used largely in Québéc but other places as well, and ASL is very widespread.

 

[jillio]

Reba is correct. Not all signs are the same all over the country.

When I attended VSDB in VA, the sign for birthday would be signed this way: make a b handshape and place it against the side of your face and then move it up and down slightly.

I remember being very annoyed with one of my teachers who was HOH and better in ASL than me because she refused to believe me when I showed her how some signs were different. She believed me only on the sign for birthday because she had visited VSDB and someone was having a birthday party and they used that sign at the birthday party.

I, personally, have seen "birthday" signed at least 5 different ways in different areas. But then, I have heard it pronounced as many different ways, as well, depending upon the area. Same difference.

 

[Buffalo]

I live near the Canada border. I have talked with Deaf Canadians (English speaking) and their sign language is similiar to ASL expect for few signs like football. I assume that the sign language is different in Quebec because of French speaking there.

I have seen several signs of 'early' myself. Once in Texas, I got confused when someone sign 'excuse me' since it looked like 'emergency'. I asked my friend how do they sign 'emergency' then. She looked confused. Oh well.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

Here in Texas we sign "Birthday" using the ASL sign for "song". I thought was very interesting.

When I moved to Texas from Minnesota I had a hard time understanding people. But now I understand people just fine.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

I have seen several signs of 'early' myself. Once in Texas, I got confused when someone sign 'excuse me' since it looked like 'emergency'. I asked my friend how do they sign 'emergency' then. She looked confused. Oh well.

Yeah, we use that sign here. It's different, LOL.

I used to live in MN and the sign for "outside" there looked like "boss".

 

[InTheGenes]

There's a really neat book out there called What's Your Sign for Pizza: An Introduction to Variation in American Sign Language, that you might be interested to see if you can get your hands on.

From Amazon.com's book review:

This introductory text celebrates another dimension of diversity in the United States Deaf community——variation in the way American Sign Language (ASL) is used by Deaf people all across the nation. The different ways people have of saying or signing the same thing defines variation in language. In spoken English, some people say "soda," others say "pop," "coke," or "soft drink;" in ASL, there are many signs for BIRTHDAY, HALLOWEEN, EARLY, and of course, PIZZA.

"What's Your Sign for PIZZA" derives from an extensive seven-year research project in which more than 200 Deaf ASL users representing different ages, genders and ethnic groups from seven different regions were videotaped sharing their signs for everyday vocabulary. This useful text and its accompanying CD begins with an explanation of the basic concepts of language and the structure of sign language, since sign variation abides by the rules governing all human languages. Each part of the text concludes with questions for discussion, and the final section offers three supplemental readings that provide further information on variation in both spoken and signed languages. "What's Your Sign for PIZZA" also briefly sketches the development of ASL, which explains the relationships between language varieties throughout the country.

 

[Reba]

Signs Across America is another book about regional variations.

Also, Black and Deaf in America describes how there is signing variation among black Deaf Americans. In the younger generation, much of that signing is dying out.

Signs of Sexual Behavior also shows sign variations based on geography and race.

In South Carolina, we have a few unique signs. We sign CHICKEN with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the chin, and ROOSTER with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the forehead. TRUCK is signed with the claw hand, palm up, under the chin (some people use that same sign for GRASS).

We sign BIRTHDAY either BIRTH + DAY, or with the open-8 ("feeling" handshape), touching the chin, then the chest.

 

[Tousi]

Signs Across America is another book about regional variations.

Also, Black and Deaf in America describes how there is signing variation among black Deaf Americans. In the younger generation, much of that signing is dying out.

Signs of Sexual Behavior also shows sign variations based on geography and race.

In South Carolina, we have a few unique signs. We sign CHICKEN with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the chin, and ROOSTER with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the forehead. TRUCK is signed with the claw hand, palm up, under the chin (some people use that same sign for GRASS).

We sign BIRTHDAY either BIRTH + DAY, or with the open-8 ("feeling" handshape), touching the chin, then the chest.

Reba, that's an odd sign for TRUCK...

 

[Reba]

Reba, that's an odd sign for TRUCK...

I know. Every time we show that sign to Deafies who move here, they laugh and shake their heads. But it's a very specific Lowcountry sign, very precious to the local Deafies.

I'm not sure but I think it might have its roots in the rural areas here. I especially think of the old pickup trucks that people use here for carrying bales of pine straw. They add a framework of 1 x 4's in the truck bed so they can carry huge loads of baled pine straw. (They sell the pine straw on the roadside to people who use it for landscaping, or they will deliver it to your home.) The trucks look kind of weird going down the highway. They stack the beds up way above the cabs. They don't look very stable but I've never seen one in an accident.

 

[deafskeptic]

Signs Across America is another book about regional variations.

Also, Black and Deaf in America describes how there is signing variation among black Deaf Americans. In the younger generation, much of that signing is dying out.

Signs of Sexual Behavior also shows sign variations based on geography and race.

In South Carolina, we have a few unique signs. We sign CHICKEN with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the chin, and ROOSTER with the 3-hand, thumb tapping the forehead. TRUCK is signed with the claw hand, palm up, under the chin (some people use that same sign for GRASS).

We sign BIRTHDAY either BIRTH + DAY, or with the open-8 ("feeling" handshape), touching the chin, then the chest.

Reba, I've always signed chicken that way and I picked it up at VSDB but when I went to MSSD, I had to sign it chicken with the sign similar to bird.

Ha, ha, I remember the first time I saw deaf signing they're driving the grass and I was like why on earth are they talking about driving the GRASS of all the things? it's the local sign for truck.

Yeah, I've seen that sign for birthday.

 

[Interpretrator]

There are lots of signs for PIZZA? LOL, I only know the one, the "double Z" sign. (You sign a Z but with both index and middle finger, so it looks like "ZZ.")

What are some other ones? Seriously, I've never seen any others!

 

[Reba]

There are lots of signs for PIZZA? LOL, I only know the one, the "double Z" sign. (You sign a Z but with both index and middle finger, so it looks like "ZZ.")

What are some other ones? Seriously, I've never seen any others!

That's the one I prefer, too.

My Signs Across America book shows 7 different signs for PIZZA, plus listing several states that fingerspell the word.

1. looks like classifier (C-hands) showing the shape of a large round pizza + PEPSI

2. mimes cutting a slice of pizza + lifting the piece to the mouth

3. classifier (C-hands) of pizza circle, lifting it up to the face

4. ZZ version

5. PEPSI + index fingers outlining shape of pizza circle

6. X-hand classifiers showing shape of large pizza, moved inward a little

7. P-hand making Z movement (I have seen this one also)

 

[Reba]

The book shows 22 different signs for PICNIC!

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

The book shows 22 different signs for PICNIC!

Yeah, I know 3 different signs for picnic. The first one, when I was a little girl, you bring a "p" handshape up to your mouth with your right hand and then with your left hand. It indicates that you are eating at a picnic.

Later on, it was like "talk" but use two hands lining up to your mouth/chin to indicate chatting while at a deaf picnic.

The new sign I know here in Texas, you just rub your hands together. It always make me think and then remember that it's a Texan sign for picnic. I am still getting used to the new signs here.