hi im new to this site and new to asl... i recently started taking a class a few months ago and i have a project due in a few weeks... in order to complete it i need to know the differences in asl and lsq (the sign language used in quebec) i would like to know if there are any signs that are done differently there then they are here in the u.s. any help would be great! thankyou!
hi,im new,and i have a question
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Bebonang
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to AllDeaf forum. Well, that is good that you are learning how to sign ASL. Sign language is very important for visual. Yes, we have different sign languages all over the world which is call international sign language. I am using ASL because I was brought up in United States before coming to Canada. I have roots from ancestors who was born and raised in Canada. As for LSQ, which is in Quebec, they chose French sign language. I remember when I was young in United States long before we have ASL. We use to have different sign languages for each States. It was very confusing trying to understand different languages and we get mix up all the time. The National Theater for the Deaf change all that because they were touring all over United States and most of us could not understand what the actors were saying so they invented the ASL. As for LSQ, I don't know much about that and someone will fill you out in the gap. Hope you got what you want for your project. 
kimpossible
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Hey, welcome to the boards, although I don't know if I should be the one to say since I just joined less than an hour ago!
But anyway, I think you're expected to do a bit more extensive research on LSQ and its properties, and compare them to what you already know about ASL. Umm excuse me for rambling on, but I'm going to do just that. At least I warned you, in all fairness.
I guess the main thing and most obvious aspect about LSQ is that it's used by francophones so it probably still maintains most of the properties of French Sign Language. But take note that ASL was also derived from French Sign Language although it's changed extesively since its derivation. Comparing ASL and FLQ would be like comparing English and French, although I suspect that a variety of the signs in FLQ are the same as ones in ASL. Grammar would be a huge difference, though. For example, in French, if you wanted to say "Look at the red car," you would say, "regardez le camion rouge." The adjective comes after the noun there, and the verb ("regardez" or "look") is a command but has a different form for each different tense.
Something to take note of, though, is that a lot of signs in ASL use one of the letters to define them. For example if you wanted to sign "Library" you'd use an L-shaped hand, whereas in French, "bibliotheque" means "library" but this time it starts with a B so you can't really do that, can you! These are only really small details, off the top of my head, that I didn't arrive at through any kind of research - just common sense. So I wouldn't take my word for it without doing some research of your own.
But anyway, I think you're expected to do a bit more extensive research on LSQ and its properties, and compare them to what you already know about ASL. Umm excuse me for rambling on, but I'm going to do just that. At least I warned you, in all fairness.
I guess the main thing and most obvious aspect about LSQ is that it's used by francophones so it probably still maintains most of the properties of French Sign Language. But take note that ASL was also derived from French Sign Language although it's changed extesively since its derivation. Comparing ASL and FLQ would be like comparing English and French, although I suspect that a variety of the signs in FLQ are the same as ones in ASL. Grammar would be a huge difference, though. For example, in French, if you wanted to say "Look at the red car," you would say, "regardez le camion rouge." The adjective comes after the noun there, and the verb ("regardez" or "look") is a command but has a different form for each different tense.
Something to take note of, though, is that a lot of signs in ASL use one of the letters to define them. For example if you wanted to sign "Library" you'd use an L-shaped hand, whereas in French, "bibliotheque" means "library" but this time it starts with a B so you can't really do that, can you! These are only really small details, off the top of my head, that I didn't arrive at through any kind of research - just common sense. So I wouldn't take my word for it without doing some research of your own.
kimpossible
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Not really, unless you mean local signs ie. names of places/cities for instance (there are probably signs that change within the states from place to place, too, though). But in Canada we use ASL as well, just not necessarily in Quebec. I can't think of any specific examples.
Kaitin
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Interesting! I don't know LSQ or French, but I used Google to find some information:
Have you tried the site SignPuddle? It shows LSQ signs using signwriting. You have to know French to look up signs in LSQ. And you need to know signwriting to understand how to sign the words you look up. I learned ASL from my parents and other people, not through signwriting or books. But if you are learning ASL in a class, then you might be able to use signwriting.
Here's the SignPuddle page for the sign for "chat" (cat): clicky!
and the page for "chien" (dog): clicky!
Those are the only two words I know in French, so I can't look up more. But there are online English/French dictionaries that you could use to get more French words and find the LSQ sign.
Here's a comparison of ASL and SL from other countries: clicky! It doesn't say much, but it is interesting.
I also found this quote on a page for (I think hearing) people who teach ASL: "As you know, ASL was based on the sign language in use by the National Royal Institute for the Deaf in France and today, standard ASL bears clear similarities to French. You may also know that in Québec, Deaf use a variant of ASL called LSQ (Langue Signé du Québec). I stress that LSQ is not a different sign language, it is ASL but modified to suit the cultural and linguistic needs of a French speaking environment." I didn't know ASL and French were related. Does this mean I can speak French now?
Have you tried the site SignPuddle? It shows LSQ signs using signwriting. You have to know French to look up signs in LSQ. And you need to know signwriting to understand how to sign the words you look up. I learned ASL from my parents and other people, not through signwriting or books. But if you are learning ASL in a class, then you might be able to use signwriting.
Here's the SignPuddle page for the sign for "chat" (cat): clicky!
and the page for "chien" (dog): clicky!
Those are the only two words I know in French, so I can't look up more. But there are online English/French dictionaries that you could use to get more French words and find the LSQ sign.
Here's a comparison of ASL and SL from other countries: clicky! It doesn't say much, but it is interesting.
I also found this quote on a page for (I think hearing) people who teach ASL: "As you know, ASL was based on the sign language in use by the National Royal Institute for the Deaf in France and today, standard ASL bears clear similarities to French. You may also know that in Québec, Deaf use a variant of ASL called LSQ (Langue Signé du Québec). I stress that LSQ is not a different sign language, it is ASL but modified to suit the cultural and linguistic needs of a French speaking environment." I didn't know ASL and French were related. Does this mean I can speak French now?