MusicInMotion67
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ASL Uses Less Signs Than Words
Hi Caidemma, sometimes when interpreting yes it's shorter and quicker, however, not always. There are many times that there isn't a sign for a word and you have to break it down and explain what the word means which can be much longer. Never, ever get it into your head that ASL is mixed up English or English backwards. True ASL is no where in comparison to English, it's a whole other language with it's only as you know syntax, grammar rules, history, and culture. As a matter of fact, many of you may not know that ASL originated in France, where Laurent Clerc came back to the US with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Clerc agreed to teach Gallaudet French Sign, if Gallaudet would teach him English and once they started the American School For The Deaf in 1817 the two languages came together as did some home signs that the students brought with them, and thus it became American Sign Language. So as you can see it's a completely different language, also, no matter how proficient you become in ASL you will always be learning and will never have "arrived" if you know what I mean. Like many languages ASL is ever growing and changing, new phrases and signs being added to it all the time so we will always be learning something new
This is so helpful! I can see that ASL uses less signs than english uses words so it seems easier, and this will definately help me with sentence structure. Thanks!
Hi Caidemma, sometimes when interpreting yes it's shorter and quicker, however, not always. There are many times that there isn't a sign for a word and you have to break it down and explain what the word means which can be much longer. Never, ever get it into your head that ASL is mixed up English or English backwards. True ASL is no where in comparison to English, it's a whole other language with it's only as you know syntax, grammar rules, history, and culture. As a matter of fact, many of you may not know that ASL originated in France, where Laurent Clerc came back to the US with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Clerc agreed to teach Gallaudet French Sign, if Gallaudet would teach him English and once they started the American School For The Deaf in 1817 the two languages came together as did some home signs that the students brought with them, and thus it became American Sign Language. So as you can see it's a completely different language, also, no matter how proficient you become in ASL you will always be learning and will never have "arrived" if you know what I mean. Like many languages ASL is ever growing and changing, new phrases and signs being added to it all the time so we will always be learning something new