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From: JIM@auvm.auvm.edu (Jim McIntosh)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: How hard is it to learn to sign?
Message-ID: <15345@handicap.news>
Date: 4 May 91 03:56:03 GMT
References: <15267@handicap.news>
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Reply-To: JIM@auvm.auvm.edu (Jim McIntosh)
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Index Number: 15345

In article <15267@handicap.news>, allana@hpmwtd.hp.com (Allan Armstrong) says:
>Index Number: 15267
>
>How hard is it to learn sign language? How much effort and time is
>typically involved for how much communication ability?
>
>I have a friend who is hearing impaired. Although her lip reading and
>speech is _very_ impressive, even inspiring, I'm dabbling with the idea
>of learning to sign. So I'd like a little information.

Hi Allan. I am taking ASL II now, and plan to take ASL III this summer at
Gallaudet. That  doesn't make me  an authority,  but I do  know something
about it.

First, you  should know  there are  a number  of ways  of signing  in the
United States  which all  use the  same signs or  variations of  the same
signs. On the English side there is Signed Exact English (SEE). This uses
signs, but  in English word  order and using English  grammar. Naturally,
since it  hard to sign  things like tone of  voice, some meaning  will be
lost.

On the  opposite side of  the spectrum,  there is American  Sign Language
(ASL). ASL is a completely different language from English (although some
scholars say  it is  a pidgin  or creole). The  grammer and  structure is
different from English, and there  is no direct word-for-word translation
available from ASL  to English. Learning ASL is as  difficult as learning
any foreign language.

In the  middle there  is Pigin  Sign Language  (PSE) which  is sort  of a
mixture  of  the two.  Although  originally  described  as a  Pigin,  the
description of "Foreigner's Grammar" might  be more accurate. On one side
the  deaf person  is  trying to  make their  signing  as English-like  as
possible so  the hearing person  will understand  them, and on  the other
side the hearing person is using as much ASL as he or she knows.
---
Jim McIntosh (jim@auvm.auvm.edu)
The American University
Washington DC 20016-8019 USA