Although sign languages don’t share a lot of similarities, there has still been a fair share of influence, especially for American Sign Language. Keep reading to find out what influenced American Sign Language.
What is American Sign Language
American Sign language is a natural form of communication that uses signs and gestures. It’s used by hundreds of thousands of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States and parts of Canada.
The Origins of American Sign Language
French Sign Language
So, the question is, where does American Sign Language originate?
No one in particular developed American Sign Language, but old French Sign Language is where it all began.
French Sign Language started in the late 1700s. It wasn’t an established language, but two deaf sisters used signs and gestures to communicate. Their homeschool teacher also learned how to sign from them and later established a school for deaf children. Considering at the time, people who were deaf or hard of hearing were overlooked.
During this period in France, oral education was deemed better than in sign language schools. Fortunately, society became more progressive in its views on the deaf community. Though there were bans on using sign language until 1977, it continued to develop within groups of people.
Fortunately, in 2005, the Fabius Law was passed to give all citizens equal rights, which included deaf people, and recognized FSL as an official language for the deaf community.
How French Sign Language and American Sign Language are Similar
Around 1600, there was an isolated deaf community on Chilmark Island, present-day Massachusettes. This community developed Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language and used it until it declined when the first American deaf school opened in the 1800s. The students who attended this school used the Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language and household sign language. The school taught in French Sign Language, which was brought to the United States in the 19th century. The household sign language and Martha’s Vineyard blended with old French Sign Language to form what is known as American Sign Language today.
It’s estimated that around 60% of vocabulary and signs in ASL come from French Sign Language or langue des signes Francaise. It created this unique blend between French and ASL. According to Gallaudet University, French and American Sign Language are very different, but some words, like, “with” and “see” are cognates. An additional similarity between FSL and ASL is the one-handed fingerspelling.
The Structure of American Sign Language
Now that we know the origins of American Sign Language. Let’s dive deeper into the structure. It’s easy to think that ASL is related to English, but it isn’t. American Sign Language developed independently from spoken language. Sign Language is processed and perceived through the eyes. It heavily relies on facial expressions and body language to convey the message.
Even though it is a visual language, American Sign Language has its unique vocabulary, grammar, and syntax structure. It consists of 10,000 signs. There are two syntax structures found in American Sign Language used to construct a sentence:
- verb tense+topic+comment+referent
- topic+comment+referent
Another grammar note for verb tenses is that you can use the same sign if it is the past, present, or future tense.
The Future of American Sign Language
American Sign Language has made a lot of strides since its beginning. It used to be a form of communication that society didn’t recognize, but now, it has risen in use, and the need for translators keeps growing.
In the 1800s, American Sign Language was banned in school. For decades, the government pushed the deaf community into receiving an oral education because it was favorable and fit the norms of society. As a result, deaf students struggled with it. Eventually, the mindset was that sign language was harmful because there was no evidence to support it. This is when the first deaf school opened and gave deaf students an opportunity for quality education.
The Role of American Sign Language in AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is what controls many of the things we use in daily life, like phone apps, banking, healthcare, and so much more rely on this technology.
Another big thing that uses AI is translation apps like Google Translate. AI is making it easier and eliminating the barriers that the deaf and hearing-impaired community once faced. AI translators like Sign All and others are by no means perfect.
Some of the challenges that companies face in creating AI software is that there is no universal sign language. The other problem is sign language is visually perceived. The translators are still in the experimental stage, but companies are making improvements with cameras that can simultaneously capture the hand and body components of sign language in written form.
American Sign Language in the Present Day
American Sign Language has gone through stages of influence and development, starting as a household communication system and mixing with Old French Sign Language taught in the first deaf school in Connecticut.
It is no longer a language that only small groups can interpret. It is a natural language that is recognized all over the country. More importantly, American Sign Language is the center of deaf culture. In the United States and parts of Canada, students can take American Sign Language as a foreign language requirement in high school or university.
The growing number of American Sign Language users breaks down the barriers that once existed for the deaf community and gives them a place in society.
For those who are looking for additional support, Unspoken Language Services offers interpreting services to help bridge the communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities.
