Sign language is based on the idea that sight is the most useful tool a deaf person has to communicate and receive information. American Sign Language (ASL) is a language that uses a system of manual, facial and other body movements as a means of communication. It is said that sign language is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
No one is sure the exact beginning of the sign language some believe that it came from French Sign Language (FSL) which was introduced to American in 1817 by a French teacher, Laurent Clerc whom founded the first school for the deaf in Hartford Connecticut. ASL and FSL share some of the same components but not one form of sign language is universal. Different countries and regions use their own form of sign language. Age, ethnicity, and gender also contribute to the differences in ASL from place to place.
Age is a critical issue for people who acquire ASL, whether as a first or second language. Becoming fluent in sign language, as in most languages, is a case of the earlier people are exposed to sign language the better. When a deaf child is born to hearing parents it is imperative that the parent expose the child to sign language during the first six months of life, it is crucial to the development of the child. All children should be tested for hearing loss or deafness within the first month of life. To become full competent in ASL a child should be exposed before school age. The longer the wait the harder it becomes for the child to comprehend sign language.
Even hearing children can benefit from sign language. Children Infant sign language has become an alternative for some parents. Children have no language skills until 12 to 24 months old, but children are born with the ability to comprehend language. The last few years have shown benefits of signing for pre-verbal children.
In the mid 1990s, it was revealed that contrary to popular belief, teaching a hearing child does not delay the child from speaking. It was shown that it encourages early communication in children and in a study done at the University of California it was shown that it actually had boosted I.Q. Thus Sign Language is proven to not only be necessary to many deaf individuals. but also pre-verbal children.
There are many websites for learning simple signs to more complex signs. One of the best is
VideoJug.com , where they have a number of films which will start you out on your journey to learning
Sign Language.
