american sign language predominant sign language deaf communities united_states canada north_america based countries world including west_africa parts southeast_asia widely learned second language serving closely related proposed language shows features languages morphology originated early 19th century connecticut situation language contact use propagated widely schools deaf deaf community organizations despite wide use accurate count users taken reliable estimates american users range persons including number children deaf adults users face stigma beliefs superiority oral language sign language compounded fact english lack standard writing system signs number components including movement face hands form play larger role spoken languages english loan words borrowed grammar unrelated english verbal agreement marking productive system forming believe subject object language alternative proposals account word order classification emerged language founded school brought old french sign language village sign languages home sign systems created situation language contact influenced distinct influence french sign language readily apparent example found signs modern old french sign language signs far standard measure determine related languages actually suggests nascent highly affected signing systems brought students despite fact school original director taught fact reported learned students signs conveying regret efforts making better inadvertently fallen somewhat learned learn signs pupils instead learning instructed experienced teachers proposed language native village sign languages substrate languages recent research shown modern share structural features characterize languages begun undergone structural change time possible type language specific reasons sign languages tend example ability simultaneously convey information face head body parts characteristics tendency morphology additionally artificially constructed form manually coded language instruction true united_states united_kingdom australia share english common oral written language mutually british sign language languages degrees borrowing english sufficient cross language found relatively high percentage signs similar translations oral languages suggest belong language family justified historically likely resemblance higher degree sign languages general contact english growing popularity states people high school colleges wanting foreign language recently foreign language issue didn consider foreign language users distinct culture way interact talking facial expressions hand movements reflect conveying sentence structure sets language apart american sign language accepted colleges foreign language credit states making mandatory accept history prior birth sign language communities united_states united_states world hearing families deaf children historically employed hoc home sign reaches higher levels gestures hearing people spoken conversation early contact reports plains indians developed sign language communicate tribes different languages 19th century triangle village sign languages developed new_england martha massachusetts new_hampshire maine martha particularly important history mainly massachusetts original community english settlers nature genetic high rate genetic hearing residents deaf person present thought originated founded connecticut originally known school founded yale graduate student inspired success demonstrating learning abilities young deaf girl traveled europe order learn deaf european institutions ultimately chose adopt methods french national paris convinced assistant school founder accompany united_states return founded april largest group students seven decades school martha brought students new_hampshire valley maine village sign language students brought knowledge home signs teacher taught developed school deaf established situation language contact new language emerged known schools deaf founded knowledge spread schools addition rise deaf community organizations bolstered continued use societies held national conventions attracted country contributed wide use large geographical area sign language 1950s predominant method deaf education acquiring oral language production consider sign language true language inferior recognition legitimacy achieved arrived dominant assumption aided civil rights movement 1960s argued use sign language deaf education noted sign language shares important features oral languages means communication devised system deaf education 1960s referred term considered obsolete population counting number difficult users counted american census ultimate source current estimates number users united_states report based survey provided estimates consistent signing population survey distinguish forms signing fact widespread use incorrect figures cited population speakers united_states based known statistics demographics deaf population confused use adults deaf late life rarely use home accounts currently cited greater mistaken reach high person lower bound cited users source figure unclear estimate equivalent signing incorrectly cited fourth spoken language united_states figures actually concluded speakers constituted largest population requiring interpreter court language english imply fourth spoken language united_states speakers languages speak english geographic distribution contrasts europe variety sign languages continent unique situation caused schools influenced originated rise community organizations deaf west_africa based sign languages spoken educated deaf adults languages imported boarding schools considered associations official sign languages countries named accordingly sign language sign language signing systems found nigeria lack data open question similar sign languages variety america addition aforementioned west african countries reported language barbados central african republic china hong_kong jamaica kenya madagascar philippines singapore deaf world widely learned second language varieties varieties found world little difficulty varieties united_states canada accents speech regional accents sign people south sign slower people north people northern southern indiana different styles mutual varieties high variation primarily example different words english canadian standard way regional variations atlantic ontario shown videos right variation meaning sign signed different way depending region example extremely common type variation signs distinct variety community evolved result racially segregated schools states included residential schools deaf black differs standard vocabulary structure african american vernacular english generally viewed standard english conservative standard preserving older forms signs black sign language speakers use handed signs mainstream likely lowering signs produced forehead know use wider signing space number instance feel internationally number closely related sign languages derived different countries varying degrees divergence standard imported varieties reported dialect acknowledged hand known imported varieties diverged extent separate languages example malaysian sign language origins longer mutually considered language imported varieties west_africa open question similar american communicating hearing english speakers speakers use commonly called signed english contact signing blend english structure types exist ranging highly english influenced practically english close alter subtle features grammar normally constructed sign languages known english match english grammar exactly simply replace spoken words signs systems considered varieties variety united_states deaf blind particularly common usher syndrome syndrome results birth followed loss vision later life consequently usher syndrome grow deaf community later transition differs signs produced touching differences standard order compensate lack non manual signing stigma white_house published response petition gained signatures officially recognize american sign language community language language instruction schools response titled shouldn stigma american sign language addressed vital language deaf hard hearing associated sign languages use sign children lead absence sign periods children lives access languages effectively scholars advocate english training early childhood intervention children deaf majority children born deaf parents hearing children known children deaf adults culturally deaf deaf children majority born hearing parents unlike deaf children acquire deaf cultural values behaviors birth bilingual hearing children mistakenly labeled slow having language difficulties attitudes spoken language writing systems established writing system written sign language dates centuries systematic writing system sign language developed written sign language remained marginal public 1960s created specifically letter distinctive hand shape orientation motion position lacks representation facial expression better suited individual words extended passages text system dictionary american sign language linguistic principles proposed writing system gain use public writing system sign languages included consists distinct iconic currently use schools deaf particularly brazil international sign language forums speakers researchers countries including brazil france germany italy portugal saudi_arabia tunisia united_states printed produced form persons use system oral languages written personal letters newspapers media academic research systematic examination equivalent usage structure international alphabet spoken languages proposed according researchers map forms written forms assertion disputed process country look create assignment features sign language proposed researchers thesis forum june community open project support projects involving request marked eligible test articles written widely system academics developed based expanded order allow sign language features usually indicated single symbols group features indicated collectively symbol additional candidates written appeared years including english speaking audiences english words typically capitalized arranged order example sentence cat meaning dog chasing cat uses mark progressive aspect shows verbal person written write language speakers sign composed number distinctive components sign use hand hand assumes particular orientation particular location body signing space involve movement changing change meaning sign illustrated signs think disappointed meaningful non manual signals include movement nose head eyes proposed components analogous spoken languages proposal analogous classes like place manner spoken languages units split distinctive features instance distinguished presence absence feature closed thumb illustrated right processes restrictions ongoing research analog syllables spoken language grammar morphology rich system verbal involves aspect action flows time agreement marking aspect marked changing manner movement example continuous aspect marked incorporating rhythmic circular movement aspect achieved modifying sign stationary hand position agree subject object marked number indicated handed signs example sign shoot shaped inward movement thumb shoot articulated having shaped hands shooting productive system classify objects movement space example rabbit running downhill use consisting bent downhill directed path rabbit path executed bouncy manner general composed bound movement root represents object incorporating attributes surface depth shape usually iconic movement root consists path direction manner possesses set signs known american manual alphabet spell words english language signs use example signs use different common consists method form borrowing linguistic process words language incorporated proper technical terms native equivalent loan words short english words longer english words english english apartment emphasize word normally signed basic word order disputed agree subject object language phenomena affecting basic word order basic sentences signed father love child father loves child word orders occur allows topic sentence moved sentence initial position phenomenon known object subject sentences object marked forward head tilt pause father love father loves child word orders obtained phenomenon subject copy subject copy subject repeated end sentence accompanied head emphasis father love child father loves child allows subject sentences subject implied stated explicitly subjects copied subject sentence subject omitted original position yielding object subject construction love child father loves child accompanied subject subject copy produce word order object subject love father loves child properties allow variety word orders leading question true underlying basic order proposals attempt account flexibility word order proposal languages like best described topic comment structure words ordered importance sentence properties hypothesis exhibits free word order word order whatsoever means head movement body position common signs self explanatory transparent imitation mean fact signs bear resemblance originally arbitrary symbols obscured time plays significant role high percentage signs resemble way fact medium sign dimensional space naturally allows oral language era influential assumed mapping form meaning language completely arbitrary clear exception words like bear clear resemblance sounds mimic approach treat marginal exceptions significant inventory iconic signs directly challenges theory research acquisition shown children advantage iconic properties signs interpreting meaning found children acquire point child confused treated like similar finding research oral languages acquisition found signs affect immediate memory recall iconic signs remembered highly iconic signs
American Sign Language