Learned a fact from my grandpa about asl, is this true?

[coolgirlspyer90]

Ever since my mother took up sign language years ago to be able to communicate with me, my grandfather was also interested in sign language. He took a short ASL class a long time ago. maybe one or two classes.

Anyways, my grandfather recently told me that ASL is 60% french. So when we're using ASL, we're also signing 60% in french sign language? is this true? because i never really heard of that fact before. If it is true, i wonder what other sign language is combined in with ASL.. it's pretty interesting to find out!

 

[Sares]

Thomas Gallaudet went to France and met Laurent Clerc. They came up with sign language from French Sign Language and hand signs.

 

[CSign]

Ever since my mother took up sign language years ago to be able to communicate with me, my grandfather was also interested in sign language. He took a short ASL class a long time ago. maybe one or two classes.

Anyways, my grandfather recently told me that ASL is 60% french. So when we're using ASL, we're also signing 60% in french sign language? is this true? because i never really heard of that fact before. If it is true, i wonder what other sign language is combined in with ASL.. it's pretty interesting to find out!

I don't know about the 60% figure, but "sign language" which later became known as ASL was based on the French signing system. Interestingly enough, the French used an initialized system similar to SEE. For example, the sign for "see" (like, I "see" that") is a "v" coming from the eyes. The French verb "to see" is Voir.

 

[coolgirlspyer90]

I don't know about the 60% figure, but "sign language" which later became known as ASL was based on the French signing system. Interestingly enough, the French used an initialized system similar to SEE. For example, the sign for "see" (like, I "see" that") is a "v" coming from the eyes. The French verb "to see" is Voir.

hmm, so in ASL we are definitely speaking some words in french? how come i never heard of this before when i learned sign when i was a young kid?

 

[purplewowies]

Harlan Lane mentioned the 60% figure in Journey into the Deaf-World, I think.

 

[Cloggy]

Not sure if it's 60% but yes, it was all french sign. In time new gins were added that might not exist in French sign, so the percentage reduced in time..
English siglanguage is quite different from French (and ASL).. Just Have a look at the difference between English and ASL finger spelling... (Norway has the French spelling.. plus a little extra)

Read this book when I was researching Deafness..



Very informative... Even a section in it where he visited Britain...

 

[Cloggy]

hmm, so in ASL we are definitely speaking some words in french? how come i never heard of this before when i learned sign when i was a young kid?

Norwegian nod Swedish comes from German Languages. Finnish comes from East-european languages...
Learning those languages you would not have a clue, and it's not important....
Later in life you might find out when you are interested...

 

[Sares]

hmm, so in ASL we are definitely speaking some words in french? how come i never heard of this before when i learned sign when i was a young kid?

Look at it this way: do not think of it as you are signing words in French or English you are making the “symbols to name items (words in the hearing world)” in ASL Sign. Learn the words. Then learn the syntax used in the language of Sign just as you learned the spoken syntax for any other language.

Direct translation = backwards speaking Yoda

 

[coolgirlspyer90]

Look at it this way: do not think of it as you are signing words in French or English you are making the “symbols to name items (words in the hearing world)” in ASL Sign. Learn the words. Then learn the syntax used in the language of Sign just as you learned the spoken syntax for any other language.

Direct translation = backwards speaking Yoda

hmmm. okay! I definitely want to learn some swedish sign language, and a little bit of spanish too.. I know ASL. My mom's grandma (my great grandma) immigrated over to america from sweden. I always had an interest in learning the sweden language. My best friend whose deaf as well, is part puerto rican. His dad's family is mainly from puerto rican. And he's been learning how to speak spanish since we were in elementary school and he tried to teach me some spanish, but not always haha.

 

[Jiro]

Ever since my mother took up sign language years ago to be able to communicate with me, my grandfather was also interested in sign language. He took a short ASL class a long time ago. maybe one or two classes.

Anyways, my grandfather recently told me that ASL is 60% french. So when we're using ASL, we're also signing 60% in french sign language? is this true? because i never really heard of that fact before. If it is true, i wonder what other sign language is combined in with ASL.. it's pretty interesting to find out!

it's the syntax that is similar to French language.

 

[Jane B.]

it's the syntax that is similar to French language.

But . . . does anyone know why they let it stay as the French syntax when it was being developed for an English speaking country?

 

[Bottesini]

But . . . does anyone know why they let it stay as the French syntax when it was being developed for an English speaking country?

Jane B. ASL was NOT developed for an English SPEAKING country. It developed for a Deaf population, and the syntax is dependent upon the way information is processed visually.

You need to think away from the spoken language model to understand how sign languages develop.

 

[Jane B.]

Jane B. ASL was NOT developed for an English SPEAKING country. It developed for a Deaf population, and the syntax is dependent upon the way information is processed visually.

You need to think away from the spoken language model to understand how sign languages develop.

I see where I should not have used the term "spoken". What I was trying to get at is why use the French when English is the most common language in the country. Everyone is going to have to contend with reading and writing English at some point in the US. So why not have sign language in English syntax rather than French syntax?

 

[Reba]

It's a shame that the mainstream schools don't teach Deaf history to their students. Every deaf student should know about the origins of ASL and deaf education, and the important names of those involved in the history of the deaf. There are resources available, and there is no excuse for not teaching them.

 

[Frisky Feline]

yep botti is accurate.

 

[Anij]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Jane B. ASL was NOT developed for an English SPEAKING country. It developed for a Deaf population, and the syntax is dependent upon the way information is processed visually.

You need to think away from the spoken language model to understand how sign languages develop.

I see where I should not have used the term "spoken". What I was trying to get at is why use the French when English is the most common language in the country. Everyone is going to have to contend with reading and writing English at some point in the US. So why not have sign language in English syntax rather than French syntax?

Because other than co-existing in an English speaking country ASL doesn't really have anything to do with English. The fact that ASL has connections to LSF is logical - many signed languages share similiar grammarical structure because they use space as part of the grammar.

Its worth mentioning the LSF does not have the same grammar / syntax as spoken & written french.

Simply put, signed languages will always share more similairites in form and structure than they will and can than the spoken & written languages surrounding them.

For all intents ans purposes ASL, BSL, NZSL etc are no more "English" than LSF, LSQ etc are "French".

 

[Jiro]

I see where I should not have used the term "spoken". What I was trying to get at is why use the French when English is the most common language in the country. Everyone is going to have to contend with reading and writing English at some point in the US. So why not have sign language in English syntax rather than French syntax?

that would be SEE language and it's terrible.

just FYI - I said ASL is similar to French syntax but that was a long time ago and it has morphed into its own over time. Historically, every language has basic foundation from the origin.

 

[Anij]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

And SEE isn't actually a language.

 

[Jiro]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

And SEE isn't actually a language.

it is to some people

 

[Anij]

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

Saying the sky's green doesn't make it true anymore than saying SEE is a language makes it an actual language.



SEE is a mode of English - not a language.