When I travel to different parts of the world, and even to different parts of the United States, I know that I could encounter someone who speaks a language other than English. However, if I were to travel to either England or Australia, where the main language is in fact English, I would expect to be able to understand the local people. I would still be able to read the restaurant menus and I could still ask someone for directions. However, if I were deaf, this would not be the case. In England, British Sign Language is typically practiced and in America, American Sign Langue is typically practiced. The difference between the two languages is not subtle, but rather completely different. Sure, some signs may overlap between the two languages, just as the word for baguette between French and English. In fact, most countries have different signing system. Some countries even have multiple systems, but some countries have the same systems but call them different names. One example of such a sign system exists in India and Pakistan.
From my research, I also found that like spoken languages, sign languages have different language families. The sign language that has originated from old British sign language is called the Banzsl family tree. Interestingly enough, American sign language is actually part of the French sign language family tree along with French sign language and Dutch sign langue. According to Wikipedia, there are over three hundred sing languages used around the world, and possibly even more. These languages typically develop through creolization, the process by which different cultural elements are combined and blend together to form a new culture/language and some just develop from nothing. Some forms of sign language development in education institutes and some develop in village communities where the deaf population is large. Those sign languages that develop within a community may possibly be only understood by the members of those communities as the language was formed in that one location. Sign language is constructed between individuals or a population and may not necessarily be standardized across a large area like a country. People develop their own signs in response to new things.
This is present in American sign language, especially for terminology in specific fields. I remember I was describing the difference between a prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell to Reba and after spelling out the two science words - prokaryotic and eukaryotic – we created a new sign for each term. However, the term was only known between us and is not known by anyone else. It appears that sign languages are flexible and adapt to the development of new words much more freely than any other language I have studied.
I understand that sign language is different from spoken language and that each sign language has a different grammar. However, I do wonder why each country does not have a more established and concrete sign language. Is it due to the fact that the number of deaf people in the country is not large enough? Does no one want to take the task and create a standardized curriculum? Is it simply better to let the language form on its own and not intervene?
Comments
This is so interesting that ASL is more closely related to FrenchSL rather than BritishSL! It’s also pretty cool that you and Reba created a sign that only the two of you know. I was recently learning about breakfast/food terminology and also noticed that there was no sign for ‘bagel’. Maybe I’ll come up with a sign too!