UVM: Vermont Legislative Research Shop - American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. No one form of sign language is universal (NIDCD, 2000). However, International Sign Language has been developed so that people may communicate between nations. International sign language is composed of vocabulary signs from different sign languages that Deaf people agreed to use at international events and meetings (Lapiak, 2001). In general, sign language can be used to break down the barriers between the hearing and Deaf communities.Here in the United States, American Sign Language is the primary language of an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 Americans, including Deaf native signers, hearing children of Deaf parents, and fluent Deaf signers who have learned ASL from other Deaf individuals (Wilcox, 1989). ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States (NIDCD, 2000). Because of this, students are increasingly learning sign language in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary classrooms around the country. Most of the time it is offered in speech, education, or communication disorder departments rather than in foreign language department. One reason for this is the fact that there is a limited amount of licensed sign language teachers. Qualifications for these teachers include a formal background in second language pedagogy, experience teaching ASL, and verifiable proficiency in ASL (Kanda & Fleischer, 1988).... Read more http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/doc/sign_language.htm
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