We're all thumbs today

June 18, 2005 12:13 PM

Using hands to communicate is not a new phenomon. American Sign Language (ASL) was formally introduced in 1817 by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet as a way for deaf people to communicate. Here's a wonderful browser that allows you to see how letters and words are signed (quicktime use). (Here's a way to tell your favorite Mefi trolll that you appreciate his/her kind words.) Oh, and let's not forget Koko, America's Gorilla Sign Language (GSL) sweetheart.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies (13 comments total)

Wow -- that Michigan State browser is fabulous. I've been using the "Baby Signs" books and videos to learn rudimentary ASL that I use with my 14-month old pre-verbal daughter, but am frustrated with their limitations (unclear drawings, limited vocabulary). What a fun post. Thanks!
posted by tidecat at 12:28 PM on June 18, 2005

Good post DeepFriedTwinkies, it's nice to be able to see the ASL in action. Loved the ASL version of rage, which gave me a good bellylaugh. There is also interesting info out there about nonverbal communication.
posted by nickyskye at 12:35 PM on June 18, 2005

What's interesting is that, because ASL was brought over from France, the linguistic structure follows and most of the symbols apply without any translation needed.

That is, you can go up from the US to Canada — say, Montreal or Quebec City — and sign with deaf people there. Or head over to France and do the same.

Some gestures and symbols are culture-specific, so you will quickly be known as a foreigner, but communication is possible without much extra work.
posted by Rothko at 12:41 PM on June 18, 2005

I've always wanted to get better understanding of ASL (a substantial number of Deaf people work where I do, printing being a something of a traditional occupation for them). However, I've found the same thing as tidecat: I just don't have the acumen to translate drawings from the language books into action. So, thanks very much for this post! And I have to say you are on a great FPP roll, DeepFriedTwinkies. It's much appreciated!
posted by melissa may at 12:42 PM on June 18, 2005

The latest rage: communicate with your baby before he/she talks verbally, using sign language of course.
posted by caddis at 1:09 PM on June 18, 2005

See also

(And here's another great ASL website.)
posted by Silune at 1:17 PM on June 18, 2005

This is great! I knew quite a few deaf people in high school, and it always struck me that ASL is more than just a hand-sign language - it requires very articulated body language as well. That's hard to learn from a book.
posted by muddgirl at 1:43 PM on June 18, 2005

And here is a British Sign Language Quicktime dictionary. For those who are interested in how such a language might spontaneously come into being, here is a site on the history of Nicaraguan Sign Language.
posted by TimothyMason at 1:52 PM on June 18, 2005

This is great! I knew quite a few deaf people in high school, and it always struck me that ASL is more than just a hand-sign language - it requires very articulated body language as well. That's hard to learn from a book.

My ASL-signing friend told me once how his deaf friend would tell him to speed up the conversation, by signing two "F"s and making a clicking motion with the thumb, as if holding a remote control. I got a kick out of that...
posted by Rothko at 2:27 PM on June 18, 2005

What's interesting is that, because ASL was brought over from France, the linguistic structure follows and most of the symbols apply without any translation needed.

My wife was an ASL interpreter until she got carpal tunnel and some other hand problems. When she was learning, the hardest part was deconstructing English grammar and reconstructing it in French order, then having to sign it on the fly. Makes my head hurt just thinkin' about it.
posted by Doohickie at 3:38 PM on June 18, 2005

Here in Rochester, NY we have the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) which is part of Rochester Institute of Technology. I had never seen a deaf person, let alone someone using sign language, before attending RIT. Now they seem common to me. Many of the local school districts teach it and some have it as an alternative to languages like Spanish or French. It's still disconcerting to see a deaf person driving while signing, but as far as I know their accident rate is no higher than anyone else's.

Interesting anecdote: At RIT I worked in the NTID dining hall. NTID started classes weeks before the rest of RIT did in order to orient the students to life away from home but especially to get used to a school that used sign language extensively. Many of those who had hearing parents or who had been "mainstreamed" into regular public schools had no ASL training at all. Of course, this was the late 70's, so things may be different now.
posted by tommasz at 5:25 PM on June 18, 2005

ASL has been a huge boon to my daughter, who has a number of issues that make normal communication a challenge for her. For her Signing Time has been one of the main educational tools, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Beware that ASL has regional variations and some of the signs in the MSU dictionary are archaic (for example, the sign for doctor, which is depicted as the fingers of one hand tapping on the wrist, I was told by another instructor, is 'medic'. Doctor is the 'd' letterform tapped on the wrist, nurse is the 'n' letterform).

Still, it can be a very beautiful language in its expression. One of my favorites is the sign for Quaker.
posted by plinth at 5:15 PM on June 19, 2005

Another thing about ASL: Rather than spelling out names, many ASL users have special signs that represent their name to their friends. If you are new to ASL, do NOT let kids pick your name sign; it is likely to be something that translates as "Fart Head" or something worse!
posted by Doohickie at 5:27 AM on June 20, 2005