I assume there must be a reason why sign language is superior but I genuinely don’t know why.
I’m profound deaf. I sign, write and speak. :)
Well, sign language aren’t superior. Having both : subtitles (hard hearing people) and sign language (deaf people) is better. I prefer subtitle because it is closer to the speech and i’m not fond of sign video. Often the sign interpreter is small and sign very quickly.
In general, i prefer text, it help me focusing on the content instead of the person and use less bandwidth…
Sign language still lacks lot vocabulary. It’s a young language «created» in the 18s when Abée de l’Épée founded the first deaf school. And i had to create lot technical signs with sign language interpreters during my agricultural course. Furthermore, they don’t have an official sign writing yet, and it is a problem for keeping human knowledge and culture outside video and technological device. So there is still lot things to do and improve.
In France, lot deaf people aren’t fluent with French writing due to the lack of bilingual school (French writing and French sign language) and interpreters (eg : only 200 hours in sign language for 1 year in universities).
So, having sign language improves a lot the accessibility for deaf people as they are not fluent with writing language. For me, i prefer both. Both are good and it meet each people need. :)
American sign language is not a gesture based form of English. It is an entire language in its own right, with its own distinct grammar and vocabulary.
To someone deaf from birth, sign language is their native language. And it is much more comfortable to quickly read your native language than a second language.
This raises more questions than it answers, like how do the deaf from birth function in society at all if they struggle with other languages besides sign language. How do they get a job, go to school, learn new skills, read the news, text people? What do they do in their leisure if not watching subtitles movies or reading books? Many non-english speakers end up learning English anyway because of just how pervasive it is.
The same way anyone else for whom English is a second or third language function in society.
If sign language is your first language, any written language is like a foreign language that you might’ve learned but aren’t a native speaker in.
ASL (or whichever sign language) is NOT a direct visual translation of English or French or Mandarin or whatever. It’s a totally different language and the written language is a second language. People might be highly proficient at reading and writing English in an English speaking country but it’s a different language.
And incredibly regional as well.
Any isolated language with a small local population is going to differentiate quickly, and while the Internet is bringing everyone together and making written language more consistent, it’s not like deaf people send each other videos online, they just use written English because it’s insanely easier and faster for everyone.
A decent amount of deaf people don’t speak English so wouldn’t be using written English. Schools that teach both are actually called dual language schools
Deaf people that can’t hear at all, still read and write, please stop speaking for a lifestyle you don’t know anything about.
😂 I’m deaf you numpty. There’s entire deaf communities that don’t read or write english. It’s actually a hotly debated topic as some think kids shouldn’t be forced to learn both.
Only in 'murica (and the anglosphere) could people think that learning more languages could possibly be a bad thing…
I’m not American but it’s suggested that learning a sign language and a ‘spoken’ language at the same time can slow the acquisition of both.
We see it in kids with two ‘spoken’ languages too but I believe to a lesser extent.
If I had a deaf kid I would teach them both but I understand the choices of parents that don’t do that.
And they’d have no idea what ASL was…
So what’s your point?
Not even every English speaking country uses ASL, and it’s different in different regions even in America.
You’ve got confused. A lot of deaf people speak ASL, BSL, AUSLAN etc exclusively. They don’t speak English. Speaking both is bilingual.
Who’s talking about speaking?
We’re talking about reading/writing/typing…
I would be insanely surprised if someone used American/British/Australian sign language yet didn’t know a single written language. Especially not the one used in their geographical location
This explains why a fair amount of deaf people don’t use written language.
