Sign Language is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression, and body language. Sign Language is used mainly by Deaf people and people with hearing difficulties.
British Sign Language
Within Britain the most common form of Sign Language is called British Sign Language (BSL). BSL has it's own grammatical structure and syntax, as a language it is not dependant nor is it strongly related to spoken English. BSL is the preferred language of between 50,000 - 70,000 people within the UK.
Sign Supported English
Another form of sign language used in Britain is known as Sign Supported English (SSE). SSE is not a language in itself. SSE uses the same signs as BSL but they are used in the same order as spoken English. SSE is a less efficient form of communication than BSL but is useful when used within schools where Deaf children are having to learn English grammar along side their signing, or by people who mix mainly with hearing people.
Is Sign Language Universal?
Many hearing people have the false impression that Sign Language is a worldwide universal language, but this however is far from the truth. Because of the isolated nature of Sign Language there is even significant variation from city to city within Britain, this is known as regional variation and can be thought of as being similar to regional accents found in spoken languages. Other countries have their own sign language, many of which are completely unrelated to BSL.
BSL - A Recognised Language
After a big campaign BSL was finally recognised by the UK government as an official minority language in 2003. This has lead to increased funding for the needs of Deaf people's communication, and an increased awareness of the language which now has a similar status to that of Gaelic and Welsh.
I just wonder if you can take to look what BSL look like!
subhnallah!, i got a friend of mine who signs and it's very hard for me to understand but alhmdulillah am used to it now but it's very hard for him to participate because at times he can't get the message across us and we get the wrong idea and so does he. He gets offeded really quickly because he struggles
Ya Allah help him && everyone who have disability issues! amin thumma amin ya rabbil alameen
I learnt the alphabet because I went to a primary school which mainly focused on children with special needs. I did know some of the signs, but it's been such a long time since then that I've forgotten them now :X
Alhumdilillah! Tut tut..you need to back to learning it again!
I will agree that BSL is not a Universal Language, However I have found that there are many common signs between various languages and that the letters for finger spelling are close to being universal. I have found that deaf people from around the world tend to communicate better, than people with verbal language differences. Here we use ASL My cousins went to ASD in Hartford Connecticut. There were many students from around the world there. Back in the 1940s there were very few Schools for the Deaf. What was interesting was seeing the differences in signing, what was more remarkable was how rapid the kids picked up each other's signs. At that time the ones most difficult to understand were the students from France.
Perhaps we may be able to impose on you to start a signing thread in the Languages section.
I will agree that BSL is not a Universal Language, However I have found that there are many common signs between various languages and that the letters for finger spelling are close to being universal. I have found that deaf people from around the world tend to communicate better, than people with verbal language differences. Here we use ASL My cousins went to ASD in Hartford Connecticut. There were many students from around the world there. Back in the 1940s there were very few Schools for the Deaf. What was interesting was seeing the differences in signing, what was more remarkable was how rapid the kids picked up each other's signs. At that time the ones most difficult to understand were the students from France.
Perhaps we may be able to impose on you to start a signing thread in the Languages section.
It must be a very strange world being deaf; but I am sure you cope very well with life, can you hear anything at all.
I have a friend who has been both deaf and mute from birth, he is now 72. I have been going on holiday with him for the past five years and next week we are both going to Germany for a week. We use Makaton as a sign language, we were never taught BSL.
Greetings and peace be with you RighteousLady; and thanks for the links.
Have you always been deaf, can you hear people speaking at all, and do you use a hearing aid? How did you learn to read and write so well? Sorry about all the questions but I am also trying to understand a little more of what my friend is going through, he uses a fairly small range of signs and only writes some key words.
Greetings and peace be with you RighteousLady; and thanks for the links.
Have you always been deaf, can you hear people speaking at all, and do you use a hearing aid? How did you learn to read and write so well? Sorry about all the questions but I am also trying to understand a little more of what my friend is going through, he uses a fairly small range of signs and only writes some key words.
Take care
Eric
Greetings Eric,
Yes I've always deaf since when I am born, I cannot hear any people to speaking at all but when use the hearing aids yes I can hearing them to talk..
My school by all my childhood did taught me how to read and write and also I've always loving to read and been all times to writing..
No problem, Eric! I don't mind about your questions because I have do it for deaf peoples!
Jazakallah for the links sis RighteousLady
i've always wanted to learn sign language because my cousin has down's syndrome and she can't talk/hear properly and uses sign language
Inshallah i'm gonna give it a go now
Jazakallah for the links sis RighteousLady
i've always wanted to learn sign language because my cousin has down's syndrome and she can't talk/hear properly and uses sign language
Inshallah i'm gonna give it a go now
MashAllah! No problem, bro..you will be enjoying it to learning new things for you, InshAllah!
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amin thumma amin ya rabbil alameen
kay:
Re: BSL (British Siging Language)
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