American Sign Language

language · deaf culture · visual communication · hands-on

Hands tell stories. American Sign Language uses hand shapes, positions, and movements combined with facial expressions and body movements to create a full, complete language. It's not just a code for English words but a genuine language with its own grammar and rules.

Used worldwide. ASL dialects and ASL-based languages are used not just in the United States and Canada, but also in West Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. Like spoken languages, sign languages have evolved in different places with their own unique features.

Its own grammar. ASL is not based on English, even though English is spoken in the United States. This means that the way sentences are built and meaning is created is completely different from how you'd structure an English sentence.

Connects many people. Around 200 to 300 different signed languages exist around the world, and ASL is one of them. Many people learn ASL as a second language to communicate with deaf friends and family members.

French connection. American Sign Language is most closely related to French Sign Language, showing how sign languages can spread and influence each other across countries, just like spoken languages do.