SIGN LANGUAGESIGN LANGUAGE

•American Sign Language is the 3rd most used

Baby SignBaby Sign

• One of the hottest trends in child development is that infants can communicate basic needs before they can speak. It also boosts lingual and intellectual developments.

Spicing it upSpicing it up

• Sign Language, in its natural state, adds spice. Visual-spatial arts, and bedtime storytelling, are part of the spices.

Persons With DisabilitiesPersons With Disabilities

• Signs break communication barriers for hearing people with chronic and acute disabilities who have delayed or little verbal skills.

ProfessionalsProfessionals

• Visual-gestural communication is the primary mode for stock traders on the floor, flying hands filled with numbers and codes. Partially modified International Sign Languages may be extremely beneficial for stock traders, scuba divers, firefighters and several other purposes in the fields.

Animal SignAnimal Sign

• Human interest in communicating with animals (and possibly vice versa) has been around for a long time, via speaking, signing and/or painting.

ARISTOTLEARISTOTLE

• 384-322 B.C.

A Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, pronounced that “Deaf people could not be educated without hearing, people could not learn”.

1616thth Century Century

• Geronimo Cardano, a physician of Padua, in northern Italy, proclaimed that deaf people could learn and understand via sign communication

1717thth Century Century

• Juan Pablo de Bonet published the first book on teaching sign language to deaf people that contained the manual alphabet in 1620. Although, sign language was already instinctively developed by deaf signers.

1818thth Century/Romantic Period of art Century/Romantic Period of art

• Abbe L’Epee of Paris founded the first free school for the deaf people in 1755. He demonstrated that deaf people could develop communication with themselves, and the hearing world through a system of conventional gestures, hand signs, and fingerspelling. He first recognized and learned the signs that were already being used by deaf people in Paris, and developed his sign system. He added a signed version of spoken French.

Samuel HeinickeSamuel Heinicke

• Leipzig, Germany

• Established first public school for the deaf people

• Did not use the manual method of communication

1919thth Century CenturyThomas Hopkins GallaudetThomas Hopkins Gallaudet

• A Congregational minister who helped a girl named Alice Cogswell, traveled to Europe in 1815. He studied the methods of communication for the deaf.

• In England, Abbe Roche Ambroise Sicard invited him to his school for deaf in Paris.

• Gallaudet then returned to the United States with Laurent Clerc, a deaf sign language teacher

Gallaudet and ClercGallaudet and Clerc

• Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded the first American public school for deaf students in Hartford, Connecticut in 1817.

• Laurent Clerc became the United State’s first deaf sign language teacher.

Baseball SignalsBaseball Signals

• William “Dummy”Hoy ( 1862-1961) the first deaf Major League baseball player, was the reason umpires adopted hand signals : out, safe, and strike.

Football HuddleFootball Huddle

• 1894: The Gallaudet University football team invented the football huddle to keep the opponents from eavesdropping on the quarterback in American Sign Language.

International SignInternational Sign

• 1924: Comite International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) was founded in Paris on August 16th during the first World Games for the Deaf held in Paris, France on August 10th to 17th, with six nations- Belgium , Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Holland, and Poland-participating in the competitions in Athletics, Cycling, Football (Soccer), Shooting and Swimming.

WFDWFD

• 1951: The First World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf ( WFD ) took place in Rome, Italy, with participants from 25 countries. The Deaf were able to discuss and decide on the Constitution in Gestuno ( now International Sign ). (WFD) The International Sign and English are the official languages of the WFD.

Linguistic BookLinguistic Book

• 1960: William Stokoe of United States published a first linguistic book of Amercan Sign Language as a language

• 1970: Linda Bove ( Deaf Signer ) was a guest for the American children’s populare TV show, “ Sesame Street” in

• 1970: Eventually, she became a regular actress in 1976• 1979: Klima and Bellugi conducted a first linguistic

research on the American Sing Language• Phyllis French was the first Deaf Signer to win a Tony

award ( The Best Actress ) , for playing a “Sarah” role in the play, “ Children of a Lesser God”.

Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales

• 1983: Diana, Princess of Whales, who acceptd an invitation to be the Royal Patron of the British Deaf Association in 1983, later studied British Sign Language

The SmurfsThe Smurfs

• 1983: “ The Smurfs “ became the first cartoon to use sign language in America on TV. The “ Smurfing in Sign Language “ show had the highest ratings that “ The Smurfs “ had ever had.

Oscar AwardOscar Award

• 1986/1987: Marlee Martin ( hard-of-hearing Signer, 21 ) became the first daeaf Signer to win the “ Best Actress “ Oscar award for playing “ Sarah “ role in the film, “ Children of a Lesser God “.

ASL Recognized in ManitobaASL Recognized in Manitoba

• 1988: On December 6th in Winnipeg, Canada, a private member’s resolution was passed unanimously which officially recognizes the cultural uniqueness of the deaf community and American Sign Language ( ASL ) as a distinctive language of deaf people in Manitoba.

ASL Recognized AlbertaASL Recognized Alberta

• 1990: MLA ( Member of Legislative Assembly ) Bill Payne of Calgary proposed Motion 216: “ Be it resolved that the Legislative Assembly urge the Government, given the cultural uniqueness of Alberta’s deaf community and the linguistic uniqueness of American Sign Language as a language of the deaf in Alberta; and to incorporate it into Alberta’s grade school and post-secondary curriculum as an available language of instruction.” The Legislature passed the motion on June 19th, 1990

SL Recognized in Slovak RepublicSL Recognized in Slovak Republic

• 1995: The National Council of the Slovak Republic passed a law recognizing “ Sign Language as a language of communication of the Deaf “ June 26th, 1995

SL Recognized in FinlandSL Recognized in Finland

• 1995: The Sign Language was recognized in the Finnish Constitution in August

SL Recognized in UgandaSL Recognized in Uganda

• 1995: On October 8th, 1995, the sign language was recognized and included in Uganda’s new Constitution after the Uganda National Association of the Deaf and its allies campaigned to promote sign language awareness in Uganda.

Benefits of ASLBenefits of ASL

• Expands your native language, culture, and values

• Beautiful, unique, and graceful

• 3 dimensional language

• Communication is more wholistic

Benefits of ASLBenefits of ASL• Bilingualism expands your cognitive

processes

• You can sign with your mouth full

• Underwater communication for scuba divers

• You can talk through windows of buildings from a distance (Unspeakable)

Benefits of ASLBenefits of ASL• You can be sure that nobody can

overhear you through doors/walls

• You can use signs in a library or church

• Communication is easier in noisy bars, clubs, discos

• Benefits others with special needs (autism, communication problems)

Benefits of ASLBenefits of ASL• Communicate with toddlers at a

younger age

• Communicate with animals (Koko)

• Develop linguistic, intellectual, and literate skills earlier than with spoken language