American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body.  It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people.  ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.  Even though ASL is used in America, it is not a derivative of English, nor is it a "simplified" language.  It contains structures and processes which English lacks (such as ASL's rich verbal aspect and classifier systems).  It also has its own rules for grammar, punctuation, and sentence order. 

The exact beginnings of ASL are not clear. Many people believe that ASL came mostly from French Sign Language (FSL).  Others claim that the foundation for ASL existed in America before FSL was introduced in 1817.  It was in that year that a French teacher named Laurent Clerc, brought to the United States by Thomas Gallaudet, founded the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Clerc began teaching FSL to Americans, though many of his students were already fluent in their own forms of local, natural sign language. Today's ASL likely contains some of this early American signing although which language had more to do with the formation of modern ASL is difficult to prove. Modern ASL and FSL share some elements, including a substantial amount of vocabulary. However, they are not mutually comprehensible.

National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders
Sherman Wilcox

Independent Study Courses Available at UCSD:

• Conversational ASL, LIDS 19
  C. Padden & B. Bendixen, Introduction to American Sign Language (Video Tape)

Other Courses Available at UCSD:

• UCSD Linguistics Language Program: ASL

Other Local Resources:

ASL Deaf community events
UCSD ASL Info
Geocities ASL Studies
Deaf Action Committee for Signing~(858) 456-0098
Deaf Community Services of San Diego~(619) 682-5042
Deaf Culture Church~(619) 229-0837; 3552 College Ave.
Deaf and Disabled telecommunications Program~(858) 678-0143; 6160 Cornerstone Ct.
Deaf Relay service~800-735-2929
Sign Language~(858) 467-7170; 4444Convoy