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Sign Languages

  Tags: Sign Language
 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages Post Reply
20 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3  Next >>
H.Computatralis
Triglot
Senior Member
Poland
Joined 6306 days ago

130 posts - 210 votes 
Speaks: Polish*, French, English
Studies: German, Spanish, Latin

 
 Message 1 of 20
10 September 2007 at 12:05pm | IP Logged 
I noticed that there are no sign languages in the list on the language profile page. This brings to attention a big misconception about sign languages. Contrary to popular belief sign languages are fully formed, fully functional, and totally independent of spoken languages. Actually, the grammar and syntax of sign languages is quite different than most spoken languages. Linguistically, they are classified as their own language family.

So I wanted to ask if there are people interested in learning sign languages. I would most certainly like to learn one, one day.

Edited by H.Computatralis on 10 September 2007 at 12:08pm

1 person has voted this message useful



apparition
Octoglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6652 days ago

600 posts - 667 votes 
Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), French, Arabic (Iraqi), Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish
Studies: Pashto

 
 Message 2 of 20
10 September 2007 at 8:12pm | IP Logged 
I'd love to learn it. I have a visual sign language dictionary right next to me, as a matter of fact. I'd have to learn the syntax though...
1 person has voted this message useful



dizzycloud
Triglot
Groupie
United Kingdom
Joined 6600 days ago

88 posts - 109 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: Turkish

 
 Message 3 of 20
11 September 2007 at 10:30am | IP Logged 
I've learnt a childrens sign language (in English) used by children before they go on to learn BSL (British Sign Language), called Makaton...and that was interesting...I enjoyed doing it, and its just as enjoyable as speaking a foreign language. Although I only know basic vocabulary and stuff in Makaton, gramatically I learnt that the word "the" and "to" aren't signed...so if you wanted to sign "I like the colour red" you'd sign "I like colour red", or if you wanted to sign "I want to go to the park" you'd sign "I want go park"..which certainly makes english easier I think! I don't know however if this is the same in British Sign Language. :)
1 person has voted this message useful



H.Computatralis
Triglot
Senior Member
Poland
Joined 6306 days ago

130 posts - 210 votes 
Speaks: Polish*, French, English
Studies: German, Spanish, Latin

 
 Message 4 of 20
11 September 2007 at 3:04pm | IP Logged 
But the point is that the BSL or any other sign language has nothing to do with English. The grammar of sign languages is completely different because the communication medium is non-linear - you can communicate several different things simultaneously using the hands, face, and body language. So instead of using clauses and direct objects to add more information, you would add contextual information by other means. I think this makes it very interesting from a language point of view.

1 person has voted this message useful



Captain Haddock
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
kanjicabinet.tumblr.
Joined 6770 days ago

2282 posts - 2814 votes 
Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 5 of 20
11 September 2007 at 10:26pm | IP Logged 
There's a few reasons I'm not really interested in sign languages. One is that they're simply limiting. I like speaking the languages I learn; I like reading and writing them, hearing them, watching TV and movies in them, studying the cultures built on them. While sign languages are languages, I don't know of any that are written, nor of any that have formed the basis of a society or civilization.
1 person has voted this message useful



Darobat
Diglot
Senior Member
Joined 7190 days ago

754 posts - 770 votes 
Speaks: English*, Russian
Studies: Latin

 
 Message 6 of 20
11 September 2007 at 11:25pm | IP Logged 
Captain Haddock:
SignWriting
Deaf Culture

I personally would like to learn ASL, but I don't think you can learn it from a book, which is how I learn other languages. For this reason, I won't be able to any time soon, as I have no access to classes or someone to teach me.
1 person has voted this message useful



Georgi87
Triglot
Groupie
Israel
Joined 6303 days ago

43 posts - 44 votes
Speaks: Russian*, English, French
Studies: Japanese

 
 Message 7 of 20
12 September 2007 at 2:17am | IP Logged 
I would like to learn sign language; however, their diversity is a serious limiting factor to me. I mean, ASL and BSL are mutually incomprehensible, aren't they? That kind of makes learning a sign language useless to me, because if I learn esperanto, I can communicate with a small number of people, but in every country of the world, and be part of a special culture. With sign languages, I can't expect anything like that..
1 person has voted this message useful



ElfoEscuro
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
cyworld.com/brahmapu
Joined 6291 days ago

408 posts - 423 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese, English*
Studies: Japanese

 
 Message 8 of 20
12 September 2007 at 6:54pm | IP Logged 
I would never learn a sign "language".


1 person has voted this message useful



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