Besides individual differences, ASL has regional dialects and accents just like English is spoken differently in various parts of a country. This language has regional variations in pronunciation, the rhythm of signing, signs, and slangs used. Other sociological factors such as gender and age can affect the use of ASL and can contribute to the variety of this language similar to other spoken languages.
Finger-spelling is ASL’s part and it can spell English words. In finger-spelling, every letter corresponds to a separate hand-shape. Finger-spelling is used to indicate English word and for proper names.
How Do Children Learn ASL?
Parents are a source of any child’s early language learning, however, for deaf children, other people become their models for learning this language. A deaf child who is born to deaf parents uses ASL to acquire American Sign Language naturally because a child learns to pick up language from his parents.
A deaf child whose parents can hear will not have any previous ASL experience and he will acquire this language in a different manner. In fact, 90 percent of children born deaf are born to those parents who can hear. Some hearing parents introduce sign language if their child is born deaf.
Hearing parents who communicate with their child using sign language learn the language with their child. Children born deaf but have hearing parents learn this language and become fluent in it.
Early ASL
Parents should expose their hard-of-hearing or deaf child to ASL as soon as possible, according to our American Sign Language homework help online experts. If a child is exposed to this language earlier and he learns to acquire it, it is better for the child’s cognitive and social development.
According to research, the initial few years in the life of a child are very important for his language development skills and even his early months can establish successful communications. The screening programmings are there at all hospitals in the US and thus newborn babies are tested before they are discharged. Parents can begin the American Sign Language development process during the early development stages.
Why is ASL Important?
Americal Sign Language finds its roots in the Deaf Community. As stated in our American Sign Language assignment help, studying ASL can promote better awareness and sensitivity to the deaf community. If you are proficient in ASL, you will develop a very strong appreciation for deaf people and you can promote acceptance of this language.