What Is Sign Language and How Does It Work?

Direct Answer

Sign language is a natural, sophisticated language with its own distinct grammar and syntax. It operates through five core parameters: handshape, location, movement, palm orientation, and non-manual markers (such as facial expressions and head tilts). It is not a manual version of spoken language, but a separate linguistic system optimized for visual processing.

The Five Parameters of a Sign

To sign correctly, five elements must be synchronized. A slight change in even one parameter can change a word's meaning entirely (e.g., the difference between 'mother' and 'father' in ASL is primarily location):

• Handshape: There are over 50 commonly used handshapes in ASL.
• Location: The 'signing space' typically extends from the top of the head to the waist.
• Movement: Direction and speed can indicate verb tense or intensity.
• Palm Orientation: Whether the palm faces in, out, up, or down.
• Non-Manual Markers (NMM): Eyebrow positions and mouth morphemes function as the 'tone of voice.'

Grammar and Syntax

Contrary to popular belief, ASL does not follow English word order. It often uses a Topic-Comment structure. For example, 'The store is closed' is signed as [STORE] (topic) + [CLOSED] (comment). Spatial agreement allows signers to 'place' people or objects in the air around them to refer back to them later without repeating names.

Tips for Beginners

1. Don't just watch the hands: Look at the signer's face; that is where the 'grammar' lives.
2. Learn the alphabet: Fingerspelling is essential for proper names and technical terms.

FAQ: Is it just gestures? No. Gestures are random; signs are rule-bound. Link: Regional variants. References: NIDCD | Gallaudet University ASL Resources