The Different Kinds of Sign Language
There was a time when sign language has been looked down by a lot, perhaps due to the fact that there are only a few who are able to understand it. However, as time passes by and more and more people are more familiar with signing, the rather-new language has become more accepted.
Here are the different kinds of sign languages:
1. Finger Spelling. This is a type of sign language wherein everything—from names of persons, places, or things—are spelled out with the use of fingers. They are normally used alongside the main sign languages. Finger spelling is so much easier to learn as there are a lot of charts available. They are also very comfortable to follow.
2. Paget Gorman Signed Speech. This is a special sign language technique that was first developed by Dr. Richard Paget. Its main purpose is to help people who have problems with the spoken langage. So far, in this system, there are more than 35 basic signs. You can combine them so you can come up with more than 4,000 kinds of complex signings.
3. British Sign Language. This is a more comprehensive sign language technique, and as its name suggests, it’s highly used in Britain. You’re not only going to do some finger spelling, but you also have to couple your sign with emotions, facial expressions, and body language. It has been recognized in 2003 by the government as one of their languages. BSL, as it’s also called, is also similar with ASL, or American sign language. Nevertheless, though they share some common signs, they still differ in a number of things. If you are planning to apply as a sign language interpreter, you may want to learn both.
4. Pidgin Signed English. This is also called PSE. Unlike the other types of sign language mechanisms, this is more complicated. It tends to combine both signing and spoken word, something that’s being practiced by people who are hearing impaired. They are also confined on the language these types of individuals know about. It may not be the best sign language to use when you’re communicating with other people, but they may come in handy somehow.
5. Signed English. Signed English is also another popular type of sign language technique. Every sign corresponds to a particular word. It becomes very useful when you’re teaching someone how to read and write, or when you want to stress out the proper use of grammar. |
