A Yank here would like to learn and to discuss about history and universality of BSL
joco...@cix.compulink.co.uk
In article <6dl4sk$8...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>,
"Ryan Constien" <Ryan.C...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> Hello Brits!
>
Hello Yank!
>
> I am a deaf American who will love to learn more about BSL. Anyone who have
> information about history and universality of BSL please post the
> information, so I can learn something about BSL. I would like to know if the
> use of BSL is widespread as far as Hong Kong or other countries. Maybe I can
> use BSL to communicate with other deaf people in countries that used to be
> under British domination. I know that ASL is not like English in the states,
> because I doubt anyone in England will understand ASL. In addition, ASL is
> like a foreign language to any English speaking deaf people other than
> American deaf people.
>
> Ryan Constien
> Ryan.C...@worldnet.att.net
>
>
I think you will find that the closest thing to a universal sign language is
ASL! In my experience of Hong Kong and Signapore ASL and some SSL (Shanghai
Sign Langauge) is used; the reason being that most Teachers of the Deaf there
were imported from the USA rather than the UK, despite the countries using a
British educational system ('O' Levels and the like). In sharp contrast to
the States, British domination was usually political and not cultural.
Thank God.
John Fred.
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Tony Barlow
>In addition, ASL is
>like a foreign language to any English speaking deaf people other than
>American deaf people.
You'll be surprised! I went on holiday to France many moons ago and
befriended a group of deaf French people on a campsite. They use sign
language which is similar to ASL and I didn't have any problem (not
major ones) in communicating with them. All you need is a bit of
intuition and common sense.
--
Tony Barlow
K.E....@durham.ac.uk
Tony Barlow wrote:
>
> You'll be surprised! I went on holiday to France many moons ago and
> befriended a group of deaf French people on a campsite. They use sign
> language which is similar to ASL and I didn't have any problem (not
> major ones) in communicating with them. All you need is a bit of
> intuition and common sense.
>
> --
> Tony Barlow
I read a story about about this once - an American woman and a french
man were communicating in sign language, and found that their languages
were very similar. That woman was talking about the weather, and how
much nicer it was in France, and how lovely it was....
Turns out that the sign she used sign for 'weather' was the same as his
sign for 'sexual intercourse'....
Kathryn.
Kevin McLeod
Even though there is no universal, international sign language, it is
true that if you put a lot of deaf people from different countries
together in a room, chances are they will communicate much easier than
their hearing counterparts would.
I know - I worked in The Abbey, a bar/restaurant at Gallaudet
University, during the Deaf Way event about a decade ago. It pulled
deaf people from all over the world, and I was taking orders for pizza
in about 15 different sign languages. It was actually much easier than
I expected. We did resort to gestures a lot, but it is amazing how
quickly two skilled signing strangers can build up a mutual vocabulary
of their respective signs for different things.
It was a marvelous experience, and there is talk now of having a
second Deaf Way event before or at 2000. Maybe in Europe this time?
- DeafScribe
Alan Gould
In article <350294...@smtphost.dur.ac.uk>, K.E....@durham.ac.uk
writes
>I read a story about about this once - an American woman and a french
>man were communicating in sign language, and found that their languages
>were very similar. That woman was talking about the weather, and how
>much nicer it was in France, and how lovely it was....
>Turns out that the sign she used sign for 'weather' was the same as his
>sign for 'sexual intercourse'....
It was a question of 'whether'! :-))
--
Alan Gould | al...@agolincs.demon.co.uk
John Stuart
In article <350294...@smtphost.dur.ac.uk>, K.E....@durham.ac.uk ()
wrote:
> Turns out that the sign she used sign for 'weather' was the same as his
> sign for 'sexual intercourse'....
I wonder if this is a 'urban myth'? There are so many of them, and most of
those relating to deaf people feature something like this. I was told of a
hearing person who had just started working as a receptionist at a deaf
college (maybe Gallaudet?), and she asked one of the students what the
sign was for 'hello'. After she had been using it to greet several new
arrivals that morning someone gently took her aside and told her the sign
was actually a rude word. She was so embarrassed. Now this story may or
may not be true, and the same may be said for your story.
Cheers,
JOhn Stuart (a.k.a. Bowtie)
bow...@jstuart.cix.co.uk
John Fred Connors
On Fri, 6 Mar 1998 15:52:01 -0600, "Ryan Constien"
<Ryan.C...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> By the way, I am really surprised to read that other sign languages
>around the world have similarities to ASL. Two of my interpreter friends
>answered to one of my college classmates' question "Is ASL universal?" They
>said no. Well, I never have been to France or other countries like Hong
>Kong, so I don't know much of their sign language.
>
>God bless you
>Ryan Constien
>
>Ryan.C...@worldnet.att.com
>
I didn't mean to imply that other Sign Languages were neccesarily
similar to ASL; just that ASL is the most common second sign
language. As to the reasons, draw your own conclusions..
John Fred.
John Fred Connors | joco...@kix.kompulink.ko.uc
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