American Sign Language & More...
American Sign Language (ASL) is a different form of language from languages that many people use everyday. ASL is a language where people use their hands, rely on facial expressions and body languages. ASL users are primarily deaf or hard of hearing. ASL does not discriminate because it includes children of deaf adults, interpreters, teachers of the deaf and pretty much anyone who loves to learn and use language.
ASL is not the sole sign language established in this world - many countries across the world has their own verisons of sign language. American Sign Language is actually an evolved version of a collaborated and mixture of native Indian Sign Language, native Martha Vineyard Sign Language, and French Sign Language (LSF) brought by Laurent Clerc when he was asked to teach at American School for the Deaf established by Thomas Gallaudet in 1817.
Despite the language being solely used by deaf and hard of hearing people, more doctors and parents recognize that knowing sign language at a very young age enables visual concepts and makes way for development of the English language. Most of the infants and toddlers will forget sign language as its use is not continued; however, some children will show aptitude and continue to use sign language especially if they are related to or have befriended deaf people.
ASL is one of the most popular language in the nation to be taught and learnt. With technological advancements in hearing improvement and mechanical hand signs recognition, ASL continues to be a personal and close language of many deaf and hard of hearing people with their close relatives and friends.
ASL is not just merely a manual language; however, it includes and incorporates facial expressions and body language that closely resembles the way spoken language users show. Facial expressions and body language is to ASL users are what tonal inflictation and minute gestures are to spoken language users. They also share structures that are similarily found in other languages; foundation, syntax, grammar, conceptualzation and more.
Colleges
and Universities with ASL/Interpreting Programs |
In Indiana:
Ball State University - Muncie, Indiana (ASL)
Bethel
College - Mishawaka, Indiana (ASL/ITP)
Goshen College - Goshen, Indiana
(ASL/ITP)
Indiana
University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN (ASL)
Purdue
University - Lafayette, Indiana (ASL)
Purdue U. North Central - Westville,
Indiana (ASL as foreign language)
Vincennes
University - Vincennes, Indiana (ASL/ITP)
Out of State:
California State University, Northridge - CA (ASL/Deaf Studies/ITP)
Columbia College, Chicago, IL (ASL/ITP)
Gallaudet University - Washington, DC (ASL/Deaf Studies/ITP)
Harper College, Chicago, IL (ASL/ITP)
National Institute of the Deaf - Rochester, NY (ITP)
Community
ASL Classes Offered: |
Classes coming soon....
| ASL
Links: |
General
Links:
History
of ASL/American School for the Deaf
ASL Info
Baby/Toddler Signs:
Sign 2 Me
WeeHands
Writing Systems:
Omniglot
(Writing Systems & Languages of the World)
SignWriting
Organization Links:
ASLTA
(American Sign Language Teachers Association)
CIT (Conference
of Interpreter Trainers)
RID (Registry
of Interpreters for the Deaf)
Online Dictonaries:
ASLPro (Dictonary
& Fingerreading Quizzes)
ASL University
(Dictonary, Fingerreading & More)
Handspeak
(Dictonary & ASL Grammar)
ASL Numbers (Number
Speciality)
ASL Products:
ASL Rose
(Includes Activity Section)
Harris Communications
DawnSign Press
Talking Hands
ASL
Amy Asks - What to do when people are staring at you while signing?
Why do we have different signs for some words in some regions?
How can I read fingerspelled words easily?