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1、AmericanSignLanguageOnthispage:·WhatisAmericanSignLanguage?·Issignlanguagethesamearoundtheglobe?·WheredidASLoriginate?·HowdoesASLcomparewithspokenlanguage?·WhydoesASLbecomeafirstlanguageformanydeafpeople?·Whyemphasizeearlylanguagelearning?·WhatdoesrecentresearchsayaboutASLandothe
2、rsignlanguages?·WherecanIgetmoreinformation?WhatisAmericanSignLanguage?AmericanSignLanguage(ASL)isacomplete,complexlanguagethatemployssignsmadewiththehandsandothermovements,includingfacialexpressionsandposturesofthebody.ItisthefirstlanguageofmanydeafNorthAmericans,andoneofseveral
3、communicationoptionsavailabletodeafpeople.ASLissaidtobethefourthmostcommonlyusedlanguageintheUnitedStates.TopIssignlanguagethesamearoundtheglobe?Nooneformofsignlanguageisuniversal.Forexample,BritishSignLanguage(BSL)differsnotablyfromASL.Differentsignlanguagesareusedindifferentcou
4、ntriesorregions.TopWheredidASLoriginate?TheexactbeginningsofASLarenotclear.ManypeoplebelievethatASLcamemostlyfromFrenchSignLanguage(FSL).OthersclaimthatthefoundationforASLexistedbeforeFSLwasintroducedinAmericain1817.ItwasinthatyearthataFrenchteachernamedLaurentClerc,broughttotheU
5、nitedStatesbyThomasGallaudet,foundedthefirstschoolforthedeafinHartford,Connecticut.ClercbeganteachingFSLtoAmericans,thoughmanyofhisstudentswerealreadyfluentintheirownformsoflocal,naturalsignlanguage.Today'sASLlikelycontainssomeofthisearlyAmericansigning.Whichlanguagehadmoretodowi
6、ththeformationofmodernASLisdifficulttoprove.ModernASLandFSLsharesomeelements,includingasubstantialamountofvocabulary.However,theyarenotmutuallycomprehensible.TopHowdoesASLcomparewithspokenlanguage?Inspokenlanguage,thedifferentsoundscreatedbywordsandtonesofvoice(intonation)arethem
7、ostimportantdevicesusedtocommunicate.Signlanguageisbasedontheideathatsightisthemostusefultooladeafpersonhastocommunicateandreceiveinformation.Thus,ASLuseshandshape,position,andmovement;bodymovements;gestures;facialexpressions;andothervisualcuestoformitswords.Likeanyotherlanguage,
8、fluencyinASLhappensonlyafteralongperiodo
