Of course there are many deaf people who use sign language as their first language or mother tongue. It is also the first language and mother tongue to some hearing people. But I thought it was very interesting that each country has one or sometimes two or more sign languages of its own and that there is not a universal sign language system around. After researching farther, I learned that there are universal features in sign languages. However, research has confirmed that sign languages are complex natural languages and part of the Deaf culture at all levels, from local to national. This helps me understand why there are so many differences. Deaf children learn to use sign language from their environment as hearing children learn spoken languages from their parents and others in their community. Upon learning about these ideas and perspectives, it has become very clear to me why there are so many sign languages. Another interesting thing about this is that due to the many of the universal features in sign languages, it is much easier for users to learn other country’s sign languages than people learning to speak other country’s languages.
In the attached video, there are some nice examples of sign language systems used around the world.
In the attached video, there are some nice examples of sign language systems used around the world.