During breaks from weeding and writing I surf the net. I time myself and wander for "X" number of minutes. Some days it can be almost dangerous to be curious about what I find because it leads to so much I don't know but would love to learn.
Like some jay I found the colors in the middle image alluring. Throw in some hands and I've gone for the sucker punch. ASL, I'm on the floor no need for the punch.
I enlarged this and saw that this was not American Sign Language (ASL).
It is SSL.
Yes, Spanish Sign Language. One difference between the two languages is the need for more letters. There are four more letters in the Spanish alphabet.
I did a little exploring and learned that SSL varies from country to country. Makes sense. The Canadians and we Americans speak English, but I'm sure that they can hear us. Well, mostly. I think some of the Michiganders and Minnesotans might be able to pass.
This link takes to a longer discussion of SSL-
Mexico
Due in part to the large Mexican community in the United States (About Deafness also has an article on Mexico's deaf community), there are quite a few resources available for learning Mexican sign language:
Due in part to the large Mexican community in the United States (About Deafness also has an article on Mexico's deaf community), there are quite a few resources available for learning Mexican sign language:
- The Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. (IDRT) offers a Mexican/ASL translator program
- Signing Fiesta offers training videos in Mexican sign language and English.
- Sign language dictionary: Serafín García, Esther (1990). Comunicación manual. México, D.F.: SEP
- The Identity of Mexican Sign as a Language is a downloadable PDF available from SIL International.
Very interesting. Two of my close friends are interpreters for the deaf in ASL. It's interesting to watch them together (they are husband and wife). She learned ASL as an adult, he has been signing since childhood, as his parents were deaf. It's practically a dance, a joy to watch them.
ReplyDeleteWhen our daughter Kate was little, she and I took classes in ASL. I, too loved seeing the dance-like qualities in the language. Years later, when I was teaching preschool, one of my children best responded to sign - spoken language was a challenge. He ended up teaching himself the ASL alphabet. He loved to sign and sing the "Alphabet song".
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when English had more letters: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31904/12-letters-didnt-make-alphabet
ReplyDeleteThank you! What a treasure. I'm going to save this bookmark.
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