The main difference between American and Australian Sign Language is that American Sign Language has a one-handed spelling system while Australian Sign Language has a two-handed spelling system.
Sign language is a visual language that uses hand gestures and signs and helps deaf people to communicate. Although most people assume that sign language is universal, this is a false assumption. Just like the languages we speak, sign languages differ according to geographical locations. In fact, there are more than a hundred sign languages all over the world. American and Australian Sign Language are two predominant sign languages.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is American Sign Language
– Definition, Features
2. What is Australian Sign Language
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between American and Australian Sign Language
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
ASL, Auslan, American Sign Language, Australian Sign Language
What is American Sign Language
American Sign Language or ASL is the predominant sign language used by the American Deaf Community. It’s a complete visual language that uses movements and motions with hands, as well as facial expressions. It has the basic features of a language: rules for word order, word formation, pronunciation, etc. American Sign Language is completely different from American English.
ASL originated in the American School for the Deaf, which was founded by Thomas Gallaudet in 1817. It’s a combination of Old French Sign Language, several village sign languages, and sign systems. American Sign Language originated by language contact. When considering its roots, ASL is most closely related to French Sign Language. Currently, ASL is used in America, many parts of Canada, West Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Unlike Australian Sign Language, American Sign Language has a one-handed spelling system. They have over 50 handshapes. But there are regional variations in these handshapes.
What is Australian Sign Language
Australian sign language is the predominant sign language used by the Australian Deaf Community. People also know it by the acronym Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Auslan is also related to British Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language. These three languages are a part of the BANZSL language family and originate from the same parent language. Auslan is a language on its own and is different from Australian English.
Australian Sign Language has a two-handed fingerspelling system or alphabet. When there is no standard sign for a word, users can spell out the word using fingers; for example, technical terms, names of people and places, etc. It currently has 38 major handshapes and 28 variants, which makes it a total of 66 handshapes. These signs can be oriented towards four sides of the body, with the hand and palm facing different directions. Moreover, Auslan has two dominant dialects as Southern and Northern. These two dialects are very different from each other. There are different signs for things like animals, colors, and days of the week, but there is no major difference between them in terms of grammar.
Difference Between American and Australian Sign Language
Definition
Australian Sign Language is the predominant sign language used by the Australian Deaf Community, while American Sign Language or ASL is the predominant sign language used by the American Deaf Community.
Handshapes
Moreover, Australian Sign Language has 38 major handshapes and 28 variants, whereas American Sign Language has over 50 handshapes.
Spelling System
American Sign Language has a one-handed spelling system, while Australian Sign Language has a two-handed spelling system.
Language Family
ASL is closely related to French Sign Language, whereas Auslan is closely related to British Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language.
Location
ASL is used in America, many parts of Canada, West Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia, while Auslan is mainly used in Australia.
Conclusion
In general, American and Australian Sign Language are two predominant sign languages. The main difference between American and Australian Sign Language is that American Sign Language has a one-handed spelling system while Australian Sign Language has a two-handed spelling system.
Reference:
1. “American Sign Language.” National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Brooks, Richard. “A Guide to the Different Types of Sign Language around the World.” K International.
3. “Sign Language – Auslan.” Etter Health Channel.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Asl-sign-language-coloring-at-coloring-pages-for-kids-boys-dotcom” By Coloringbuddymike – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Bimanual alphabet” By Neil Evans – en:Image:BANZSL_manual_alphabet.JPG (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
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