Part of the reason is probably that there simply is not one sign language. German sign language is different from American sign language. American sign language is different from British sign language. And there are many more.
There also is an international sign language, but this is just yet another language that not every deaf person knows.
Yes, but Spanish is different from French is different from Japanese but we still offer classes in those languages in schools. That’s not a reason to not offer classes for native sign language.
...You do know that Sign Language is an entirely different language with an entirely different grammar structure, right? It's not something that is a 1:1 translation.
You don’t seem to understand your own reply, you asked why we teach American kids Spanish, because Spanish is universal, you can use Spanish if you travel to a country and communicate if it’s primarily Spanish. Also, the US borders Mexico. If you are taught sign language in America and travel to France, they aren’t going to understand your signage, for more reasons than it’s in a different language.
Actually they are more likely to understand it as French sign language is closely related to American sign language. A better example would be going from the US to the UK.
And to the extent that they don't understand it, it will exclusively be because it's a different language, there is no other reason they wouldn't understand your signage I think?
Right, but you’d still not be able to have a full conversation with using ASL if someone is using LSF. Sure you might get enough to figure out what is going on which might be enough to “get by” far from ignorant but go on.
The irony went over your head. It was French educators who first came to America to teach the Deaf, which is why ASL derived heavily from French Sign and why it’s more grammatically similar to French than English.
As an ASL user, it was possible for me to communicate with a French deaf person than it was to any other deaf foreigner. So yes, it was hilarious that particular example was used.
But they do not speak the same Spanish around the
world. There are different variants of Spanish with other linguistic influences. Spanish in Spain is not the same as in Cuba. The languages are mutually intelligible but the accents are not the same and some of the words are not the same.
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u/Leoniqorn 7d ago
Part of the reason is probably that there simply is not one sign language. German sign language is different from American sign language. American sign language is different from British sign language. And there are many more.
There also is an international sign language, but this is just yet another language that not every deaf person knows.