Most people know about sign language, which is the art of communication using hand movements and gestures to formulate letters, numbers, words and sentences. However, there are variations of sign language that many outside of the signing world don't know about. Though most people do not explore signing beyond learning numbers, letters and simple words, it is good to know that they are different forms of sign language, including American Sign Language, Finger spelling, Signed English, and Pidgin Sign English. We will be exploring the various forms in this article.



American Sign Language (ASL)

ASL is the dominant form of signing among of all of the signed languages and is distinctly different from spoken English. Many signed words are communicated in phrases and concepts whereas spoken English is communicated word-by-word. Whereas in spoken English, words have verbal inflections that give meaning or provide a level of expression, in ASL, without a voice to rely on, the inflection comes through palm movement, specific gestures, and even facial expressions.

Even if you are not familiar with the term ASL you probably know the gestures. You've seen them acted out before at some concerts, most major speeches, and overall among those with hearing impairments. This form of communication is age-old and has been the standard form of communication for those who are unable to hear.

Finger spelling

Finger spelling is probably both one of the simplest and most challenging forms of sign language. It uses the 26-letter alphabet to spell words out (just as we do in written English). While it is easy to learn the 26 letters to spell out the words, actually spelling each word letter by letter can be very frustrating and time consuming. Most people start out with finger spelling when they are first learning to sign, then they graduate to gestures, words and phrases. However, finger spelling is very important to learn first because there are some words that require this technique, like proper names, businesses and street names.

Signed English

Signed English (SE) is a slightly different concept than ASL or finger spelling. Of course, finger spelling is signing one letter at a time, while ASL is signing in sentences, but more often as phrases and concepts. SE fits somewhere in the middle, using sign language to speak word-for-word, which very similar to how English is spoken. Therefore, there is a signed word for every word spoken in the sentence, whereas with ASL there may be some words missing because one sign might represent a phrase or thought. Many times when we see people signing and speaking at the same time, they are using SE.

Often times, when signing using SE, one will combine single letters and word gestures together to better clarify the meaning of a word. For example, two words may have the same gesture, like bus and car, so in signing the word bus you might sign the letter "b" in front, and with car, you might sign the letter "c" to clarify the meaning.

Pidgin Sign English (PSE)

Pidgin Sign English is not exactly a legitimate form of communication in the sign world. It can almost be compared to the communication that would occur between a person who speaks primarily Spanish and a person who speaks primarily English. The communicators understand some of the other's language and can "make it work," so to speak, but neither is truly versed in the other's language.

The same is true for this form of sign language. PSE is a blend of hearing-impaired sign language (where the person has never heard spoken English and learned strict ASL) and English, which having foundations in two different language backgrounds. Meeting together as one, the two communicators find a way to converse by eliminating some of the technicalities of the other's language. For example, someone using PSE might skip words like "a" or other words to make the conversation flow; in other words, PSE is individual to the communicators' experience and lacks rules.

Understanding the different forms of sign language can be very helpful if you want to eventually take on the challenge of learning the language. But of course the first step would be to check out their resources available to you then get started on your own learning journey. If you are interested in learning a sign language, there are tons of websites available that provide the fundamentals. And after that, you can actually connect with a professional who can take you the rest of the way!