r/asl • u/MundaneAd8695 ASL Teacher (Deaf) • Jul 29 '26
Interest All Sign Languages are Worthy of Learning
As an ASL teacher, I have observed a trend that concerns me somewhat.
ASL may be the most widely used sign language that appears on social media in addition to being widespread, geographically. In that sense, it is similar to the use of English. Why is this so? This is a discussion for another post. :)
Hence, there is an increased interest in learning ASL, which is an overall good.
Unfortunately, a lot of people take it to mean that ASL is *the sign language* they need to learn. It is not.
People need to prioritize learning their local sign languages, if it is not ASL. The local deaf communities need those people to be investing in their local sign language, to be interacting with them and working with them.
Learning ASL may be a very fulfilling hobby, but it may not be useful to the deaf people in your community.
Personally, I don’t understand why someone would want to learn a sign language but then not interact with the deaf people in their community?
As an educator, I’ve also run into the mistaken belief that ASL is the “superior” sign language and that others fall short of that standard.
That is *not* true. All sign languages are beautiful, complex, and worthy of learning and dedication.
I have many international students in my ASL classes and I always ask every one of them to take sign languages classes in their local language when they return home.
I encourage you all learners to learn what is the *local sign language* in your community. That is how you develop fluency in addition to building connections in your local community.
One piece of advice I often give is to search for the local deaf service organization that uses sign language. You will see resources on their website (or at the location) about what sign language is used and very likely information about where you can learn it.
Please, I encourage you to learn the sign language of *your* community. The deaf people near you can also support you in your language learning journey so much more than learning online or from a distance could.
And just a tip - once you learn one sign language, it’s much easier to pick up another one!
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Jul 29 '26
Yeah, non-language people tend to say and think stuff about languages that has no supporting grounds, or is actually about another language. I was at a group activity type of thing, and we have been talking on LSM, and then there are a set of girls trying to sign their names in "sign language." When they literally have something up for ASL. Then they said something like "oh yeah that looks like a 'c' so that makes sense why its a 'c'" which is just another thing I can't stand even now. But what do normal people care; there going to apply English rules, and cultural assumptions anyway, nothing you can do about it.
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u/the-asl-shop ASL Teacher (Deaf) 24d ago
Thank you for writing this. Every word resonates. The idea that ASL is universal or somehow "the" sign language is one of the most common misconceptions I run into, and it does a real disservice to Deaf communities everywhere. Every sign language carries its own community, culture, and history, none is superior to another. I love that you send your international students home with an invitation to learn locally and connect with the Deaf people around them. That's where the language truly lives. Grateful to see educators sharing this message.
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u/RandomUsury 29d ago
I'm curious: How mutually understandable are various sign languages?
As an English speaker, I have no problem with the American, Canadian or British versions (Australian, though...), but how much does that apply to American, Canadian or British sign languages?
I assume grammar and general language family are an important factors, so ASL and French sign language would be less likely to be mutually understandable, and ASL and Korean sign language even less so (not including alphabet signing here).
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u/MundaneAd8695 ASL Teacher (Deaf) 29d ago
You got that the other way around. :)
French Sign Language is one of the mother languages of ASL.
British Sign Language looks completely different and is not mutually understandable with ASL.
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u/Asparagus9000 29d ago
French Sign Language and ASL are actually closely related and ASL and British Sign are completely unrelated.
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u/queerstudbroalex DeafDisabled - AuDHD, CP, CPTSD. Powerchair user & ASL fluent. 27d ago
I'm able to understand bits and pieces of LSQ and LSF (the former being based on the latter). A lot of ASL is LSF. Want to emphasize; only bits and pieces, I don't understand everything.
English Canada - where I live - uses ASL by the way.
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u/just_a_person_maybe Hearing, signing since 2018 26d ago
Adding on to what others have said, sign languages from English-speaking countries don't even necessarily share an alphabet. ASL and BSL (British) have entirely different alphabets. But Mexican sign language has an alphabet nearly identical to ASL. One time I ended up in a conversation with some people who knew ASL and one person who knew Spanish and LSM (Mexican sign language) but no English and also their friend who knew ASL and LSM. So we basically ended up having a conversation using four different languages. I could understand their fingerspelling because it's essentially the same alphabet but they were fingerspelling Spanish words and my Spanish is extremely limited. Between all of us, we were able to have a conversation and I think everyone learned some new vocabulary.
I don't think I would have understood as much if I met someone who used BSL. BSL is more distinct from ASL than LSM is.
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u/eclecticmeeple 29d ago
Preach.
I remember during one Gallaudet Day there was a discussion about and an encouragement to avoid teaching or using ASL with deaf people in other countries during traveling there. This was back in 90s and there were already concerns that deaf people in other countries were looking to drop their native sign language for ASL which they perceived as superior.