General ASL Knowledge/History
What is A.S.L.?
American Sign Language - American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English.
The purpose/goal of the International Day of Sign Languages is...
...to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
True or False: Sign languages are fully fledged natural languages, structurally distinct from the spoken languages.
TRUE!
ASL not only utilizes signs/gestures to convey words or ideas, but also _____ to change the meaning of signs or add context.
Facial Expressions / Body Language - Sign language is not only a sign, gesture language but also a facial expression language. Sign Language users often use facial expression to change the meaning of signs. For example, lowering eyebrows indicates who-what-where-when-why question, while raising eyebrows indicates a yes/no question.
The theme for the International Day of Sign Languages 2025 is “________”.
“No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.” - It emphasizes that the full enjoyment of human rights by Deaf people depends on their ability to use and access sign language and highlights the fundamental role of sign language in enabling equality, inclusion, and active participation in society.
Collectively, deaf people worldwide use more than __ hundred different sign languages.
3 - Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.
True or False: ASL (American Sign Language) is the sign language used by the most people worldwide.
FALSE - Indo-Pakistani Sign Language is frequently cited as the sign language with the most native signers, with estimates around 6.3 million users.
The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in ____ (year) as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
2018
True or false: There is an international sign language, which is used by deaf people in international meetings and informally when traveling and socializing.
TRUE! - Although, it is considered a pidgin form of sign language that is not as complex as natural sign languages and has a limited lexicon.
American Sign Language (ASL) evolved from what other country's sign language?
American Sign Language (ASL) evolved from LSF, or Langue des Signes Française, the sign language of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in France and French-speaking parts of Switzerland.
The choice of September 23rd commemorates the date that the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was established in 19__ (year).
1951
According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than ___ million deaf people worldwide.
70 million
True or False: Sign language was once banned in the U.S.
TRUE - In 1880, during the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf, a declaration was made [wrongly] stating that oral education was superior and that sign language actually did more harm than good.
One of the main people calling for this ban was Alexander Graham Bell, who is credited with inventing the telephone.
International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September every year along with International Week of the Deaf. The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September ____ (year).
1958
True or false: The earliest records discussing sign language date back to the 5th century B.C.
TRUE: records from 5th century BC Greece (including ones from Plato & Socrates) show an awareness of sign communication. While this was not a fully developed signed language, these texts represent some of the earliest written references to the use of gestures to convey meaning and are often cited as the origins of historical discussions of sign language.