Pre-History

Alexa Acosta, Allison Dongo, Colleen Sloan
 * __The History of Sign Language__**

IN THE BEGINNING According to the History of Sign Language site, American Sign Language was discovered in the 16th century. Although most people think it was discovered in America, it actually orginated in Europe. In 1620, the first book of Sign Language was published by Juan Pablo de Bonet, a physician from Padua, Italy. He established the way that deaf people communicate with one another through hand expressions or sign language. The idea of deaf people being taught to understand symbols and phrases by physical expression was a breakthrough for universal communication. The first book on sign language illustrated the alphabet. Also, in the 18th century t he  Abbe De l'Epee of France developed an early form of sign language that contributed to American Sign Language. [[|1]] [1] Blair Elementary School. "History of Sign Language." __Blair Home Page__. 2006. 3 Mar. 2008 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=the+history+of+sign+language>.

  SIGN LANGUAGE TODAY Sign language today is the fourth most common language communicated in America after English, Spanish, and Italian. Signs used can represent things as basic as letters or as complex as a phrase. More than half of the symbols is sign language represents gestures and movements rather than single words. Sign language is used all over the world, but whenever you go the signs stay the same; it is completely universal. The handicap for deaf persons is strictly communicational, not mental. Teachers are constantly thinking of new learning techniques for those in the process of learning the language. Sign language is often referred to as ASL, or American Sign Language. Some schools that accommodate deaf students are adding a new program to their curriculum called “Signing Exact English”, or SEE, which will improve the way deaf children learn to read English. For people without the handicap, sign language is still a great skill to learn because it enables a wider variety of communication to those who are deaf. When learning sign language it may take a while to learn all of the signs you would like to communicate. If that is the case, then instead sign gestures that can be understood by you and the person communicating with you, even if the signs aren’t necessarily in official sign language.

"American Sign Language." __National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders__. Jan 10 2008. National Institutes of Health. 6 Mar 2008 <[|http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/asl.htm>.]

A LITTLE HISTORY Throughout centuries many people have done things to help improve sign language and make the deaf lives a little bit eaiser. It all started in the 16th century when a physican of Italy, Geronimo Cardano, said that infact deaf people could use a sign form of communication to learn. Then in the 17th century a man by the name of Juan Pablo de Bonet first published a book tht actually taught the deaf how to use sign language. Following the first book on sign language published was the first deaf school opened in Paris, France in 1759 by Charles Michel. The first school in America to be opened was in 1817 by Thomas Hopkins in Hartford, Connecticut. In the 20th century The First World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf set its offical languages to sign language and english. Finally in the 21st century the public school board voted sign language courses into schools.

"Historical Contexts of Sign Languages." __Handspeak__. 27 Feb. 2008 .

FUN FACTS Sign language is used not only to communicate everyday language, it is also used to communicate other things. The first deaf major league baseball player, William "Dummy" Hoy, was the reason that umpires made hand signals for "out", "safe" and "strike". Also, in 1894 Gallaudet University's football team invented the "huddle" to keep the opposing team from listening in to talks in sign language. Sign language was also brought to television. The tv show "Smurfs" was the first ever cartoon to use sign language.

"Historical Contexts of Sign Languages." __Handspeak__. 27 Feb. 2008 .