The American Sign Language was brought over from France to America in the 1800's. Laurent Clerc was the first teacher of the deaf in America and helped to set up the system to help teach individuals who were deaf.
Hand gestures form an unspoken language.
History
Greek philosopher Socrates stated in the 5th century B.C. that it was normal for deaf people to communicate with their hands. Between 1520 and 1584 A.D. Pedro Ponce de Léon developed gestures to help educate deaf people.
Misconceptions
Juan Pablo Martin Bonet was named the father of sign language sometime between 1579 and 1629 A.D. He had taken false credit for Pedro Ponce de Léon's work.
Considerations
Between 1715 and 1780, Jacob Rodriguez Pereira helped to spread Ponce de Leon's system for the deaf throughout many parts of Europe. In the early 1800's the National Institution for Deaf-Mutes in France was founded by Abbé de l'Epée, He named Ponce de Leon's system Old French Sign Language, or OFSL.
Significance
Approximately 60 of the American Sign Language Signs came from the Old French Sign Language. In 1817, Thomas Gallaudet brought the language to America from the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes, where he studied under Laurent Clerc.
Function
In 1817 Gallaudet and Clerc opened the first school for the deaf in the U.S. It was named the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons, and was located in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Fun Fact
Closed captioning became available in 1980. The writing on the bottom of the screen allowed deaf individuals to read what was being said on television.
Tags: Sign Language, American Sign, American Sign Language, deaf people, French Sign