# Question about sign-language in different countries.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 29, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547 "2003-09-29T20:48:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547/1 "2003-09-29T20:48:13Z")

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I have been told that American Sign Language and British Sign Language differ from each other (although I do not know to what extent although I do know that the alphabet is signed differently in the US and UK) but I was wondering how different sign language is in other, non-English speaking countries.

Is it different? Could someone who knows ASL or BSL understand someone from France or Brasil etc? What other differences are there between UK and US sign-language.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547/2 "2003-09-29T21:08:55Z")

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[http://www.britishsignlanguage.com/](http://www.britishsignlanguage.com/)

&

[http://www.americansignlanguage.com/](http://www.americansignlanguage.com/)

Sign language varies from one city in the usa to another city in the usa, also state to state. So, it’s a complicated question to answer. There is a book, Signing in Fourteen Languages, that does world wide signs but mostly its just the same signs country to country.

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**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547/3 "2003-09-29T22:28:43Z")

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From what I have been told, someone who knows ASL could understand someone who is using French Sign Language better than someone who is using British Sign Language, since American Sign Language is based on the French version. But there are also regional dialects and suchlike, as **handy** mentioned.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547/4 "2003-09-29T22:44:19Z")

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Many of the American Sign Language signs involve involve forming the first letter of the word in English with the hand(s), and then moving that hand(s) in a gesture that, combined with the letter, makes a unique sign.

For example, the ASL sign for _green_ is the “G” sign formed with the right hand held to the right, and shaken from the wrist. The ASL sign for _day_ is the “D” sign formed with the right hand, moving in an arc over the left arm held horizontally (it’s the sun moving from one horizon to the other).

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-sign-language-in-different-countries/204547/5 "2003-09-30T14:25:21Z")

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“Many of the American Sign Language signs involve involve forming the first letter of the word in English with the hand(s),”

That’s just some SEE (signing exact english) initializing. True ASL folks don’t like to use it.