CHAPTER 2:

                   Is there one sign language for all countries?

No more so then there is one spoken laguage for all countries! Like stated in the previous post in Chapter 1, communication is universal. There is sign language everywhere you find deaf people. So just like hearing people find ways to communicate using words, deaf people have an impluse to sign. For example, deaf children not exposed to any standardd sign language invented their own sign system called "home sign".

Every national sign is different, but deaf people have no trouble understanding one another. There are several complete and rich sign languages that have never been studied, along with the many languages that have been recognized. Every differnt sign however, reflects its own history, culture, and social mores. You have to be careful signing certain words in some areas because what is "acceptable" here may be banned for others.

Deaf people improvise using whatever method works. They use gestures and expressions until they establish some sort of mutual comprehension to build on to start a conversation. "International Sign Language" does not exist.