Different Styles of Sign Language? : ASL - PSE - SEE

[@charlesjohnson9153]

correction: ENG: I am going to the store ASL: STORE ME GO SEE: I am go+ing to the store.

[@organ.2729]

@Alyssa Flores the comment is showing the different syntaxes between English, ASL and SEE

[@ast4852]

I prefer see actually.

[@eggyramen4610]

how would you sign i went to the store, like in the past tense.

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

But really they say I go store in asl. Not many actually sign like that.

[@SC_jamesbond007jua]

Correction: Cued Speech: 5st 5t5s 7sf5t8s 5sd 7sd 3s5sf3s "I am going to the store"

[@sgtsnafubohica15]

I know this video is older but I wanted to thank you. I've been studying ASL but being self taught and losing my hearing I'm rushing to understand all the words and sentence structure, I've been so worried if I used PSE if I would be looked down upon. I'm grateful for the knowledge that isn't the case.

[@deemueller6470]

I know you commented 2 years ago but I hope everything worked out for you.

[@sgtsnafubohica15]

@@deemueller6470 still practicing my ASL. But thank you for asking

[@deemueller6470]

Did you find the sign language pages on fb? They had free mini tutorials and lots of friendly folks on several I friended.

[@sgtsnafubohica15]

@@deemueller6470 I don't have FB. Been following songs with my good old dictionary.

[@rnbsteenstar]

There is nothing wrong with it.

[@lindseyswieringa9239]

I use pse at the moment but I would like to learn asl. :)

[@TheStews]

[Jill] You can always try to shift towards ASL with some practice. :)

[@richardwinchester8491]

I was born in 85 and started 1st grade in 91, I am hearing impaired by birth. I was trying to find what "version" of sign language I was taught since I can hear and do not know any adults that know sign language now. I have forgotten most of what I was taught in school and wanted to relearn it again. So here in Indiana in the early 90's we were in fact taught SEE. We did sign the word "I" though. Thanks for the video, it helped me figure out which one I was taught and will be the one I revert to learning again.

[@TheStews]

Glad to help. :)

[@BikerDeafanie]

Just know that in Deaf culture, we don't identify as "hearing impaired". It's Deaf or Hard of Hearing, not hearing impaired. :)

[@richardwinchester8491]

Stephanie Mille Well, seeing as my brother and I were born with it, that puts us both as being smack dab in the middle of "Deaf culture." We are "hearing impaired."

[@kristell82]

Thank you so much for clear informations! I'm from France, using and teaching FSL (French Sign Language) wich works exactly like ASL. Actually i try to learn ASL alone because obviously it's impossible to find an ASL teacher here, but i wanted to know the differences with PSE and SEE and now it's clear. So thank you

[@FirelightFictionProd]

There are two reasons SEE typically gets used. One makes sense, it's for when they are teaching kids reading skills. The other is unfortunately based in prejudice, SEE would be taught as a way to dismiss the deaf culture and language. At least that is what I remember from college.

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

@@FirelightFictionProd see makes sense for teaching to read. But it’s not very easy to sign all the time, at least I don’t think. ASL signs makes sense, but being on a French sentence structure doesn’t go very well with communicating with hearing people in this country. It’s much harder for hearing people to learn. It’s too bad the Gallaudet didn’t learn the signs, but kept it in English grammar.

[@calisahardy4845]

4:42 - I don't have to be perfect!? 🥺I wish some of those that I worked with felt that way! I *_am_* striving to learn.

[@TheStews]

Ugh, people should never require or expect perfection. It doesn't exist. Sorry you are going through that. It's important you are trying. Keep it up!

[@calisahardy4845]

@@TheStews I will! 💘

[@corystajduhar]

I agree with you. Most deaf people I know don't use ASL. They use PSE because they know English. English is the official language of the U.S. and many of their family and friends are hearing so it is essential that they learn English. They use English to read, write, email, text, watch movies with closed-caption, as well as communicate with hearing people so it natural that they would tend to sign the way they speak English. In your description of SEE, however, you still used "ME." There is a sign for "I" in SEE (initialized "I") and I see people using it. In fact, I grew up with a friend who signed your example sentence this way: I am go+ing to go to the store. She signed very fast in order to put all of the words in there. She used "Am" which is an "A" just below the lips which moves forward. She also added the "ing" to go. She had an equivalent sign for each English word. I'm a linguist, so when I realized that ASL existed and that it was an actual language, I switched to ASL. It has been many years. It is frustrating, however, when I hear so much about ASL being its own language completely separate from English, but everyone I see signs PSE and are bilingual and fingerspell English constantly. That hardly constitutes a language that is separate from English. Although ASL could be used in a way that does not depend upon English, its use of fingerspelling English words reveals a dependency on English. Words, for example, used to specify things often don't have signs and deaf people fingerspell the words because they are bilingual. Here are some examples: oak / pine / filbert / maple / willow / walnut lily / daisy / hydrangea / chamomile / pansy rosemary / thyme / basil / turmeric / cumin bran / barley / rye / wheat iron / steel / lead / aluminum I know of no specific signs for these words and even if there were, most deaf people would not know them. I am a Spanish interpreter and know equivalents for all of these previously mentioned words. In ASL, however, a person has to fingerspell the English word in order to convey these terms. ASL could create signs for the hundred of thousands of words that languages like English, Spanish, and French have in order to specify certain things, but ASL is a relatively new language. It is also a minority language and its users are typically bilingual and fingerspell English so it is doubtful that it will evolve that way. Using ASL is one of the requirements for Deaf community membership and there are many deaf who vilify people who have cochlear implants, choose to be oral, do not sign, used signed English or do not toe the line when it comes to Deaf Community political views. I mention these things, because ASL is what links the Deaf Community (apart from deafness), but most of them don't actually use ASL although they say they do. This is a very interesting topic because language is what unites a community, but in reality most deaf people don't sign an actual "language." They communicate using a signed system. I could go on and on, but I had to throw in my two cents about the topic.

[@TheStews]

+Cory Stajduhar ASL is a language on it's own, but often people do not use it purely, just as many other language are melting into each other too. While I cannot address all your points as I'm not fully educated in it you make good points.

[@frecklesexual]

The United States doesn't have an official language just an FYI. The majority do speak English but there are many other languages spoken within the United States, including ASL.

[@TheStews]

Yes that is true.

[@Foundationofliving911]

Cory Stajduhar cool

[@freyja9468]

Pretty late comment, but... ASL /is/ its own language and it is not based or dependant on English. While, yes, many words are fingerspelled and it is a very young language and signs are constantly being created and shared, it is still its own autonomous language. ASL has its own grammar, it makes use of classifiers and space around the signer, mouth morphemes... The list goes on. All of these are used to differentiate words, show relation, create perspective, explain a situation or location of something... Literally anything it needs to do. Things can be explained in ASL without fingerspelling a word and still get the same meaning across. In your example of words without equivalents, plant names and such, these could all be explained, classified, and can be understood without resorting to fingerspelling. Sure, it'll take a second to explain how oak is different from maple, or whatever else, but it can be done. Just because there's no immediate equivalent to words, or one isn't used in the language (because it's borrowed from another- like when something is fingerspelled) does not mean that it is simply a codified form of English. Spanish, for example, has a lot of parallels with English grammar, and there are many words that are similar, if not the same. Sure, adjectives are switched around, verbs are conjugated more wisely than in English, etc. etc... but it's more closely related to English in grammar than, say, Japanese. Does that mean it's a codified or different system for English? Nope. Let's look at Japanese. Japanese borrows a -ton- of vocabulary from other languages, mostly Chinese through a long history of trade, literature, religion, etc... It also frequently borrows from English, Portuguese, German.. the list goes on. 庭球(teikyuu) and テニス(tenisu) both equate to ,,Tennis." テニス is more widely used and readily understood. 野球(yakyuu) and ベースボール(beesubooru) both mean ,,Baseball," but 野球 is more widely used and understood. Japanese has a word for ,,Work": 仕事(sigoto). It can also be アルバイト(arubaito)/バイト(baito), taken from German ,,Arbeit." The words carry different meanings, though. 仕事 can refer to one's job, chores, etc., while バイト carries the meaning of a part time job, or something not done for a career (think high-school students at a food place before moving on to something like being a biochemist or something.) Japanese also makes use of English words for remote control, air conditioner, idol, ice, answer, apartment, RV, bike, ticket... Even though they can be expressed with other words, and some of them have a commonly used Japanese word, but they're used for specifications in nuance or for a list of different reasons. Does that mean that Japanese isn't its own language because it borrows heavily from other languages? Is it just a Chinese language because a huge portion of Japanese vocabulary has roots in Chinese languages? Or, how about English with its influence from German, French, Greek... Drink is Germanic, beverage is from France. We use words like literature, when we could use a Germanic variation, going back to the roots of English, such as ,,Book craft". Some people do use signed systems, absolutely, and yes, there can be a lot of backlash about that (specifically SEE and Sim-Com because these heavily favour spoken word), but ASL is a very versatile language, and there's more than one way to get a concept across. Some may prefer to add more words while others would tend to classify something, but that doesn't mean that the one who is adding more words in place of classifiers isn't using pure ASL. Fingerspelling something doesn't mean it's just a code, either. As you said yourself, while it does make heavy use of fingerspelling, there are ways to get around it. Yes, most every Deaf person is bilingual, but you'd be surprised how much ASL is actually used. Even if a hearing person is proficient in sign and regularly interacts with the Deaf community, a lot of Deaf may switch registers and use vocabulary and grammar more akin to English because of a variety of reasons. I switch from ASL to more PSE with students of ASL, and many instructors do so outside of teaching full ASL when communicating with hearing, even if they knows a lot of the signs. If you look at home signs or other signed languages entirely, there may be a lot more signs than what ASL has because of different circumstances. Code switching in signing is rooted in audistic influence and oppression. Methods like SEE and the Rochester Method sprung up because focus shifted to trying to get everyone to read, write, speak, and communicate the same. Many older Deaf had to deal with that oppression, having to use English based systems, etc... A lot of younger Deaf have more access to their language and implement it differently. Most of the Deaf in my area are old and there is a huge mix between ASL and SEE, but ASL is predominant. Younger Deaf I've met use a lot more ASL, but with switch to more PSE with hearing people. Signing styles vary widely and depend on the accessibility, background, family, sign exposure, and area of the individual. ASL is its own language. It's not dependent on English. It borrows from English. Languages, spoken /and/ signed change and evolve. ASL is the same. Many pockets of Deaf people are able to contact the larger Deaf community thanks to social media, and many new signs are being developed. Researchers at Gallaudet and RIT/NTID are also working on developing specialised signs for vocabulary used in the STEM fields. There will be signs for more vocabulary. But just because there aren't commonly accepted/agreed upon signs doesn't mean that it reduces the validity of the language or various ways of conveying the same information.

[@laurenreynoldsd8079]

I’m glad to hear you say its okay.. other groups I’m in people shun any other use other than ASL and they are or can be very rude to others. Thanks for the video, again.

[@TheStews]

No worries. You do whatever you can and just keep trying.

[@therileyfiles5025]

Thank you so much for making this video. Right now, I am basically racking up a vocabulary so naturally I am using PSE. I hope to eventually convert my knowledge to ASL.

[@TheStews]

+The Riley Files Sounds like a good plan. Good luck! :)

[@rnbsteenstar]

There is nothing wrong with all three.

[@trollmomjo]

I was an interpreter for SEE sign language and we were always told never say Me go store. We were always told I will go to the store. So, that the kids would see us sign it the way it is written in a book. Just a tip.

[@TheStews]

[Jill] I'm not sure of how "teaching" sign language and English is done when working with children so I cannot comment on that.

[@cleofietiongson1475]

Salamat po. (Thank you) from the Philippines. I'm interesred to learn Sign Language and I have encountered people who are not so inviting so I feel discouraged by them. But when you said if I try my best to communicate in the best way I can....you simply lit up the desire for me to continue. I hope people from the Deaf community will be more accommodating than repulsive on us who wants to learn more of their sign language whether it be ASL, FSL, SSE and PSE.

[@taylorfoster8445]

I’m learning ASL but was wondering if it was bad if I signed in more of an english structure, this helped a ton! Thank you! Happy to know it’s okay to do PSE

[@davidpoland7140]

Linguists at Gallaudet say it isn’t truely PSE but is a Contact Sign.

[@andie668]

Thank you for this! Trying to decide which one to learn and teach our son who is non verbal. PSE seems like a happy medium for him since he hears, reads and writes English. Thank you for the easy to understand explanation of the differences here!

[@saragarciamartin2306]

Hi Jill! I am from Spain and I must say I love your videos! I've been learning about ASL (and deaf community) since I saw "switched at birth". Just wanted to say hi and thank you for making these great videos!

[@TheStews]

+Sara Garcia Martin Hello from America! I can't believe I have a person watching from Spain. :) So glad to have you here.

[@Frodos_Wife]

I've seen Switched at Birth too! Sometimes I watch it as a way to "practice" understanding signs Did you know the show was based on a true story? The mother made a book and that's what the show is based off of

[@weasleygurl26]

We grew up learning SEE, but then my brother went to ISD and learned ASL. I’m having a lot of trouble transitioning into ASL. Also my brother and I kind of have our own language, so when I’m trying to communicate with his friends or strangers in the Deaf community they think I’m crazy or just stupid. I really want to learn ASL so I can better communicate with my brother as well as interpret for him around family but I’m just struggling so much and I feel like a failure as a big sister.

[@ast4852]

I know theres a huge difference between asl and see. I hope your doing well in your efforts!!

[@delorean1278]

Illinois school for the deaf? My friend went there

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

I once worked at ISD and lived there as a college worker (dorm parent assistant). I noticed back then that ASL was like a way for them to have a closed off group. But they would sign in pigeon or a mix of pigeon and English signs to communicate with hearing who didn’t know ASL.

[@weasleygurl26]

@@delorean1278 Iowa School For the Deaf is where my brother went.

[@bobbygomez7561]

I'm 25 years old and am now completely deaf in one ear with the other well on its way. I've been learning ASL through online resources (I make art for a living so I can't afford lessons/classes) but I've definitely realized that I sign more PSE in my practice time away from the computer. I've been so self conscious about it since I'll be fully deaf very soon but this video definitely gave me some comfort. I'm striving to learn true ASL, but english is definitely rooted in this brain lol thank you for the clarification!!

[@Arlyneya]

Thanks so much for this video! The deeper I delve into sign, the more complex its getting,and your videos are very clear and concise!

[@TheStews]

arlyney I'm so glad you enjoy the videos. :)

[@jarednme69]

I think I stared with SEE to kinda learn more signs (if that makes sense), then as I started picking up signs and remembering them, PSE became easier. Now I'm learning ASL. I absolutely love learning all three but it does get confusing sometimes ❤ I'm still working on it though

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Yeah, I think it's best to try and just start learning ASL right away so less confusion, but many people learn SEE or mostly PSE first.

[@rnbsteenstar]

There's nothing wrong with that.

[@jessiib12]

Thank you for explaining the difference! Very informative.

[@joyblythe6244]

Thanks so much for the video! I especially love what you said at the end about not having to be perfect! That´s great encouragement!

[@TheStews]

Yes, no one can be perfect. Life will be so much better if you stop trying to be perfect (I should try lol).

[@cluckcluck5091]

I took sign language in school when i was in 6 to 12 grand and there teacher was teaching us ASL as the year went on I started to do more SEE and PSE . I still sign and very good at it. What i do is i asked the person what Sign language they us and then i tell them that i know all 3 but am not good at PSE but i am learning it more and more.

[@KoriJaiden]

ASL: Store(topic) me go/me(topic) go store (Time+Topic+Comment word order) PSE: me go store SEE: I(different from the ASL sign) am go+ING(yes there is a sign for the ING ending) to the store you sign all the endings in SEE. You SIGN EXACTLY what you are saying. how you are describing SEE is actually a type of PSE; it's on the PSE spectrum.

[@TheStews]

***** Kori thank you for your comment. That makes it very clear. :)

[@KoriJaiden]

Jill's Signs glad i could help! :) I have been signing for like 6 years but always learning! :)

[@TheStews]

***** Yes definitely always a never ending learning process.

[@KoriJaiden]

Jill's Signs oh yes! your sign is definitely better than mine though i feel.

[@TheStews]

***** Well I don't know about that, but thank you.

[@kileyfuellner6860]

You seem so young, but love your knowledge on all the differences

[@emilioesteban262]

I like your video very much. It's helped me understand the options. I don't have enough cash to go to an expensive college to learn ASL, so I use online resources instead. That means I'm learning PSE because I only learn individual words and no grammatical structure. I don't mind if PSE is not an official language like ASL. BTW, I'm hearing, not deaf, but I love learning languages even now that I'm 59 years old. Thank you again for clearing up my doubts.

[@misbeautifulable]

Back in the 90’s I do use SEE as a mainstream and at a deaf school is ASL

[@katiekickert7076]

A good was to put it is ASL is ASL grammar ASL sentence structure PSE is ASL grammar English sentence structure SEE is English grammar English sentence structure And I believe most if not all deaf people will understand PSE. I might be wrong

[@TheStews]

PSE is more ASL signs but English grammar/sentence structure. See also uses English signs (many more initialized signs).

[@thepandoricaoffandomsbacku7349]

I am a native Italian speaker but very fluent in English, however it is hard for me to sign fast or naturally when my brain has to go Italian -> English -> ASL/PSE. I haven’t decided yet which one I should follow yet, of course PSE is easier, especially if I’m also speaking out loud, but I think I am going to make extra effort to learn ASL

[@fvtowersgarden-vu5wh]

I'm deaf and learned in the 80s and 90s as a child but was taught lipreading and speach at the same time. I'm always told my sign is wrong. But I find it hard now to relearn the new way

[@aspenm5253]

When I first learned to sign in the 1970's, SEE was commonly taught to children in public school programs. In fact, there were two versions of SEE (Seeing Exact English and Seeing Essential English) which had been developed by two Deaf teachers (Gerilee Gustason [www.modernsignspress.com/people.htm] and David Anthony, IIRC) who then diverged. [See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manually_coded_English for a more complete discussion of this history.] Seeing Essential English got pretty esoteric, and IMHO, not very accessible for the average person, so I'm not surprised to see that Seeing Exact English survived all these years. I have run into public school programs now who, in theory, are teaching kids ASL. I'm not sure how that works, in practice, since the level of signing ability for teachers varies so much. Historically (1970's to present, and possibly other times) children raised in State Schools for the Deaf tended to be more ASL, while students from neighborhood public school programs tended to know more SEE. I can't speak for today. SEE systems (MCE - Manually Coded English) use INITIALIZATION, so that ASL signs are modified with letters of the alphabet to cover English words that have similar meanings. For example, there might be different signs for the similar ASL concept/different English words of "fall" and "autumn", with "autumn" signed with an A on the dominant hand, and "fall" signed with an F. (Please excuse my vague examples; it has been a long time since I've thought about all this.) If the English word is the same ("fall" the season, and "fall" off your bike), the same SEE sign would likely be used, just as in English. I believe initialization has, in part, been accepted into modern ASL as a whole generation grew up learning MCE systems. That likely varies with the individual. I learned SEE first, and it has been difficult to switch to PSE/ASL. I mostly use SEE now for outrageous puns, such as suggesting that I might "egg you on" (literally), rather than "encourage" you. This may be the source of my social ostracization. LOL In my experience, it is best to treat everyone I sign to as an individual, and adjust my sign to their preference and ability with English. Deaf folks who know more English are going to be more able to read PSE/SEE than someone who doesn't understand as much English. And some folks just plain prefer ASL; it *is* the cultural language of the USA Deaf community.

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Yeah, SEE was the big thing back in the day. Luckily now we realized that teaching an actual language (ASL) is the best way for everyone.

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

@@TheStews pigeon is really the best as the deaf do live in this country and work in this country…the need to know English. English signs also do make sense. But signing see I would think to be tiresome. Why so much division when all could just use asl signs or English signs in English context (excluding words like the, an, a…).

[@oh7593]

I’m learning ASL 1 I come off pretty clean when signing

[@davidpoland7140]

Most hearing say that to themselves. Then they wind up someplace like Gallaudet and become aware they are not as good as they thought. How are you doing now?

[@LadyShyye]

Hmmm I think SEE way is taught or should be taught just so that Writing the language won't be difficult. I took two classes back in 1980 but didn't have anyone to practice with or talk to away from class and the third class was at night and the college was unsafe for me at that time. I do try to help or conversate with anyone who uses sign for communications and it has always been a pleasant experience. I also took braille and bought a used manual brailler. I want my granddaughter is to learn braille as well. Her first language was sign. She is five now and still remembers a lot of signs. We have less time now but will endeavor to immerse her again to communicate with more people of the world We also dabbled in spanish and french too. Thanks for the vid. New subby😉

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Thanks so much for subbing!! :) I think that the best way to learn another language is to first have a base language. SEE is not a language. It is more beneficial to learn ASL first and then you can conquer other languages, such as English, even for writing.

[@angel_nerd]

Thank you for this video. I use SEE more than ASL because my parents is talking I don't know PSE exist it look like mix with SEE. I never use 'Me' I just use "I" like "I went to food store" as what I said. SEE and ASL still different sign languages these still part of languages.. I use SEE because I am more comfy with this than some speed too fast in ASL hard to caught what's they say lol.

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

Yeah they are fast.

[@nicyounghans]

Stumbled on you coz I was curious what the faces made during interpretations on the news. Really neat! Good job. I'm totally interested now. Thanks! 👍🏻

[@TheStews]

So happy you like the video.

[@tabithacunningham9236]

I am using PSE atm and was taught by a deaf woman and her son. Who's hearing. But I'm about to go to school to do interpreting so I can be an asl interpreter

[@natureboy2818]

If a deaf or hard of hearing person was naturally accustomed to asl, but someone signed P.S.E. or S.E.E. to them, would they still understand what the other person is trying to say?

[@TheStews]

I would say it really depends. If you learned more "home signs" or pure ASL then trying to understand the English structure could be a challenge. Really I think it depends on what their level of English intelligibility is. Most people I have ever met can understand PSE pretty well. SEE might be a little different since it has such a strong English structure.

[@catm.3428]

I'm learning PSE

[@TheStews]

That's a great start to learning the signs themselves. Maybe then you can transition to having a more ASL grammar. Good luck on learning! :)

[@michaelg3074]

This is very informative.

[@aabarton23]

Hey Jill & Jenna, Do you have any advice on switching from SEE or PSE to stronger ASL ? I started to lose my hearing about 10 years ago and it is only getting worse. I am noticing that I am relying more on my hearing aids and lip reading although I can sign I am not very good at making the adjustment because english is my first language. I have been slowly teaching myself and I get get by but I could really use some advice on how I know which order to put words or what to leave out. Thanks so much , I love your videos!

[@TheStews]

+aabarton23 I would suggest taking a class to learn the basics of ASL grammar. If not then work with a native signer that has a strong knowledge of ASL grammar.

[@meganluck9132]

This was awesome Jill, thank you.

[@TheStews]

+Megan Luck Np, thanks for watching!

[@davidpoland7140]

Actually SEE2 you used the letter I and go to your chest, not ME, but I. I learned SEE2 in the 1980s.

[@CreativeBlue]

Very informative. And there is QSL (Québec Sign Language).

[@davidpoland7140]

It isn’t used in the USA. There are many signed languages in the world.

[@SC_jamesbond007jua]

Correction: Cued Speech: 5st 5t5s 7sf5t8s 5sd 7sd 3s5sf3s "I am going to the store"

[@OregonBornandRaised]

I would strongly encourage adding "visual communication" to this list. I have encountered many consumers with minimal or sporadic ASL, and zero English.

[@ettinakitten5047]

SimCom would mostly be PSE or SEE, right? It seems like it'd be very hard to simultaneously say & sign a sentence with different word order between the signs and the words.

[@TheStews]

Usually, Sim Com is PSE, but if the person learned the SEE method then they could use SEE. It really just means simultaneous communication, so using any two communication methods at the same time. For sign language, it means using a form of sign language and speech at the same time.

[@tami-johutchins1547]

What about Signed English? This is what I have studied. Like: I am going to the store. I know it's more to sign but as a teacher with a strong emphasis on English composition I find it easier. It just bothers me the other ways because I eat to correct the grammer

[@SC_jamesbond007jua]

What about Cued Speech (Cued Language Transliteration). It's English.

[@Frodos_Wife]

What if you talk about you and another person? Say you want some to go to the store.. Should it be (asl) me want store you go? (pse) me want store go you ?? I'm just curious if it would be swapped too, store you go me want?? Maybe I just need to watch more haha

[@cleofietiongson1475]

I enrolled my self in Certificate Program Sign Language Interpreting at New Era University Philippines thru on-line class. I am 48 years old now and I want to be part of the community who uses sign language.

[@naturemommyandchildrenanda3836]

Each country has its own sign language.

[@tudormiller8898]

💗Watching from London UK. 🇬🇧👂👍

[@ajgranera4967]

quick question: do interpreters use PSE or ASL more. Also if you use PSE, do you still say that you know ASL or would you say PSE?

[@TheStews]

[Jill] That is going to depend on the individual interpreter. Some are more PSE and some are more ASL. It really depends. I personally would say I sign PSE if that is what I'm signing. I don't lie in that sense. Personally I'm a little more ASL but definitely incorporate PSE. I feel PSE is more common though (at least from what I've seen in my few areas I have worked).

[@Mishy82193]

My teacher/adviser is a Hearing Interpreter & is more PSE & blames me for having for English signing & I've also been well immersed in Deaf Culture so I'm very ASL around the deaf when I am. Also I use SimCom to help fellow classmates understand what I'm saying. What would you suggest for me?

[@abbieforshaw9722]

There is BSL aswell. (British sign language). xx

[@TheStews]

[Jill] BSL is another country's sign language. That is a different concept than the different styles of signing that are used within the United States (and a few other places).

[@dreamcatcher2951]

SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS- I'm between the age 9-12, so I decided to learn sign language now just incase I encounter someone who spoke it. I was wondering if the signs for ASL are the same as PSE and vice versa. Thank you!

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] Yes most signs are the same. The main difference is grammar structure.

[@izziapalmer]

Hello! I really hope you answer, but I really want to learn sign language and I've started with ASL, but I like PSE a lot. I was wondering if the only difference between the two is the word order, or are all the signs different? I want to learn both if it's just word order, but if all the signs are different I'll have to pick one, because right now that would be a bit overwhelming. Thank you so much if you reply!

[@TheStews]

[Jill] The main difference is word order. Somtimes PSE users will use some signs that ASL does not use like "is" "were" "was", etc.

[@deafinitelytay4029]

The reason you like PSE better is because you’re hearing and PSE uses English structure.

[@kirknorman2403]

When you say ASL is “official” do you mean just English speaking countries. Would you be able to communicate with people in non-English speaking countries? It seems that the ideas of: me, go, and store might be universal!

[@kaitlyncleary3424]

Why is asl structured the way it is? Just wondering

[@amark8786]

If they're using more pse in the schools do you think that we should learn that instead of trying to be certified in ASL

[@tecblaze905]

I use ISL (Irish sign language )

[@TheStews]

[Jill] That is so cool. I would love to learn another sign language some day. :)

[@YouTubeExplore777]

When interpreting ASL into verbal SEE (English) how is one suppose to speak in terms of translation? As an interpreter I wouldn't translate by saying "Store I go" I would say he/she says "I'm going to the store." How does an ASL interpreter understand the sentence and relay that message before more ASL sentences are made. Can an Interpreter have trouble catching up to an ASL signer?

[@kishaunarcher223]

Nerion, Espy Of Wolves sometimes there is lag time especially because of word order and story telling...I interpret for my friend and sometimes I have to wait a few seconds to grasp the whole concept before I interpret

[@lurt4315]

Very informative. I am from Brazil and I teach English. I am learning LIBRAS. What sign language would you sugest me to learn in order to reach more people around the world? ASL, BSL, PSE or other? I don't have the time right now to study more than one. Thank you a lot!

[@andreaanthony5518]

like. very helpful for school system.

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Great to hear this is helpful.

[@PoofFairyProductions]

in my personal opinion i love ASL. so my question is if i were to run across someone who uses PSE i would be able to understand because american english is my first language but would they be able to understand asl?

[@TheStews]

[Jill] In general, yes ASL and PSE are both understandable. PSE is just usually more English word order. So it should be fine.

[@jahdeic7883]

Is it okay to sort of blend all three? Lol, there are instances that I may sign "to," but not "the." My signing is so bad lol, it's all over the place.

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] I wouldn't recommend that as it would be too confusing and may not make much sense.

[@KristopherWaite]

i am pse and asl hybrid, it tells so much details in conversation than asl language sometimes misunderstanding that does not tell details.. why can’t i have more details than asl language? i feel something missing but i have to work up my imagination for them what they’re doing while signing ASL? Pretty tiring lol.. Idk i think asl and pse hybrid languages are actually perfect but depends on people standards.

[@KristopherWaite]

ohh... just found out about case and but case with the half asl and full pse that i’m most use the accuracy in the signing language to talk for clearly details that i’m 100% percent sure i’m pse, half asl, and hybrid languages... are that great?

[@KristopherWaite]

i believe in myself that i knowledge the pse and see and sometimes asl that part of pse. i can transfer to different languages to fit communicate with others so they able to understand me and after that i can go back normal my own signing language. I think i’m kinda deaf interpreter? LOL

[@seeskippygo]

Hi! I'm re-learning ASL after a few years off. I read that OSV is used and is also called Topicalization. I also read that SVO is correct, so would I GO STORE also a correct ASL sentence?

[@TheStews]

seeskippygo Gosh sorry I'm not sure about that. I'm not an expert on grammar. From what I learned previously, proper ASL grammar would be STORE I GO. Maybe what you are talking about I just never learned. Sorry I cannot answer that.

[@KoriJaiden]

time topic comment means in this sentence you can use store or I as the topic! Store I go is more pure pure ASL, but I go store is also gramatically correct, IN JUST this sentence! lol it just depends what you make the topic.

[@KoriJaiden]

I(a different sign altogether from the ASL sign for I/me) "am" go"ing" "to" "the" "store" is SEE. it's not commonly used, but it's still out there. My name ___. you name what? is another example of ASL Phrasing or.... "tonight I go store can't why? really busy." "Tonight store I go can't why? really busy) just to show more of what I meant about the topicalization.

[@fluteloopsyd]

Now my brain hurts.

[@carlosalarcon9389]

It's not obligatory to topicalize all the time.

[@mathewhart530]

do overseas non english speaking countries use these types of sign? is sign and its variations a universal language?

[@kishaunarcher223]

Mathew Hart japan uses Japanese sign language, Germany has its own sign Language etc. even the UK has a different sign language

[@scruffyrat7226]

Can deaf people speak faster in ASL than PSE or SEE?

[@winros3042]

I am so messed up! I am a CODA this would be a bit hard to articulate however, I'm one of those that's sign too songs just because I enjoy it. The Deaf community, are not very impressed with people that sign to songs! Signing to songs it's from hearing people to see watch not for Deaf people... how sad! Not that it is wrong to sign to songs however, using SEE would probably have put my parents over the Edge! I sign to ASL ..from now on forget about the world I will sign to a different drum so that my beautiful parents will understand!

[@adamforbes1019]

I have only started learning ASL, as of 3 days ago. I only know the alphabet now, and a few words and phrases. I have learned about Time/Topic/Comment, which I kind of enjoy. My biggest fear now is making sure I stay learning ASL and not PSE. I am self-learning currently, but am also seeking a private tutor/instructor in my area. How do I ensure that the sources of information I am getting are proper ASL and not PSE? I am not educated enough, as of yet, to be able to discern between proper ASL and PSE.

[@TheStews]

I would say that you could reach out to local Deaf community (Deaf center, or even asl programs) to see what instruction is out there and they can help more in that aspect.

[@adamforbes1019]

@@TheStews I have done so, and have been meeting with an ASL tutor for the past several days!! I have also self studied a few hundred ASL signs, without, at the time, stringing them into sentences. I only put them in sentences with my tutor; to which she said I am doing so in proper ASL form. She said she is very impressed! This is so much fun!!! So I have an additional question for you: Since I am taking the steps of learning and studying vocabulary on my own, only to put them into action with my tutor; would you know of a list of, say ... a thousand signs that are a must to learn? For example, most languages have hundreds of thousands of words. But the average person might only regularly use 600 or so (random guess) in their normal work and social lives. So in theory, one could learn those 600 or 800 English, French, or so, words, and get comprehensive every day experience in that language (assuming they also know the grammar ofcourse). Is there like a list of comprehensive ASL signs that encompass all the most frequently used words for daily social, work, and domestic conversations? I am fast, and want to learn these words so that I can have more full conversations with my tutor the next time we meet. Which will be later this week. Keep in mind, that I perfectly learned the alphabet, and about 300 signs in a period in about 5 days, and still retain them with no difficulty. I could have probably learned them in a shorter period of time if I wasn't pretty busy then, and had immediate access to the resources instead of hunting them all down. But I also write down every sign that I learn in my dedicated ASL notebook.

[@dohwaspencil]

I have a quick question... If ASL is recognised as an official language, would those in Britain know ASL as well, or would they most likely use BSL? Thank you!

[@TheStews]

People in Britain use BSL (unless they happen to be a ASL user that moved to Britain). Some people learn ASL in Britain for other reasons. But the sign language that is used in Britain mainly is BSL. Many different countries have their own sign languages. Hope that helps!

[@dohwaspencil]

@@TheStews Thank you so much! 😊

[@marwasnotavailable]

Hey Jill, does ASL and PSE use the same signs? Is it just the grammar/syntax that's different?

[@TheStews]

+Jasmar D. Well that is a big question, but one thing is that often PSE incorporates more initialized signs (kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5W7nq2Cd8h0b7s), and yes I think a main difference is syntax grammar.

[@romelsnake]

Hello, I am a Spanish speaker and I would like to learn sign language. I was wondering if there's one sign language with which I can communicate with most of the people around the world, at least in a basic level. Because I understand that there are a lot of different "styles".

[@TheStews]

[Jill] No, sign language is not universal. Different places have different sign languages, like for example there is American Sign Language, British Sign Language, French Sign Language, etc. Here is a video we made about this topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omXIlH6OdtBlqdk

[@myszowata9544]

Are signs the same in ASL PSE and SEE or are they completely diffrent? For example if I just learned how to sign "store" in ASL can I use it in PSE?

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] Most are the same. The main differences are grammar structure and SEE being heavily based on one sign for each English word instead of the meaning.

[@lysmay9249]

is PSE considered wrong? I am learning ASL but I am finding myself doing more PSE off of habit because my first language was english. idk if this would make sense but I feel like im in the middle of asl and PSE, just because somethings i do in asl grammar and other things I do PSE. I never done SEE though, because SEE (although its weird) confuses me alot because my mind knows that ASL doesnt use "be" words or the same exact grammar as english. idk if I am making any sense haha sorry.

[@TheStews]

[Jill] I would say that it is not "wrong" so to speak. Maybe people I know use PSE and I think it's actually more common than pure ASL. I understand what you mean. I would say that it's important to have the foundation of ASL. Having the grammar, culture, etc. But if you end up using PSE with others, then that's fine. I tend to use whatever the Deaf person is using. If that makes sense. :)

[@_d0llyyy_]

I'd like to learn sign language by myself, but I don't know if I should start with PSE or ASL, what do you suggest? (also I'm italian, so english isn't my first language but I understand it pretty well)

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Well if you are in the US or Canada then I would learn ASL. If you another country then learn their sign language (sorry not sure if you meant this or not). I think learning the language the right way the first time is easier than learning one way, and then having to change it around to learn it another way.

[@_d0llyyy_]

+ASL Stew +ASL Stew thank you so much! I live in Italy and I discovered that here it's used LIS, but since I'm planning to live/work in another country I'd prefer to learn ASL Thanks again for the reply!

[@myszowata9544]

chiccanekoCosplay I'm from Poland and I have the same problem as you. I want to go to USA one day (probably in few years) and I don't really know which sign language I should choose. I think I'll go with ASL, but I'm not 100% sure :)

[@zariahprang5833]

chiccanekoCosplay I'm doing PSE ( which is a more simple way of asl. so it kinda is like asl but if you where speaking it to someone who did not know sign language, they would still be able to know what you are saying;)

[@davidpoland7140]

@@_d0llyyy_ whatever language is signed by the native Deaf in a nation you are in, learn THAT! Do not use ASL and use that unless ASL is what the Deaf there exclusively use. That is unfortunately how people colonized other nations and it has led to the dying out of natural signed languages worldwide. Please only learn what the locals use and support it.

[@Duaij123456]

Hey guys I really want to learn sign language but I don't know if asl or pse is better or most commonly used please just drop a comment on what type of sign language you use and it's pros and cons

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] ASL is always better to learn first. That way you will have a good habit of keeping ASL and English separate, not mixed. Then you can see how PSE works from there.

[@llife3810]

Question: what is "CASE" signing??? Not clear on that one.

[@TheStews]

Conceptually Accurate Signed English. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/parentsguide/building/case.html Hope that helps.

[@llife3810]

@@TheStews thank you.

[@candice4150]

I know in England we use BSL ( british sign language ) however can you use PSE or SEE in England???

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] Not sure if they have their version of PSE/SEE over there.

[@meaganphillips1975]

Daisy Cheung no you really can't asl signs are very different from bsl the have version of bsl but the are not used very much

[@MissWeick]

I believe in England it's called SSE (Sign Supported English) .. I recently learned that in a group for parents of Deaf children.

[@jeanferguson7889]

Hearing people should learn sign language by deaf people because of deaf’s own language and culture Deaf people didn’t teach hearing people how to talk.

[@TheStews]

I agree. I always think it's best to learn sign language from a qualified Deaf individual.

[@meaganphillips1975]

would it be easier for me to learn asl straight away or start with pse then learn asl

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] ASL straight away is better to avoid developing bad habits from PSE.

[@smolbean4788]

I use pse 😊

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Yeah that is common.

[@nankohefting6894]

Where can I find the grammar rules for PSE? I"m currently teaching myself PSE...

[@TheStews]

[Jill] PSE just uses English grammar.

[@Marie-ov6dn]

Hello! So, I absolutely LOVE your guys' channel, and I was wondering if it would be possible for you guys to do a video about the different sign languages. I know ASL certainly isn't the only one out there (I'm personally quite interested in German sign (DGS)) and I think it would be awesome, especially if you guys could collab with other people out there to sort of show us the differences a little bit between a couple of the sign languages. (Another similar suggestion: you guys could talk about the history of sign languages - for instance, how they evolved, versus how spoken language evolved - e.g. BSL and ASL are completely different, and two languages that aren't linguistically related at all have similar signing (I think ASL came from LSF (French sign), if I have my history right (as did DGS and ÖGS (Austrian German sign) by proxy). Thank you guys so much, I absolutely LOVE your videos!!! :)

[@TheStews]

[Jill] Sure we can add it to our list. :) Would love to do a collab with someone.

[@melissaaguilar5597]

So asl people can understand pse? Bc i only know pse right now

[@TheStews]

[Jenna] Not all will understand PSE.

[@meaganphillips1975]

Melissa Aguilar i know people who only know asl and I sign pse they understand what I'm saying because all of the sign are the same it just take them longer and sometimes they miss some words but other then that it's fine

[@sineadbaker5225]

I am deaf I have learnt pse asl and bsl I couldn't really understand this but ohh well

[@TheStews]

+Sinead Baker There should be CC if you need English words.

[@sineadbaker5225]

+ASL Stew yh I know

[@timdamien8223]

Honest, I' m hearing loss, most of time I use PSE, SEE n lipread more than ASL pointless because it is not enough more expanded detail for what happen in car Accident with How,where,what n why. I don't like whoever some of an interpreter,deaf guess danger of assumption false story report or document not exactly what I said. you know what I meant but no offended for ASL. Should say ESL because where we born in USA and have must to learn for English here with green card. Thank you for your video here to show em who they are sign language. Ha I m not a good write for English ya.

[@Teankun]

would these be considered as dialects?

[@TheStews]

[Jill] ASL, PSE, SEE are not dialects. There are dialects though in ASL. You will notice that more by regions. People will have different signs for things depending on the region sometimes. Same as "hearing" dialects.

[@Teankun]

So, what is the term?

[@Bergindine]

Banana

[@thejelloprogram]

I realize that this is an extremely old video but we need to stop spreading that PSE and s e e are in fact languages because they are not. I can see from the comments section alone that people were taught this as a child and then when they actually learned as well it was hard to transition because they don't know grammar. This is why strictly teaching ASL in America is so important. ASL should be the only thing ever taught or used. You have people like Elizabeth Harris on KZbin, who does not sign using ASL but claims to. She's also deaf. She also makes music covers not using grammar either. And I'm not just singling her out there are many many deaf creators on social media who do not use ASL. Then people will watch these videos and go try to learn ASL then get stuck with grammar and then say well these deaf people don't have to use grammar why should I?... Please do not support this we are better than this PSE and SEE are forms of oppression. Audism.

[@Weirdpoe]

Why is a hearing person trying to teach other hearing people what it's like to talk like a Deaf person? On top of that, you didn't even used ASL for the Deaf viewers. Here, have a downvote.