English and British Sign Language (and, indeed, American Sign Language) are completely different communication systems, even though they can both be used to convey ideas. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:
Modality: English is an auditory-vocal language. We use our ears to hear and our vocal cords to produce sounds. Sign languages, on the other hand, are visual-spatial languages. They rely on handshapes, facial expressions, body movements, and location in space to convey meaning.
Grammar: English grammar has a complex structure with rules for sentence formation, verb conjugation, and noun declension. Sign language grammar has its own set of rules, but they focus on things like hand orientation, movement direction, facial expressions, and use of space. British Sign Language doesn’t rely on word order or verb conjugations in the same way English does.
Vocabulary: English vocabulary consists of spoken words with specific meanings. Sign languages have their own set of signs that don’t necessarily have a direct correlation to English words.ย A single sign can represent a concept, an action, or even a complete sentence in sign language.
Abstract Concepts: Both languages can express abstract concepts, but they may do so differently. English uses words and metaphors, while sign language might use metaphorical gestures or facial expressions combined with signs.
