Sign language..

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When I was a small child I was very delayed in speech, and as I understand it that's a common symptom. My parents were told that I should start learning sign language as a first language. Sadly they declined and forced me into speech therapy, which I hated.

Later on I had a friend whose parents are both deaf and he had sign language as a first language. He said that both his and his parents "internal dialog" were in sign language. I found this to be a wonderful idea. For me when I think of words, I see the picture of what the word represents. If someone said break I would both think of a broken branch or a clock at work.

So I was thinking how much more efficient and easy it would be if I just thought in sign language instead of all these different pictures for homographs. Maybe it would make communicating with people easier if I just had to communicate with sign language.

Of course this could bring up all new problems. Trying to read sign language while at the same time reading body language and facial expressions. I find it hard enough understanding facial expressions that are right in front of me, and if spoken language was my second language that could make communicating even more difficult.

Perhaps there just isn't a simple way to communicate.

Sometimes body language is more obvious with signing, or that certain signs and facial expressions go together.
Here's a good site. Mostly it teaches you west-coast style of ASL, but in the beginner directions, there is some direction on matching up facial expression, too. http://www.lifeprint.com/
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/nonmanualmarkers.htm

I like sign. By chance lived near several Deaf families in Indiana for a year. It makes more sense to me than spoken English.

One thing I like about it is the syntax of ASL. The way it was described to me is: with ASL you present the main idea first and then become more specific, as opposed to English being detail + detail + detail, etc. until you can get the point of the sentence. I became an interpreter for a few years.

Sign was especially helpful when studying in college. I put facts into sign and when tested, I could more easily recall the concept through kinestetic memory (movement) and then the answer came.

Learning sign also helped with facial expression skills and body language. The Deaf people I knew were very blunt about questioning or correcting my expressions and posture if it muddled the message. I liked that. It was pretty clear cut.