Final answer:
American Sign Language (ASL) originated from efforts by Dr. Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, incorporating French Sign Language and local sign languages. It is central to deaf culture in the U.S., showcasing the rich complexity and cultural significance of visual-gestural communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
American Sign Language (ASL) got its start primarily from the efforts of Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. In the early 19th century, Gallaudet met a young deaf girl named Alice Cogswell and sought to find effective ways to educate her and other deaf children. His journey led him to Europe, and upon his return, he founded the first school for the deaf in the United States in Hartford, Connecticut. The language developed at this school was influenced by French Sign Language, used by Gallaudet's collaborator Laurent Clerc, and various home signs used by deaf individuals in the U.S. This blend formed the basis of ASL used in deaf culture today.
In deaf culture, the use of ASL is not just a means of communication but a component of a cultural identity that includes own language, schools, and customs. ASL is a visual language without a verbal component, completely relying on signs and gestures as the primary mode of communication. It reflects the value of maintaining traditions and identity within the deaf community, as opposed to solely focusing on integrating into the hearing world through oral language and technologies, like cochlear implants.
Semiotics, or the study of signs and symbols, relates to ASL in that both deal with the communication of meaning through agreed-upon signs. The development of ASL as a language shows the complexity and adaptability of human communication, which can evolve to meet the needs of different communities, such as the deaf community. This is contrasted with the more limited communication systems found in the animal kingdom, which lack the infinite combinatory possibilities of human language.