The History and Evolution of American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, has existed for over 200 years. In that time, the language has gone through many changes, including a ban and resurgence.
ASL didn’t appear overnight. It grew from a transatlantic collaboration, survived a near-extinction in classrooms, and is now recognized as a fully distinct language with its own grammar, dialects, and growing academic presence.
What Is American Sign Language?
American Sign Language is a complete visual language, using signing, hand gestures, and facial expressions as a method of communication, as opposed to auditory language. Primarily used by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, ASL is just one of an estimated 300+ sign languages used around the world today.
The Origins of American Sign Language
The origins of American Sign Language are rooted in 19th century America, but can be traced back even further to 18th century France and a man named Laurent Clerc. Born hearing, Clerc later lost the ability after falling into a fire as an infant. This led him to enroll in the Royal Institution for the Deaf in Paris, where he thrived, and eventually returned as a teacher. With a passion for teaching, he also travelled to give lectures around Europe, including in England.
Soon after, in the early 1800s, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, an aspiring minister in Hartford, Connecticut, met a nine-year-old Deaf girl named Alice Cogswell. Dr. Mason Cogswell, Alice’s father and Thomas’s neighbor, was concerned about her ability to obtain a proper education and requested that Thomas travel to Europe to learn about alternative teaching methods for Deaf students.
It was during this journey that Gallaudet met Clerc in England at one of his lectures, along with Jean Massieu, another Deaf faculty member, and Abbé Sicard, head of the Institution National des Sourds-Muets in Paris. They invited him back to visit their school in Paris to study French Sign Language (FSL) and teaching practices under Clerc.
Founding the American School for the Deaf
Gallaudet was able to convince Clerc to travel back to the United States with him. Once in Connecticut, they, along with Dr. Cogswell, founded The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons (historical terminology that we no longer use due to its offensive nature), later renamed to the American School for the Deaf.
This was the first permanent school for Deaf children in the United States, and it was here that American Sign Language began to take form. Students brought their own local signs from across the country and integrated them with the French Sign Language (FSL) that Laurent Clerc specialized in, resulting in the emergence of ASL.
Since its establishment, American Sign Language has continued to evolve and has done so independently of spoken English and other sign languages. New schools for the Deaf started to surface and grow across the country, leading to the formation of the language’s own linguistic variations and dialects.
The Linguistic Recognition of ASL as a Distinct Language
At the 1880 Milan Conference (the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf), sign language was effectively banned in schools. Oralism – an emphasis on speech and lip reading – was promoted as the primary means of education for the Deaf, driven by beliefs that sign language was inferior and isolating, and by a push for nationalism during an era of significant immigration.
However, in the 1950s, William Stokoe, a hearing English teacher at Gallaudet College, took an interest in sign language. He observed students communicating with each other in a way that was very different from fingerspelling and the grammatical order of spoken English.
By 1960, Stokoe published Sign Language Structure, and, in 1965, he and his Deaf colleagues Dorothy Casterline and Carl Croneberg published A Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles, works that explained the intricacies of ASL and how it functioned as its own language.
While these works were controversial, they pushed for acceptance of the Deaf community in the United States and acted as a catalyst for progress that eventually led to sign language returning to schools.
Why Isn't Sign Language Universal?
Although the origins of American Sign Language were heavily influenced by French Sign Language, sign language is not universal. Each version has its own grammar rules, gestures, and alphabet. Even British Sign Language is different, despite both being based on spoken English.
| Feature | American Sign Language (ASL) | British Sign Language (BSL) |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet hands | One hand | Two hands |
| Linguistic roots | Heavily influenced by French Sign Language | Developed independently in Britain |
| Shared spoken-language base | English | English |
Sign language also continues to evolve. The rise in technology has shifted the uses for sign language to include digital video on a screen, rather than just in person, and signers now adjust body language to fit on that screen.
Modern American Sign Language in Academia
American Sign Language degree programs are steadily growing in number as the prominence of interpreting in everyday life expands.
on average, across all languages
An understanding of and expertise in ASL is needed across multiple industries, with career opportunities for graduates including roles in:
✅ Education – Teaching Deaf and hard-of-hearing students at every level
✅ Advocacy – Supporting accessibility, civil rights, and Deaf community organizations
✅ Interpreting – Bridging communication in healthcare, legal, broadcast, and live event settings
Consider this: In 2024, the National Hockey League became the first major professional sports league to broadcast a full game in ASL – Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final – demonstrating just how mainstream ASL is becoming, and what an exciting opportunity it presents for students to pursue.
With the Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language offered at Ģý, you will take part in an immersive curriculum in ASL, preparing you for a rewarding career.
If you are interested in our program, or have any questions for us, be sure to request information today.