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Do you need to use initialization in sign language?


Asked by Mckenna Clay on Dec 05, 2021 FAQ



While it is true that quite a few initialized signs have found their way into general usage in the Deaf community--you would do well to use initialization as little as possible if you are trying to develop your ASL skills.
In respect to this,
Initialization is the process of using the ASL fingerspelled letter that represents the first letter of an English word as the handshape for a sign. For example, the signs CLASS and FAMILY are initialized signs. Warning: Overuse of initialization is frowned upon by the Deaf Community.
Also, For example, the initialized signs for BREAKFAST / LUNCH / DINNER are very common in the Deaf world. Part of the reason for this is that doing a one-handed initialized version of "BREAKFAST" is easier and generally faster than doing the two-handed compound sign "EAT-MORNING."
Indeed,
American Sign Language (ASL) is used throughout North America, including the U.S. and English-speaking Canada. ASL is a complete language, which means that you can communicate just about anything through signing. Those who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as people with functional hearing, use ASL to converse in a rich and expressive way.
In addition,
ASL for Beginners ASL beginners usually start with learning the alphabet. The 26 letters of the English alphabet can be conveyed through signs in ASL, and words can be spelled out through sequences of signs. This is called “fingerspelling.”