HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

 SIMILARITIES

DIFFERENCES

The historical difference between ASL and Written English is their origins.

●     Yules (2017) states that ASL started in the early 19th century when Laurent Clerc, a teacher from a school for the Deaf in Paris, came to the United States with Thomas Gallaudet to open a school for Deaf children in America. This event allowed ASL to grow since Laurent Clerc taught not only children but also teachers incorporating American deaf sign languages that were later officially recognized in the 20th century

 ●  In contrast, written English has a long history because it originated in ancient civilizations. According to Yules (2017), “cuneiform” was the first writing reported about 5,000 years ago on clay tablets from ancient scripts. However, writing systems changed over time, leading to the usage and creation of the English alphabet for hundreds of years. The alphabet was standardized with spelling and grammar rules in the 18th century.