Gestures can be defined as any movements of the body that occur for the purpose of communication. The gestures found in ASL are a special set of rule-governed behaviors, which are called signs. American Sign Language is a distinct, natural language with rules of grammar and usage as different from English as any foreign language. Consequently, a course in ASL is comparable to, and no less difficult or rigorous than, other language courses. In addition, American Sign Language is a visual-gestural language, not a spoken language.
Some students find that it increases the challenge to be learning a language in a new mode.
Check out our No Voice in the Classroom policy. There is not one sign language for all countries any more than there is one spoken language for all countries, consequently the term sign language is a generic term that refers to all signed languages, while American Sign Language is a specific term that refers to the visual-gestural language created by Deaf people that is used in the United States and parts of Canada. The same question should be asked of someone who tells you they are taking sign language. Some sign languages are in the same language family, such as American Sign Language, French Sign Language, and Spanish Sign Language, and have some signs in common. In addition, every different sign language reflects the history, culture, and social mores of the community of Deaf people who use it and the country they live in.