What is American Sign Language?

American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, natural language with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face. It is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing and is also used by some hearing people. * (NIDCD website)

How does ASL compare with spoken language?

ASL is a language completely separate and distinct from English. It contains all the fundamental features of language, with its pronunciation, word formation, and word order rules. While every language has ways of signaling different functions, such as asking a question rather than making a statement, languages differ in how this is done. For example, English speakers may ask questions by raising the pitch of their voices and adjusting word order; ASL users ask questions by raising their eyebrows, widening their eyes, and tilting their bodies forward.

As with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas in ASL vary as much as ASL users. In addition to individual differences in expression, ASL has regional accents and dialects; just as certain English words are spoken differently in different parts of the country, ASL has regional variations in the rhythm of signing, pronunciation, slang, and signs used. Other sociological factors, including age and gender, can affect ASL usage and contribute to its variety, just as with spoken languages.

Fingerspelling is part of ASL and is used to spell out English words. In the fingerspelled alphabet, each letter corresponds to a distinct handshape. Fingerspelling is often used for proper names or to indicate the English word for something.* (NIDCD Website)

*Taken from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website. 

ASL is a complete language, meaning you can communicate about anything through signing. Those who are deaf and hard of hearing and people with functional hearing use ASL to converse richly and expressively.