--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American Sign Language—ASL—is a language…" description: "\"“American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with its own syntax and grammar. Adjectives follow nouns, as in Romance languages.”\" — Lou Ann W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg" --- # American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with… ![“American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with its own syntax and grammar. Adjectives follow nouns, as in Romance languages.” quote by Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg) > ““American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with its own syntax and grammar. Adjectives follow nouns, as in Romance languages.”” [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. ASL is a fully formed language with its own grammar, not just a set of gestures. **In simple terms:** ASL has its own rules. Key Takeaway Respect its structure when learning. Themes language culture communication Mood educational respectful Type informational educational When to use this quote - teaching ASL - language preservation - intercultural workshops Key Concepts syntax grammar linguistics Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing ASL as a language change your approach? - What challenges arise when teaching its grammar? A Different Perspective Learning ASL may be slower without immersion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asl Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asl-language-5917135/) [Grammar Adjectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grammar-adjectives-5917136/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Asl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-asl-5917134/) [Sign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sign-language/) ## Related quotes > [“Tell Doris Jean I figure it’s about time I learned that sign language,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/tell-doris-jean-i-figure-it-s-about-time-i-learned-that-sign-language/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“The oralists believe in speaking and lipreading without ever signing; and the manualists are pro-signing in American Sign Language (ASL).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/the-oralists-believe-in-speaking-and-lipreading-without-ever-signing/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“In sign language, conversations like these are unbelievably hard. You must look directly at the person as you talk to him, and as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/in-sign-language-conversations-like-these-are-unbelievably-hard-you/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Interestingly, very few deaf people actually use sign language in their dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/interestingly-very-few-deaf-people-actually-use-sign-language-in/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Mom turned to me, puzzled. In sign language, she asked, “What was Grandpa saying in the kitchen?” My heart froze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/mom-turned-to-me-puzzled-in-sign-language-she-asked-what-was-grandpa/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Ken brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. I'd been paying so much attention to Ken, I didn't know what happened during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-a-maxfield/ken-brought-my-hand-to-his-lips-and-kissed-it-i-d-been-paying-so-much/) [Z.A. Maxfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/z-a-maxfield/) > [“Loretta’s shoulders slumped in defeat. With numb hands she lowered the rifle to the dirt. A nasty grin twisted Hunter’s mouth. “So it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/loretta-s-shoulders-slumped-in-defeat-with-numb-hands-she-lowered-the/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [Hey Hater sign language middle finger, middle finger let me tell you now intergalictical I see you rockin with oh i see them 3…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/hey-hater-sign-language-middle-finger-middle-finger-let-me-tell-you/) [Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/) > [In the deaf community, we give people name signs based on their quirks or characteristics. So it means you can't really give someone a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ridloff/in-the-deaf-community-we-give-people-name-signs-based-on-their-quirks/) [Lauren Ridloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ridloff/) > [ When Marlee \[Matlin\] won her Oscar, she said, "and I just want to thank my parents." When I was saying those words for her,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-jason/when-marlee-matlin-won-her-oscar-she-said-and-i-just-want-to-thank-my/) [Jack Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-jason/) > [If you are to reach masses of people in this world, you must do it by a sign language. Whether your vehicle be commerce,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay-chapman/if-you-are-to-reach-masses-of-people-in-this-world-you-must-do-it-by/) [John Jay Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay-chapman/) > [American Sign Language is my native tongue. That's the first thing that I learned to communicate with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/american-sign-language-is-my-native-tongue-that-s-the-first-thing/) [Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/) > [ He pointed toward the silhouettes on the side of the \[bathrooms\] instead--black cutout man, black cutout woman. The man had his legs apart, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/he-pointed-toward-the-silhouettes-on-the-side-of-the-bathrooms/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [While taking sign language in high school, one of our assignments was to go out and participate in the deaf community, so I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-lavine/while-taking-sign-language-in-high-school-one-of-our-assignments-was/) [Zach LaVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-lavine/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) ## More by Lou Ann Walker > [“From 1963 through 1965, a nationwide epidemic of rubella—German measles—caused thousands of women to deliver babies who were handicapped in some way:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/from-1963-through-1965-a-nationwide-epidemic-of-rubella-german/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“there are signs that are parodies of actual objects and that retain a cleverness even for deaf people. Indeed, these signs are to sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/there-are-signs-that-are-parodies-of-actual-objects-and-that-retain-a/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“I was the only student she’d taught who’d actually known any deaf people. Most of the students in my courses were there because they’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/i-was-the-only-student-she-d-taught-who-d-actually-known-any-deaf/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“It was like the old joke: the operation was a success but the patient died. Theories and goals of education don’t matter a whit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/it-was-like-the-old-joke-the-operation-was-a-success-but-the-patient/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“One story was about a deaf man who was driving in the country, when safety bars were lowered across the road at a railroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/one-story-was-about-a-deaf-man-who-was-driving-in-the-country-when/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Mom turned to me, puzzled. In sign language, she asked, “What was Grandpa saying in the kitchen?” My heart froze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/mom-turned-to-me-puzzled-in-sign-language-she-asked-what-was-grandpa/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Less and less we were freaks. More and more we were curiosities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/less-and-less-we-were-freaks-more-and-more-we-were-curiosities/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“By the time we got back to his house, Grandpa couldn’t reproduce the two signs he’d learned, but he hurried inside to describe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/by-the-time-we-got-back-to-his-house-grandpa-couldn-t-reproduce-the/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“her parents had no way of telling her she was going away to school.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/her-parents-had-no-way-of-telling-her-she-was-going-away-to-school/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“And then she made a sign that sent a chill up my spine. It was a slang sign meaning “I’m deaf,” but it’s crudely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/and-then-she-made-a-sign-that-sent-a-chill-up-my-spine-it-was-a-slang/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Like virtually all schools for the deaf at that time, the Indiana State School emphasized oral skills: speaking and lipreading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/like-virtually-all-schools-for-the-deaf-at-that-time-the-indiana/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“So much had been lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/so-much-had-been-lost/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“Over the centuries people have blamed everything from eating a green chestnut to being cursed by a gypsy. Others have cited being frightened by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/over-the-centuries-people-have-blamed-everything-from-eating-a-green/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“to leave a child without language for a moment longer than is absolutely necessary seems cruel to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/to-leave-a-child-without-language-for-a-moment-longer-than-is/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) > [“This work was throwing me into the intimate functioning of people’s lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/this-work-was-throwing-me-into-the-intimate-functioning-of-people-s/) [Lou Ann Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) [Explore all 60 Lou Ann Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) [TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with its own syntax and grammar. Adjectives follow nouns, as in Romance languages.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lou Ann Walker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language-unto-itself-with-its-own/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language-unto-itself-with-its-own/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/lou-ann-walker-11436_language_american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language_1571592.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto itself, with its own syntax and grammar. Adjectives follow…” — Lou Ann Walker", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lou Ann Walker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-ann-walker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“American Sign Language—ASL—is a language unto...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language-unto-itself-with-its-own/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-ann-walker/american-sign-language-asl-is-a-language-unto-itself-with-its-own/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```