Sign Language is more than just a medium used to help those of the Deaf community to communicate. It is a visual language, and just like spoken language, different Signs and for that matter different languages are used depending on location.
Nearly 70 million deaf people have a form of sign language as their mothertongue, or first language.
A common misconception about sign language is that there is just one universal language used among the deaf community. However, this is wrong. There are in fact, according to Ethnologue, 142 recognised sign languages in the world (See Below!).
Each sign language is unique in their own way, however many are influenced and borrow signs, meanings, and/or sentence structure from other, perhaps more well-known visual languages (look at French Sign Language).
Despite having different signs, as well as similar signs which could have a different meaning, deaf people can still communicate with each other effectively. As a visual form of communication, sign language is more than just an action which conveys a meaning. Other important aspects of visual language include facial expressions and mouth and speech patterns.
It is easier for a deaf person to understand signers of a different language than it is for them to understand the various languages of oral communication.
Officially recognised sign languages in the world:
Adamorobe Sign Language (A language of Ghana)
Afghan Sign Language
Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (A language of Israel)
Albanian Sign Language
Algerian Sign Language
American Sign Language – ASL
Argentine Sign Language
Armenian Sign Language (A language of Armenia)
Auslan (A language of Australia)
Australian Aborigines Sign Language
Austrian Sign Language
Bamako Sign Language (A language of Mali)
Ban Khor Sign Language (A language of Thailand)
Bolivian Sign Language
Brazilian Sign Language – LIBRAS
British Sign Language (A language of United Kingdom) – BSL
Bulgarian Sign Language (A language of Bulgaria)
Catalan Sign Language (A language of Spain)
Chadian Sign Language
Chiangmai Sign Language (A language of Thailand)
Chilean Sign Language
Chinese Sign Language
Colombian Sign Language
Costa Rican Sign Language
Croatia Sign Language
Cuba Sign Language
Czech Sign Language
Danish Sign Language
Dominican Sign Language
Ecuadorian Sign Language
Egyptian Sign Language
Estonian Sign Language
Ethiopian Sign Language
Filipino Sign Language
Finland-Swedish Sign Language (A language of Finland)
Finnish Sign Language (A language of Finland)
Flemish Sign Language (A language of Belgium)
French Belgian Sign Language (A language of Belgium)
French Sign Language – LSF
German Sign Language
Ghanaian Sign Language
Ghandruk Sign Language (A language of Nepal)
Greek Sign Language
Guatemalan Sign Language
Guinean Sign Language
Haiphong Sign Language (A language of Vietnam)
Hanoi Sign Language (A language of Vietnam)
Hausa Sign Language (A language of Nigeria)
Hawaii Sign Language (A language of United States)
Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language (A language of Vietnam)
Honduras Sign Language
Hong Kong Sign Language (A language of Hong Kong S.A.R., China)
Hungarian Sign Language
Icelandic Sign Language
Indian Sign Language
Indonesian Sign Language
International Sign (A language of Italy)
Inuit Sign Language (A language of Canada)
Irish Sign Language
Israeli Sign Language
Italian Sign Language
Jamaican Sign Language
Japanese Sign Language – JSL
Jhankot Sign Language (A language of Nepal)
Jordanian Sign Language
Jumla Sign Language (A language of Nepal)
Kaapor Sign Language (A language of Brazil)
Kata Kolok (A language of Indonesia)
Kenyan Sign Language
Konchri Sain (A language of Jamaica)
Korean Sign Language (A language of South Korea)
Laos Sign Language
Latvian Sign Language
Libyan Sign Language
Lithuanian Sign Language
Madagascar Sign Language
Malawian Sign Language
Malaysian Sign Language
Maltese Sign Language
Maritime Sign Language (A language of Canada)
Mauritian Sign Language
Mexican Sign Language
Miriwoong Sign Language (A language of Australia)
Moldova Sign Language
Mongolian Sign Language
Moroccan Sign Language
Mozambican Sign Language
Namibian Sign Language
Nepalese Sign Language
New Zealand Sign Language
Nicaraguan Sign Language
Nigerian Sign Language
Norwegian Sign Language
Pakistan Sign Language
Panamanian Sign Language
Papua New Guinean Sign Language)
Paraguayan Sign Language
Penang Sign Language (A language of Malaysia)
Persian Sign Language (A language of Iran)
Peruvian Sign Language
Plains Indian Sign Language (A language of United States)
Polish Sign Language
Portuguese Sign Language
Providencia Sign Language (A language of Colombia)
Puerto Rican Sign Language
Quebec Sign Language (A language of Canada)
Romanian Sign Language
Russian Sign Language
Salvadoran Sign Language
Saudi Arabian Sign Language
Selangor Sign Language (A language of Malaysia)
Sierra Leone Sign Language
Sign Language of the Netherlands
Singapore Sign Language
Slovakian Sign Language
Solomon Islands Sign Language
South African Sign Language
Spanish Sign Language
Sri Lankan Sign Language
Swedish Sign Language
Swiss-French Sign Language (A language of Switzerland)
Swiss-German Sign Language (A language of Switzerland)
Swiss-Italian Sign Language (A language of Switzerland)
Taiwan Sign Language
Tanzanian Sign Language
Tebul Sign Language (A language of Mali)
Thai Sign Language
Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language)
Tunisian Sign Language
Turkish Sign Language
Ugandan Sign Language
Ukrainian Sign Language
Uruguayan Sign Language
Valencian Sign Language (A language of Spain)
Venezuelan Sign Language
West Bengal Sign Language (A language of India)
Yan-nhangu Sign Language (A language of Australia)
Yolngu Sign Language (A language of Australia)
Yucatec Maya Sign Language (A language of Mexico)
Yugoslavian Sign Language (A language of Serbia)
Zambian Sign Language
Zimbabwe Sign Language