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Fingerspelling As the name implies, is a system of hand-shapes which can be used to represent the individual letters of the alphabet or numbers – as opposed to sign language, in which hand-shapes and gestures can represent whole words or phrases. Finger spelling is a supportive addition to sign language, not a substitute for it – many sign language users have difficulty with literacy so that fingerspelling will always be of limited benefit to them. Please click here for a link to SignCommunity from the BDA In Britain, people who communicate in sign language (BSL - British Sign Language) use a two-handed fingerspelling system, as illustrated below. A
similar system is used in a few other countries such as Australia and South
Africa, but most other countries use a one-handed fingerspelling system to support
their own particular sign language. The
principal benefit of finger spelling is that it allows for the communication of
words such as the names of people, streets, towns, etc, for which there is
unlikely to be an individual sign. Finger spelling can be easily learned in a few hours, whereas sign
language can take years to master. On some occasions BSL and fingerspelling come together so that letters can become recognised signs in themselves – e.g. m and m together mean mother, likewise f and f mean father, while y and y are yellow etc.
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