A World of Signs: Diversity and Language Families

1. From “Sign Language” to *Sign Languages*

In the previous module, you saw that sign languages are natural human languages, not simplified versions of spoken languages.

Now we zoom out to the world level.

Key idea: There is not one universal sign language. There are many different sign languages, just like there are many spoken languages.

Think of it this way:

• Saying “Sign Language” (singular) is like saying “Spoken Language” – too vague.
• We really need to say “sign languages” (plural), because there are hundreds worldwide.

In this module you will learn to:

• Explain why estimates of the number of sign languages vary a lot.
• Describe how sign languages form families (like French Sign family, BANZSL, etc.).
• Understand why collecting statistics about sign languages is hard.

Keep in mind: as of today (mid‑February 2026), researchers are still discovering and documenting new sign languages, especially in regions that have been under‑studied.

2. How many sign languages are there?

Researchers do not agree on one exact number, but here are the most commonly cited ranges, based on current linguistic databases and recent surveys:

• About 150–200 sign languages are reasonably well documented in linguistic research.
• Around 200–300+ distinct sign languages are listed in major databases (for example, Ethnologue, Glottolog, and various sign language corpora), though some entries are debated.
• When you include poorly documented, village, and emerging sign languages, many specialists now estimate 300–400 or more distinct sign languages worldwide.

Why the range instead of a single number?

• Some sign varieties are not well described yet.
• Sometimes it is unclear if something is a separate language or a regional variety/dialect.
• Political borders (countries) and linguistic borders (languages) do not always match.

For this course, a safe, up‑to‑date summary is:

> There are at least 150 clearly documented sign languages, and probably 300–400 or more worldwide, once under‑documented and village sign languages are included.

3. Why is it so hard to count sign languages?

Think through these questions before reading the hints.

1. Census challenge

Most national censuses ask about spoken languages. Imagine you are designing a new census for your country today.

• How would you change the form so that Deaf signers are properly counted?
• What exact question(s) would you add?

1. Recognition challenge

In many countries, sign languages were officially recognized only recently, or are still not recognized.

• How might lack of legal recognition affect whether a sign language appears in statistics or school systems?

1. Visibility challenge

Village sign languages often exist in small, rural communities with little contact with researchers.

• What practical obstacles might prevent linguists from even hearing about these languages?

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Hints (read after you think):

• Many censuses do not have a box for “Do you use a sign language? If yes, which one?”
• If a sign language is not legally recognized, it may not be used in schools, courts, or media, so it stays invisible in official data.
• Remote locations, limited funding, and social stigma can all hide sign languages from researchers.

Write down 2–3 specific changes you would make to improve sign language statistics in your country.

4. National, regional, and village sign languages

Not all sign languages are the same type. Linguists often talk about three broad patterns:

1. National sign languages

These are used by Deaf communities across much or all of a country, often in schools and media.

Examples:

• ASL (American Sign Language) – used mainly in the United States and English‑speaking parts of Canada.
• BSL (British Sign Language) – used in the United Kingdom.
• LSE (Lengua de Signos Española / Spanish Sign Language) – used in much of Spain.
• LIS (Lingua dei Segni Italiana / Italian Sign Language) – used in Italy.

> Note: A country does not always have just one national sign language. For example, Spain has LSE and LSC (Catalan Sign Language).

2. Regional sign languages

These are used in a region, which might cross national borders or sit inside one country.

Examples:

• Indo‑Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) – a cluster of closely related sign varieties across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and neighboring areas.
• Catalan Sign Language (LSC) – used mainly in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), alongside LSE.

3. Village (or “rural”) sign languages

These arise in small communities where there is a high rate of hereditary deafness, and both Deaf and hearing people use the sign language.

Examples often discussed in research (some are still being actively documented):

• Al‑Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language in a village community in Israel.
• Adamorobe Sign Language in Ghana.
• Several village sign languages in Mexico, Turkey, and West Africa, many of which are still under‑documented.

These village sign languages are often not related to the larger national sign language nearby, even if they exist in the same country.

5. Mutual unintelligibility: ASL vs BSL

A powerful way to see that sign languages are not universal is to compare ASL and BSL.

• Both are used in countries where English is the majority spoken language.
• But ASL and BSL are not mutually intelligible.

Visual description

Imagine watching two conversations side by side:

• On the left, two ASL users in New York are signing.
• On the right, two BSL users in London are signing.

If you pause the video and compare:

• Handshapes: many basic words look completely different.
• Use of the signing space: the patterns and movements differ.
• Fingerspelling: ASL uses a one‑handed alphabet; BSL uses a two‑handed alphabet.

A Deaf person fluent only in ASL may not understand BSL without learning it, just like a monolingual English speaker will not automatically understand spoken German.

Reason:

• ASL developed mainly from French Sign Language (LSF) and local signing in the early 1800s.
• BSL belongs to a different family (the BANZSL family, see next step).

So:

> Same spoken language environment (English), different sign language families, and usually no automatic understanding between them.

6. Sign language families: like family trees

Sign languages, like spoken languages, form families. A language family is a group of languages that share a common ancestor.

A. French Sign Language lineage

French Sign Language (LSF) has had huge international influence since the 18th–19th centuries.

Languages strongly influenced by LSF include:

• ASL (American Sign Language) – grew from LSF + local signing in the U.S. in the early 1800s.
• LSQ (Langue des Signes Québécoise / Quebec Sign Language) – related but not identical to LSF or ASL.
• Several sign languages in Francophone Africa (for example, in parts of West and Central Africa) where French Deaf educators introduced LSF‑based systems.

These languages are not copies of LSF; they have changed over time and mixed with local signing, but they still show family resemblances.

B. BANZSL family

BANZSL stands for British, Australian, and New Zealand Sign Languages. This family includes:

• BSL (British Sign Language)
• Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
• NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language)

These languages are closely related and share many signs and grammatical features. Signers from these countries often have partial mutual understanding, especially with some exposure.

C. Indo‑Pakistani Sign cluster

Researchers talk about an Indo‑Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) cluster:

• Used across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and sometimes Nepal.
• Includes regional varieties that are similar but not identical.
• Historically influenced by Deaf schools and contact across the region.

> Important nuance: Some linguists see IPSL as one language with strong regional variation; others see it as a cluster of closely related languages. This is one reason counting sign languages is so complex.

7. Build a mini family tree

Use this activity to organize what you know about sign language families.

Task: On a piece of paper (or a notes app), draw a simple family tree diagram for sign languages using these items:

• French Sign Language (LSF)
• American Sign Language (ASL)
• British Sign Language (BSL)
• Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
• New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)
• Indo‑Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL) – treat it as a cluster

Step‑by‑step:

1. Write LSF at the top of one branch and draw lines down to ASL (and optionally other LSF‑influenced languages you know, like LSQ).
2. On a separate branch, write BANZSL as a family label, then connect BSL, Auslan, and NZSL underneath it.
3. For IPSL, draw it as a separate branch that is not connected to LSF or BANZSL (because its historical roots are different and still being studied).

Reflection questions:

• Where would you place your local sign language on this diagram?

(If you are not sure, note it with a question mark – that uncertainty is realistic.)

• Which branch shows the strongest historical influence from Europe?
• Which branch best illustrates the idea of a regional cluster rather than a neatly defined single language?

8. Check understanding: Counting sign languages

Answer this question to check your understanding of why the numbers vary.

9. Check understanding: Families and mutual intelligibility

Test what you remember about sign language families and (un)intelligibility.

10. Review key terms

Flip the cards (mentally or with a partner) to review the main concepts from this module.

11. Apply it to your context

Connect the global picture to your own environment.

1. Identify local sign languages

• Which sign language(s) are used where you live?
• Are there regional varieties or minority sign languages nearby (for example, village sign languages, or sign languages used by migrant Deaf communities)?

1. Check recognition status

• Has your country legally recognized any sign language(s)?
• If yes, when did that recognition happen relative to today (for example, “about 5–15 years ago”)?

1. Family connection

• Which family does your local sign language belong to (if known)?
• If you do not know, write down how you might find out (for example, checking resources from local Deaf associations, universities, or the World Federation of the Deaf).

1. One concrete action

• Write one specific thing you could do this week to learn more about sign language diversity (e.g., watch a short documentary, look up a research article, or talk with a Deaf community organization).

Use your answers to create a short paragraph (4–5 sentences) explaining the diversity of sign languages in your region and how it fits into the global picture you learned about.