Many years ago I briefly assisted a young boy at a playgroup, who used sign language. It meant I learned to use a few basic signs, which I sadly forgotten over the years. Apart from him I never met anybody who communicates via sign language.
But I know how important it is and am I am pleased to read that more and more people are learning sign language and even some schools offer it.
In my naivity I assumed that there was one sign language for everybody and that it was just an extra language to all the other languages you can learn.
But, of course, it isn’t. So I did some research. What I found out is fascinating and makes a lot of sense to me, but if you know and use sign language and find that I got some wrong information, please let me know and I change it!
Differences between German Sign Language (DGS) and British Sign Language (BSL)
Sign languages are rich, independent languages with their own grammar, vocabulary, and cultural significance. While spoken German and English are closely related as Germanic languages, German Sign Language (Deutsche Gebärdensprache, DGS) and British Sign Language (BSL) come from entirely different language families, making them distinct languages with fascinating differences.
Fingerspelling systems
One of the most noticeable differences between DGS and BSL is the fingerspelling alphabet.
- BSL uses a two-handed alphabet, where each letter is represented by both hands working together.
- DGS uses a one-handed alphabet. This makes fingerspelling in DGS faster and more compact, while BSL’s two-handed system can be more expressive but slightly slower.
This screenshot is from a German website, where you can download this poster of the German fingerspelling alphabet.
Grammar and sentence structure
Both languages have their own unique grammatical structures that differ from their spoken counterparts.
- BSL typically follows a topic-comment structure, where the subject is introduced first, followed by a comment or action. For example: “German – I learn”.
- DGS more closely follows the subject-object-verb (SOV) structure. For example: “Ich Deutsch lernen” (I German learn). There are also no articles, so no der, die or das.
Facial expressions and body language play a crucial role in both languages, conveying emotion and grammatical markers such as questions or negation.
Here is another screenshot, this time with some basic phrases. You can download this one as well from Deutsche Gebärdensprache (DGS) and there are also a few videos showing you how to say some of the words.
I have found another website which has lots of free resources, including a dictionary. The link takes you to the first part of A – C: Einfach Gebärden lernen The owner also offers a paid online course for those who want or need to learn German sign language seriously.
Conclusion
If you’re learning German, why not add a few signs to your vocabulary as well? Sign languages can enrich your language learning journey and deepen your cultural understanding.
And this conclusion is aimed at all of us, including me. Let’s start with this video which teaches the following 10 basic German words:
- danke – thank you
- gut – good/ well
- schlecht – bad
- gehörlos – deaf
- hörend – hearing
- helfen -help
- verstehen – understand
- ja – yes
- nein – no
- langsam – slowly
