By Maria Baraza 1

You've probably seen it before. Someone is giving a speech, and another person stands near the speaker, mouthing the speaker's words for people who can read lips. In a graceful dance, his or her arms and hands visually repeat the speaker's words in signs. If the speech is broadcast on television, the signer is sometimes shown in a window at the corner of the screen. Audience members who are hard of hearing or deaf can understand the speech through the signs.

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Deaf or hard-of-hearing people could also read the text of the speech, but it might not be available in writing. Besides, signing offers many advantages that reading cannot. Seeing the speaker, even if his or her words cannot be heard, can be important. The audience can observe the speaker's facial expressions and body language, which can change the meaning of the spoken words. The signer will often attempt to convey the speaker's tone or precise meaning with facial expressions that accompany the signs. For instance, when the speaker asks a question instead of making a statement, signers will raise their eyebrows, widen their eyes, and tilt their bodies forward to convey that what they are signing is a question.

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Many different sign languages are used around the world. In the United States, most people use a system called American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is a complex, complete language, just like spoken English. ASL even has different "pronunciations" for certain words in different regions of the country. In ASL, some signs represent specific words. Touching one's fingers to the brim of an imaginary cap means "man." The sign was created when most men wore hats and would tip their hats when greeting someone.

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However, most of ASL is based more on ideas than on words. For example, a person might hold both thumbs and index fingers at right angles and move both hands and arms apart. The person is indicating "big" or "large." The same sign would be used for a big man, a large amount of money, or a serious problem. When a person strokes an imaginary beard by moving a loose fist down from the chin, he or she is indicating "old." That same sign could describe an elderly person, an old car, or a story from long ago.

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Many people believe in "total communication," which means saying words and signing them at the same time. A person might have only partial hearing loss, so he or she could hear some of the sounds the speaker makes. The speaker's lip movements, voice, signs, and facial expressions are like pieces of a puzzle. The theory is that total communication provides every possible means to get an idea across.

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Not every word or idea in English has a sign. Proper names and other words that have no signs are often spelled out with the sign alphabet. Sometimes the letters of the sign alphabet are used as words. For example, the sign for T and the sign for V together mean "television." Just like "TV" spoken aloud, the two sign letters indicate the word. In other cases, the full name of a person or thing is spelled out because there is no simple way to communicate it. If a person's name is Tina, she could use the signs for T-I-N-A.

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If you are not hard of hearing, why would you bother to learn sign language? For one thing, it will allow you to communicate with people who are hard of hearing or deaf. You can translate for them, helping them to understand others and be understood. Many people choose to make ASL translation their career. On an individual level, learning ASL will also help in forming friendships with deaf or hard-of-hearing people.

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Sign language can be useful for other reasons, even among hearing people. You might be too far away to hear someone, but not too far away to see the person. A couple of gestures can send an important message. Suppose you are in a situation in which you couldn't speak out loud, like in a theater. You might want to send a message to a friend who is not right next to you. It would be rude to shout while the performance is going on, but you could always send a sign message. Sign language can benefit people who are deaf, partially deaf, or hearing.

Which is the central idea of the passage?

A.
Hearing people should learn ASL to assist hard-of-hearing or deaf people.

B.
It is easier for hard-of-hearing or deaf people to watch ASL than read a transcript.

C.
ASL is a language that hard-of-hearing or deaf people in America use to communicate.

D.
Hard-of-hearing or deaf people face many problems that ASL can help solve.