Are SEE and ASL the same?
ASL is a complete, unique language, meaning that it not only has its own vocabulary but its own grammar and syntax that differs from spoken English. SEE-II is not a true language but rather a system of gestural signs that rely on the signs from language of ASL to communicate in English through signs and fingerspelling.
With PSE, someone might sign most of the English words of a sentence and use approximately the English syntax. PSE is not Signed Exact English (SEE), which uses signs for exact English words (even signs that don't exist in ASL) and exact English word order.
ASL is most closely related to French Sign Language (LSF). It has been proposed that ASL is a creole language of LSF, although ASL shows features atypical of creole languages, such as agglutinative morphology.
To sign see, make a 'V' with your dominant hand, and place your index finger under your dominant eye. Point your 'V' hand toward the listener or the object that you “see”.
SEE is not a language; it is a way to sign the English language. This fundamental difference is a source of controversy. One controversy concerning SEE and ASL is whether someone who needs a manual language would be better off with SEE or with ASL.
Signing Exact English (SEE) is a sign system that matches signs with the English language. It is one of the first manual English systems to be published (1972).
ASL has its own grammar structure, its own syntax, and semantics. It is visual and gestural language which uses facial expressions to communicate effectively with others. ASL is capable of telling a story and painting a picture for individuals while SEE follows the English language.
Tactile Sign Language is often used by people who are Deafblind, but can also be used in communication between a Deaf person and a person who is blind or has low vision.
Body Language/Eye Gaze
There is more to sign language than just the signs. Shoulder movements and eye gaze are important for an aspect of the language that shows who is speaking. The space in front of the body is used to set up people, places, and things so they can be referenced throughout a conversation.
In addition, ASL does not use the English words “and,” “or,” “the,” “of,” and “is” to convey information. Instead, these concepts are expressed through facial expressions, role shifting, and pointing.
Do ASL speakers think ASL?
Primarily though, most completely deaf people think in sign language. Similar to how an “inner voice” of a hearing person is experienced in one's own voice, a completely deaf person sees or, more aptly, feels themselves signing in their head as they “talk” in their heads.
Standard ASL uses a grammar and syntax all its own, which can be quite different from spoken English. ESL uses the same signs as ASL but reorders them to comport with conventional English grammatical rules. ESL is primarily used to help deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals learn English.
