Is grammar necessary
The Shared Core: Why Sign and Spoken Languages Are Fundamentally Alike 1. They're Both True Languages Sign languages, along with spoken ones, are not invented systems — they arise naturally wherever there are Deaf communities. They possess: Grammar and syntax (rules for how signs come together to foRead more
The Shared Core: Why Sign and Spoken Languages Are Fundamentally Alike
1. They’re Both True Languages
Sign languages, along with spoken ones, are not invented systems — they arise naturally wherever there are Deaf communities.
They possess:
- Grammar and syntax (rules for how signs come together to form sentences)
- Morphology (methods of altering a sign to indicate tense, aspect, number, etc.)
- Phonology (yes — signs have “phonemes,” or rudimentary units of form, such as handshape, movement, and location)
- Semantics and pragmatics (meaning in context, tone, emphasis)
For instance, American Sign Language (ASL) isn’t a signed English — it’s a separate language with its own structure and word order. It even developed independently of British Sign Language (BSL), which is not understood by ASL users even though both countries use English as a verbal language.
2. They’re Used for the Same Human Purposes
Human beings employ sign languages to narrate, convey emotions, argue, jest, educate, flirt, pray — anything that spoken languages accomplish.
And they change and develop and become slangy and borrow and differ by place and culture just like any spoken language. That is to say: sign languages are as dynamic and vital as any oral tongue.
3. They’re Acquired Naturally by Children
- Babies who are exposed to sign from birth follow the same milestones as hearing babies who are exposed to speech.
- They hand-babble, construct single-sign “sentences,” and incrementally add complexity.
This says something deep: the human brain is language-ready, not speech-ready. It doesn’t matter if words arrive through sound or vision — the back-end linguistic equipment is the same.
The Beautiful Differences: Visual, Spatial, and Expressive
1. Sign Languages Are Visual-Spatial
Spoken languages develop sequentially — sound by sound.
Sign languages utilize space and movement to combine meaning simultaneously.
For example, in ASL you can:
- Illustrate who did what to whom by locating signs in space,
- Signal time and aspect through movement,
- Convey emotion or tone through facial expression and body attitude.
So whereas a verbal sentence may proceed word for word — “The dog chased the cat” — a signed sentence can reflect visually upon the dog’s movement and the cat’s flight in a single smooth gesture. It’s dense, expressive, and frequently much more evocative.
2. Facial Expressions Are Grammatical
- In spoken languages, facial expressions typically provide emotional tints — happiness, anger, sarcasm.
- In sign languages, they can be grammatical markers.
Raised eyebrows may mean a yes/no question; tilting of the head may signal conditionality (“if”); mouth positions can qualify adjectives or adverbs.
Thus, the face is not only expressive — it is also part of sentence structure.
3. Simultaneity vs. Sequence
Oral words have to take turns in time.
Signers, however, are able to communicate several units of information simultaneously — both hands, facial cues, and body movement combined.
It’s a multi-channel system, more of a symphony than one solitary melody line.
Diversity Around the World
Just as there are hundreds of spoken languages, there are hundreds of sign languages — each with their own distinct histories and dialects:
- ASL (American Sign Language) in the United States and some parts of Canada
- BSL (British Sign Language) in the United Kingdom
- ISL (Indian Sign Language) in India
- LSF (French Sign Language), which had a strong impact on ASL
Nicaraguan Sign Language, which impressively arose among kids in the 1970s with no teaching — a living testament to humans developing language spontaneously when they need it.
What Science Tells Us
Neuroscientific findings indicate that signers and speakers employ the same areas of the brain for language — such as Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas — despite one using hands and the other using the tongue.
- This indicates that language is a cognitive process, unattached to a specific sensory or motor system.
- Our brains are symbolic communication systems, no matter how it’s represented.
The Human Meaning Behind It All
The most compelling aspect of sign languages is the way they marvelously illustrate human creativity and flexibility.
They indicate that:
- Language doesn’t restrict itself to sound; it constrains itself to meaning.
- Communication is not words only — it is embodied, visible, and vibrant.
Deaf culture has developed rich poetry, humor, and art which embody the visual strength of their languages.
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Grammar Is a Map — Not the Territory Grammar is like a map of a city: it will lead you, acclimate you to patterns, and prevent you from getting befuddled. But a map does not teach you how to navigate on the streets, smell food, or interact with the people. If you just wait until you've learned allRead more
Grammar Is a Map — Not the Territory
Grammar is like a map of a city: it will lead you, acclimate you to patterns, and prevent you from getting befuddled. But a map does not teach you how to navigate on the streets, smell food, or interact with the people.
If you just wait until you’ve learned all the rules, you’ll never leave your room. Language is a living, breathing creature — and it only comes to life when you use it.
Grammar is necessary, yes. But it’s not a step you must take before you can speak — it’s a friend you discover how to trust along the way.
Speaking First Builds Intuition
When you start speaking early — even with poor grammar — something amazing occurs: your mind begins noticing patterns on its own.
You start recognizing how native speakers create sentences themselves. You know what “sounds right” and what doesn’t. This automatic grammar — sometimes called implicit learning — is how children learn their native tongue.
A kid doesn’t learn tense first and then utter, “I go park.” They experiment with the speech first, get corrected, and gradually get it to “I’m going to the park.”
You can do the same when you’re older — a bit more awareness and restraint.
Finding the Right Balance
So how much grammar do you need to learn before you talk?
Here’s a balanced approach most language teachers recommend:
1. Start with the “survival grammar”
A little structure just enough to construct straightforward, important sentences:
That’s your survival kit to survive and get on with — the grammar equivalent of knowing how to say “I want,” “I like,” “I don’t understand,” or “Where is…?”
2. And then focus on real conversations
Once you can form short, working sentences, immerse yourself in speaking practice.
Practice speaking with native speakers, join a language exchange, or even speak out loud to yourself. Every time you manage to get something across — however badly — your brain connects form and meaning more forcefully than any grammar exercise can.
3. Use grammar in context
Instead of memorizing decontextualized rules, learn grammar on the fly.
When you stumble over something — i.e., “How do I report I went instead of I go?”
— that’s the best moment to figure out the past tense
Because now you have context and interest — and that’s how grammar grows.
Error Is the Manure of Fluency
Another of the hardest things to accept is that you’re not going to become fluent without sounding “wrong” for a while—.
But every mistake is a signal that you’re growing — not failing.
Native speakers don’t expect perfection; they appreciate effort. In fact, many learners find that speaking imperfectly but confidently opens more doors than waiting for flawless grammar ever could.
As one language coach put it beautifully:
“You can’t learn to swim by reading about water.”
A Journey, Not a Checklist
Language learning isn’t linear. You’ll cycle through phases — sometimes focusing on grammar, other times on fluency, sometimes just on confidence.
Some people prefer to build a strong grammatical foundation first; others dive straight into conversation. Both paths can work — the key is to keep moving.
What is most important is that you’re open enough to express what’s going on in your head — even if it’s with basic grammar to start with. Fluency isn’t about being impeccable; it’s about flow.
The Human Side of It All
The moment you start talking early, something deeper happens.
You stop employing the language as a school subject and start employing it as a living instrument — a means of access to new persons, thoughts, and cultures. You begin to feel the language instead of thinking about it.
You will err. You will laugh at it. You will be corrected, learn, and try once more — and that is the most natural process you can possibly adopt.
What is needed in terms of grammar before talking?
Enough to write your first few sentences — and the nerve to use them.
See lessThe rest will be worked out along the way, in conversations one at a time.