Yanked this from thebabywearer....

[conuly]

Speaking or signing, it's the same to your brain

It seems obvious to me, but it's still an interesting article.

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

It's actually the main reason I want to push ASL into being a standard second language for as many people as possible, but there are other benefits (such as the ability to communicate quietly without disturbing people when you need to in theaters, libraries, etc.). I may need to change my opinion if the science changes.

But I know of people who had health issues and lost the ability to speak verbally, but could still sign. And I think this really does happen (I don't know of it ever happening the other way around, but I'd like research to be done). It seems likely that some things could hit one language and not the other. The question is, is this any more the case with a signed and a spoken language as it would be with two spoken languages? I ~think~ so, but this could be wrong.

Losing the ability to speak any language is truly horrible. It's incredibly frustrating and difficult, and it tends to happen at times when people are more unable to take care of themselves, and thus have a stronger need to communicate with others. I really would like fewer people to have to undergo that experience.