The international  Hand Alphabet

Somebod

Somebody will probably wonder why I have put  " The International Alphabet” on my homepage.
It has its reasons
Some years ago, I had an experience in a Department Store where I was looking for some kitchen ware. 
I suddenly saw this Lady standing and looking around as if she was a bit lost. I turned to her and asked if I could help,but soon found out that she was deaf. We both tried to communicate with natural gestures, but that didn't work out very well, so we ended up with a despairingly smile to each other, and we walked on.
After that experience, it did strike me, that actual, I was the one who  was the handicapped in this particular situation, and not the deaf Lady. After all, she spoke my own language, only with the aid of signs. In fact, I thought it a bit shameful that I could not just the slightest bit of signs.
Days after, I could not get out of my head how eager I always had been, learning foreign languages, and maybe some day master, at least one to my satisfaction, but I had never ever given it a thought, that I maybe some day would  stand in front of a deaf, or hard of hearing person, and not being able to speak just a bit of the deaf peoples language, -the sign language.!
I do not agitate that people should  learn sign language, as little as I would suggest that someone must learn French, German, Spanish, or any other language than their native tongue, unless of course ones job or domicile on this earth demands it.
I am only trying to tell how I came to the conclusion that I would try to learn the sign language.
I decided to take a course in order to learn it.  
I signed up, in a school  in Copenhagen called " The Deaf Peoples Centre for Total Communication.
The course was very interesting. I should pass an examination in theoretical introduction to total communication, lip-reading and mouth-hand system,  the international hand alphabet, and sign language. Also I had to learn the more practical things like natural signs, gestures, body language
and pantomime,  I had to learn how to combine sign and talk. Furthermore I had to make a speech
in sign language, and finally do some sign language research. Everything was both educational and fun.
The day I left the school, with my diploma  ( proudly ) in my hand, I didn't know if I ever would have to use this language, but let me tell you, I  did in fact. Not to mention  our graduation evening, where we were  fifty-fifty hearing and deaf people together and everything went smoothly and without problems with " talking" to one another, so there I really got the feeling that I had learned a language I could use. Something important to me. And now I feel a delight  to share this story with everybody, who would find it worth looking in to.
Of course I can not insert  the hole sign language here since it contains over 3000 signs.
But I can put in the "International Hand Alphabet" , in the hope that somebody might find it interesting to see and maybe learn.

For those of you, who would like to get books about the subject, I'm sure they can be found in your hometown library ,

 click logo to  see  "The  International Hand Alphabet"  

click here to try  the  American fingerspelling

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