ASL stands for American Sign Language, a complete language used primarily by deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States and parts of Canada. Unlike spoken English, ASL uses hand shapes, facial expressions, and body movements to communicate ideas and feelings.

ASL is its own distinct language with unique grammar, sentence structure, idioms, and jokes. It doesn't translate English word-for-word into hand gestures. When someone signs in ASL, they might raise their eyebrows to ask a question or use the space around them to show where things are happening in a story. A skilled ASL user can express complex thoughts, tell engaging stories, crack jokes, and have deep conversations, all without speaking a single word.

Many deaf children learn ASL as their first language, the same way hearing children learn spoken English. Some hearing people also learn ASL, including children of deaf parents, interpreters who translate between ASL and English, and anyone who wants to communicate with deaf friends or family members.

Each country has its own sign language. British Sign Language is completely different from ASL, even though both countries speak English. Like any language, ASL connects people, builds communities, and helps them share their experiences with the world.