Q 01/05

Is signing the same all over the world?

A) Yes, it is one universal system worldwide

B) No, there are many distinct languages

C) There is one per continent, six in all

D) Only two exist, American and British

Answer · why

B) No, there are many distinct languages

No, there are many distinct languages: American Sign Language and British Sign Language are mutually unintelligible, with unrelated vocabularies and d...

Q 02/05

How many sign languages did the 2021 edition of Ethnologue list?

A) 120

B) 150

C) 90

D) 40

Answer · why

B) 150

The 2021 edition of Ethnologue listed 150 sign languages; the SIGN-HUB Atlas counts more than 200 and notes that many remain undocumented.

Q 03/05

Which is the most widely used sign language in the world, as of 2021?

A) Chinese (CSL)

B) Indo-Pakistani (IPSL)

C) Brazilian (Libras) of Brazil

D) American (ASL)

Answer · why

B) Indo-Pakistani (IPSL)

Ethnologue ranks it the 151st most 'spoken' language on Earth even though it has no official recognition in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Q 04/05

Linguists describe signs using five 'parameters'. Which of these is one of them?

A) Tempo marking

B) Handshape

C) Loudness

D) Pitch level

Answer · why

B) Handshape

The others are orientation, location, movement and non-manual expression such as facial cues.

Q 05/05

In signed languages, much of the grammar of a sentence is produced 'non-manually', meaning with what?

A) The dominant hand only

B) The eyes alone

C) The face and torso

D) The mouth alone

Answer · why

C) The face and torso

The face and torso carry grammar: raised eyebrows and a forward head tilt mark yes/no questions in ASL, and shifting the torso marks a change of speak...