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If I have learned a sign language, will it fasten my acquisition on other sign language?

This is because I learned that various sign languages have different syntax and such, and worried if there's more than vocabularies to learn from the second sign language.

If the answer depends on the sign languages, I'm talking about ASL (the one I'm currently learning) and BISINDO (the one I want to learn). Otherwise I'm asking about two sign languages in general.

Vylix
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  • How could SL2 take vocabulary from the (spoken) L2? Is there an Signed Exact Indonesian? – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 26 '17 at 08:26
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    You know learning ASL because you're proficient in English is a non sequitur? Right – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 26 '17 at 08:31
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    @Azor-Ahai My L2 is English and SL2 is ASL. As of now, SIBI (SL1a) is the closest to Signed Exact Indonesian and BISINDO (SL1b) is the preferred amongst Deaf outside formal or official setup. Just like ASL have words in English (i.e "DAY", "NIGHT"), both SIBI and BISINDO have words in Indonesian (i.e "HARI", "MALAM"). I'm assuming the thought process in Sign Language is similar, so I can just learn the vocabulary in Indonesian Sign Language after I understand the thought process behind Sign Language – Vylix Feb 27 '17 at 04:56
  • @Azor-Ahai Yes. Pardon the wording. I become interested in ASL when I'm stumbled to ASL video in Youtube, so it does not directly related to my proficiency in English. Editing the question. – Vylix Feb 27 '17 at 05:00
  • Maybe you are misunderstanding what sign languages are because a quick google search shoes that SIBI is something like Signed Exact Indonesian (if by Indonesian you mean Malay). ASL is not like that at all. It is completely unrelated to English, with the exception of English loan-words in the form of fingerspelling. Its syntax is completely different. (it's topic-comment, not SVO). Learning Indonesian may help you with SIBI, but learning English won't help you learn ASL. – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 27 '17 at 05:07
  • Being proficient in any two spoken languages (L1 and L2 in your question) won't affect your ability to learn any two signed languages spoken in the same areas, on the whole. – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 27 '17 at 05:07
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    But if I understand your question, it's not about how spoken languages affect your acquisition of a signed language, it's about how to learn a second signed language after you have learned your first one, correct? – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 27 '17 at 05:08
  • @Azor-Ahai correct. If I already understand a sign language, will it help me on understanding another sign language? Thank you for helping me restructure the question! I'm aiming to learn BISINDO, though, because Signed Exact language only help to bridge the gap between hearing and deaf initially – Vylix Feb 27 '17 at 05:47
  • Are you aware ASL and BISINDO are related? – Azor Ahai -him- Feb 27 '17 at 05:49
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Vylix Feb 27 '17 at 05:50
  • I don't have a thorough answer, so as a comment: Full sign languages have a grammar as well as a vocabulary. Unless the two are very closely related, it will likely not be a matter of just learning more words.

    However, a general principle... the more languages you learn, the easier the next one gets. :)

     – Luke Sawczak Feb 27 '17 at 20:14

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