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Sign language is a part of ALL of our communication

The use of sign language is not, as you might think, restricted to people who have hearing disabilities. Even for hearing enabled people, sign language is a natural extension, or type of non-verbal communication.

For example, the hitchhiker putting out his thumb is using sign language. When you hold up your hand in a stop motion, that's sign language. Sign language is a replacement for words. It's worth noting that sign language use is exceedingly culture bound. A symbol or sign that is seen as polite in one culture may be perceived as extremely rude in another culture.