As I was listening to the presentation given by Dr. Rust and Dr. Rose, I thought about how much ASL storytelling is like folk tales that have been passed down orally. In our modern traditions, as a speaking community, we don't tell stories like we used to. We read books aloud to our children or retell them, but there isn't the creativity that used to be there. Stories are not taken and made our own. In fact, when we try to do that, we will receive odd looks and the "that's not the way it goes" response.
ASL story telling, as a hearing viewing, is more like a performance because it is so visual. ASL is really a wonderful language -- because it is dependent upon pure visuals, it can communicate so much in an instant. I feel that ASL forces you, too, to get more involved in the story you are telling. The grammar is in the facial expressions and because you can't change the "tone" of your voice, you use expressions of the character -- or "voice" -- you are trying to convey.
I feel that, more than any other foreign language, sign language will be able to draw you in -- especially when stories are being told in it. It's always fascinating to watch and, even if you don't know the language, you can understand much, much more than if you are simply listening into another spoken language with which you are unfamiliar.
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