Is American Sign Language Considered Verbal Communication?

The short answer

Yes. In communication studies and linguistics, American Sign Language (ASL) is considered verbal communication. Here "verbal" means communication through words and the rules of a language. It does not mean "spoken out loud." ASL has its own vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure, so a message signed in ASL is a verbal message delivered without sound.

Why the question causes confusion

In everyday speech, people often use "verbal" to mean "vocal" or "oral," as in "a verbal agreement." Under that casual meaning, signing looks nonverbal because no voice is used. The more precise terms separate two questions. The first is whether communication uses a language system, which makes it verbal or nonverbal. The second is whether it uses the voice, which makes it vocal or nonvocal. ASL is verbal and nonvocal. A sigh or a shrug is nonverbal. A sigh is vocal and a shrug is nonvocal.

• Verbal and vocal: spoken English, spoken Spanish
• Verbal and nonvocal: ASL, other sign languages, written text
• Nonverbal and vocal: laughter, sighs, tone of voice
• Nonverbal and nonvocal: shrugs, everyday gestures, posture, eye contact

ASL also adds a complication. Facial expressions and body movements that would be nonverbal cues in spoken English can be part of the grammar in ASL. Raised eyebrows can mark a yes/no question, for example. That is one reason ASL facial expressions should not be read as mere emotional extras.

How sign language and spoken language differ

Sign languages and spoken languages are both full human languages. The main difference is the channel they travel through, and that difference shapes how each one is structured.

Aspect | Sign language (e.g., ASL) | Spoken language (e.g., English)

Channel | Visual and gestural: seen with the eyes, produced with hands, face and body | Auditory and vocal: heard with the ears, produced with the voice

Building blocks | Handshape, location, movement, palm orientation and non-manual markers | Speech sounds such as consonants and vowels

Role of the face | Can carry grammar, such as question types or adverb-like meaning | Mostly adds emotion and emphasis

Use of space | Signers can place people and things in the signing space and refer back to them | Relies on word order, pronouns and sound

Simultaneity | Several pieces of meaning can be shown at once | Information comes mostly one sound after another

Written form | No widely used everyday written form; English is usually written instead | Usually has a standard writing system

Two common misconceptions are worth correcting. First, ASL is not English on the hands. It has its own grammar and word order, which differ from English. Signed systems that follow English word order do exist, but they are not the same as ASL. Second, sign language is not universal. Different countries and communities have their own sign languages. British Sign Language and ASL, for instance, are separate languages, even though both regions use English for speech. Fingerspelling, which spells out words letter by letter, is only one part of ASL and is mainly used for names and terms that have no established sign.

Choosing by situation

• Writing for a class or textbook definition: classify ASL as verbal, nonvocal communication.
• Describing how something is communicated: say "signed" or "spoken" rather than "verbal," so readers don't assume sound.
• Describing facial expressions in ASL: note that some are grammatical, not just nonverbal cues.
• Setting up a call that includes a signer or interpreter: treat the camera as the main channel, the way a microphone is for a speaker.

What this means for video calls

Because ASL travels through sight, a video call with a signer depends on the camera and the image far more than on the microphone. The following general practices help signs and facial grammar come through clearly.

• Framing: show the head, shoulders and upper body, with space above the head and room on both sides for the hands and elbows. Signs that leave the frame are lost.
• Lighting: light the face and hands from the front. A bright window or lamp behind the signer can turn hands and face into silhouettes.
• Background: a plain, uncluttered background that contrasts with skin tone and clothing makes handshapes easier to read.
• Clothing: solid colors that contrast with skin usually read better than busy patterns.
• Background effects: blur and virtual backgrounds can make fast-moving hands smear, flicker or disappear at the edges. A real plain backdrop is generally more reliable than a software effect.
• Camera position: keep the camera steady and at roughly face height so the face isn't distorted or cut off.
• Spotlight and pinning: active-speaker features on many call platforms react to sound, so they may not switch to someone who is signing. Pinning or spotlighting the signer or interpreter keeps them visible.
• Connection: fast motion can suffer when bandwidth is limited, so a stable connection matters for legibility.

Checking your own preview shows framing, lighting and background, but it does not prove what others will see. Compression, connection quality and the viewer's screen size all affect the received image. The most reliable check is a short test call with someone who can say whether your handshapes and facial expressions are clear on their end.

Gaps in this guide

No specific measurements, platform settings or device specifications were available for this article. As a result, it does not recommend particular resolutions, frame rates or apps. If a particular call platform matters to you, check its accessibility settings for pinning, spotlighting and captioning options. Those features and their names vary between services.