Zoe has noticed that her Deaf friend Oliver uses a slightly different version of ASL when he signs with her, as opposed to how he signs with his Deaf friends. He then appears to sign in a third way with his teachers. What might be the reason for this?

Question

(1 point)
Responses

Oliver is adapting his signing to the person he is signing to.

Oliver is adapting his signing to the person he is signing to.

Deaf people use different signs based on how many people they are talking to.

Deaf people use different signs based on how many people they are talking to.

Zoe has this impression only because she isn’t as fluent in ASL.

Zoe has this impression only because she isn’t as fluent in ASL.

Oliver uses a secret ASL language used only among members of the Deaf community

Answer 1

The most accurate response is:

Oliver is adapting his signing to the person he is signing to.

This reflects the reality that sign language users often modify their signing style based on the familiarity, fluency, and preferences of the person they are communicating with.