Language in Motion is the definitive introduction to American Sign Language (ASL). Beginning with a look at the history of sign languages, Jerome D. Schein and David A. Stewart go on to offer a lively exploration of the structure of ASL - with helpful appendices on popular topics such as fingerspelling, manual alphabets, and written notation systems for signs - and assessments of larger issues in signing and deaf communities, such as the academic offshoots of artificial sign systems and their value to young deaf children.