Quick question about sign language

[ffutures]

I don't know sign language. If I write a scene where both characters in a dialogue are using it, should the text be normal English with contractions etc., or would it be more stripped down and / or basic? ASL, if it makes any difference.

Comments

[secondsilk.livejournal.com]

In Morris Gleitzman's Blabbermouth, he writes the dialogue of the signing characters in fluent English. It's a translation from one complete language to another complete language. Gleitzman mostly uses standard dialogue tags, too.

(This was Auslan. ALS has more in common with French sign language than British sign language, but the principle holds.)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I'm going with a slightly more formal version of spoken english, avoiding contractions.