The popular use of sign language in the Republic of China on Taiwan may be traced back to 1971 when the American Wayne Smith came to Taiwan for language studies. In his spare time Wayne assisted English instruction at a school for the deaf, where he became interested in sign language and deaf education. He eventually went back to the States to work on an M.A.
近年來，在一群有心人士的推動和努力之下，「手語研習班」在全國各醫院、公私立機構、各級學校的社團裡不斷開辦。