While students lugging German books or wrestling with Russian translations are not an uncommon sight, some University students are learning a different kind of language -- silently.

About 25 students attended the most recent meeting of the Sign Language Organization, an informal group which allows students to work together to learn how to sign.

Mark Bigger (junior-communication disorders), president of the organization, said anyone interested in learning to sign can attend the group's meetings, which are held at 7 Monday nights in 314 Willard.

No experience is needed, said member Jill McAlan (sophomore-communication disorders), adding that lessons are given at any level of signing. McAlan also serves as an interpreter in classes for University students who are deaf.

At this past Monday's meeting, the group saw the movie "Children of a Lesser God" to promote cultural awareness of the deaf community. The movie centers around a school for students with hearing problems, and shows them integrating in society.

A typical meeting begins with a 10- to 15-minute lesson, after which members split into groups to practice their new signs, Bigger said.

"I don't think it's for everyone," former president Bruce Wellman (sophomore-chemistry) said. Without practice, fluency in a language is easily lost, he said.

Signing is a valuable skill for "anyone to learn to broaden their horizons," and to increase the number of people one can communicate with, Wellman added.

Member Barbara Porterfield (sophomore-communication disorders) said she joined the club because the organization gives her a chance to practice signing outside of her classes.

"The only way you can learn is to practice with someone," she said.

There are basically two versions of sign language taught in the Sign Language Organization, Wellman said. American Sign Language is preferred by the deaf community and emphasized by the club, he said.

ASL is "a true language" in that it uses different grammar, just like French or Spanish, Wellman said. Also, in ASL, there is not a sign for every English word, nor is there a word for every sign, he added.

The other type is manual or signed English, which is usually simpler for hearing individuals to learn because it consists of symbols directly taking the place of the English language, Wellman said. Signed English is an "artificial language and historically has not been working," he said.

A very popular form of sign language is "pigin" sign, which is a combination of ASL and manual English, Wellman said.

Cued speech is another type of signing, but is a code rather than a language, he said. Cued speech consists of eight hand shapes used in conjunction with lip reading, he said, adding that this helps to distinguish between sounds that look the same.

The organization can teach any of these methods, Wellman said.

The group is planning a bake sale in March to raise money for a speaker they hope to come from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only liberal arts college for United States students who are deaf.