Dictionaries of Libras from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Century

2019 ◽  
pp. 298-318
Author(s):  
Jorge Bidarra ◽  
Tania Aparecida Martins
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
First Century ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Historical Trajectory

Sign languages, structurally different from oral languages, are based on gestures and involve their own grammars and repertoires of lexical units (signals or signs), and they play an important role in establishing communication among deaf people around the world. This chapter primarily focuses on the development of dictionaries for Libras (an acronym for Língua Brasileira de Sinais, or ‘Brazilian Language of Signs’), the natural language of the Brazilian deaf community. It traces the influence of the first dictionary of the deaf in Brazil, Iconographia dos Signaes dos Surdos-Mudos (‘Iconography of Signs of Deaf-Mutes’), which was published in 1875 by the National Institute of Education of the Deaf (INES) and authored by Flausino José da Gama, a student at the Institute. In their demonstration of the influence and inspiration this dictionary gave to lexicographers who followed da Gama, Bidarra and Martins outline the historical trajectory of sign languages up to the present, considering different and parallel paths for sign languages in different countries, forms of stigmatization of sign language, and barriers to its use. Incorporating this historical and transnational analysis, Bidarra and Martins present both a broad discussion of the various models of sign language dictionaries that have been used around the world and an in-depth analysis of the development of Libras dictionaries in Brazil to the modern day.

scholarly journals W poszukiwaniu eklektycznego paradygmatu edukacji głuchych

2018 ◽  
pp. 281-297
Author(s):  
Piotr Tomaszewski ◽  
Ewelina Moroń
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Deaf Education ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The World

In recent years, changes in the approach to deafness and, hence, in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing have been occurring around the world, including Poland. Deafness is increasingly perceived as a sociocultural phenomenon and not merely as a medical one, while sign language is seen as a natural language that can be used in deaf schools and by large numbers of d/Deaf people. Nevertheless, it seems at present that both deafness models are incompatible with each other for ideological reasons although they are concurrent, the medical model being dominant and the sociocultural one being alternative. For that reason, both the d/Deaf community and the deaf education still contend with significan problems related to the language policy, discrimination based on deafness (audism), sign language (linguicism), disability (ableism) or the specificityof conflictsamong the d/Deaf themselves (deafism).All this will be illustrated in this paper, along with suggested possible solutions.

scholarly journals Deaf Ni-Vanuatu and their signs: A sociolinguistic study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jacqueline Iseli
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
Field Methodology ◽  
Degree Of Similarity ◽  
Similarity Of Signs

<p>This thesis provides the first documentation and description of the signs created and used by deaf individuals in Vanuatu. The specific aims of this research were as follows: to establish the sociolinguistic context experienced by deaf people in Vanuatu; to identify the repertoire and characteristics of signs used by the deaf participants; to compare features of participants’ individual signs with the characteristics of home signs and emerging sign languages; and to consider the degree of similarity and potential similarity of signs between participants and how this reflects individuals’ opportunities for contact with other deaf people and signing interlocutors. The limitations of this study are that field methodology for data collection was developed in situ as conditions allowed. The sociolinguistic context for deaf Ni-Vanuatu confirms that language isolation leads to marginalisation from community and society. The study established that these home sign lexicons were limited in quantity and conceptual range, and that shared background knowledge was essential for comprehension. Overall, 22 handshapes were documented, and the predominant handshapes unmarked. Most participants preferred handling strategy for depicting signs. Some evidence of noun-verb distinction was noted in the repertoire of some participants. However, across this range of formational characteristics, results showed significant individual variations. Furthermore, multiple barriers have precluded development of a shared sign language and any form of deaf community.</p>

Multimedia Dictionary and Synthesis of Sign Language

2011 ◽  
pp. 268-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franc Solina ◽  
Slavko Krapez ◽  
Ales Jaklic ◽  
Vito Komac
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Proper Nouns ◽  
Basic Meaning ◽  
The World

Deaf people, as a marginal community, may have severe problems in communicating with hearing people. Usually, they have a lot of problems even with such—for hearing people—simple tasks as understanding the written language. However, deaf people are very skilled in using a sign language, which is their native language. A sign language is a set of signs or hand gestures. A gesture in a sign language equals a word in a written language. Similarly, a sentence in a written language equals a sequence of gestures in a sign language. In the distant past deaf people were discriminated and believed to be incapable of learning and thinking independently. Only after the year 1500 were the first attempts made to educate deaf children. An important breakthrough was the realization that hearing is not a prerequisite for understanding ideas. One of the most important early educators of the deaf and the first promoter of sign language was Charles Michel De L’Epée (1712-1789) in France. He founded the fist public school for deaf people. His teachings about sign language quickly spread all over the world. Like spoken languages, different sign languages and dialects evolved around the world. According to the National Association of the Deaf, the American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most frequently used language in the United States, after English and Spanish. ASL has more than 4,400 distinct signs. The Slovenian sign language (SSL), which is used in Slovenia and also serves as a case study sign language in this chapter, contains approximately 4,000 different gestures for common words. Signs require one or both hands for signing. Facial expressions which accompany signing are also important since they can modify the basic meaning of a hand gesture. To communicate proper nouns and obscure words, sign languages employ finger spelling. Since the majority of signing is with full words, signed conversation can proceed with the same pace as spoken conversation.

scholarly journals Pautas orientativas para la asistencia a la diversidad y la inclusión de personas sordas

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 6441-6452
Author(s):  
Roberto García Sánchez ◽  
Justo Pedro Hernández González
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Students ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Sign Language Interpreters ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

Comunidad  Sorda es aquella que participa de unos valores culturales y lingüísticos construidos en torno a la lengua de signos y a una concepción visual del mundo. Entre las personas sordas usuarias de la lengua de signos algunas aprendieron a signar en su infancia y otras siendo ya adultas; hay quienes son usuarias de audífonos o implantes cocleares y, entre ellas, hay quienes usan la lengua de signos y quienes no. También debemos mencionar a aquellas personas sordas que, a causa de un sistema educativo no inclusivo, tienen problemas de expresión y comprensión de textos escritos. Al igual que en el resto de la población, entre las personas sordas encontraremos niños, jóvenes, mayores, personas sordas con otra(s) discapacidad(es)... Todas y cada una de ellas con sus necesidades y demandas concretas. Es importante saber que, aun tratándose de un colectivo heterogéneo, todas las personas sordas, cualquiera que sea su tipo o grado de sordera, situación individual e independientemente de que sean o no usuarias de las lenguas de signos, comparten la necesidad de acceder a la comunicación e información del entorno sin barreras de ningún tipo. Por ese motivo es necesario desarrollar un servicio de orientación, asesoramiento y acción tutorial específico para el alumnado sordo que tenga en cuenta sus necesidades y dificultades y que evite cualquier tipo de discriminación o falta de accesibilidad al contenido universitario del tipo que sea. Por lo tanto, es necesario proporcionar este servicio con los recursos audiovisuales necesarios, intérpretes de lengua de signos española y formación continua a la comunidad universitaria. Es fundamental coordinarse con las asociaciones de personas sordas para cumplir los requisitos básicos que garanticen su inclusión, puesto que éstas son las que conocen mejor sus necesidades por la lucha de sus derechos, y orientar a la universidad para la consecución de dicha finalidad.   A Deaf Community is one that participates in cultural and linguistic values built around sign language and a visual conception of the world. Among the deaf people who used sign language, some learned to sign in their childhood and others when they were adults; there are those who use hearing aids or cochlear implants and, among them, there are those who use sign language and those who do not. We will also find deaf people who, because of a non-inclusive educational system, have problems of expression and comprehension of written texts. As in the rest of the population, among the deaf people we will find children, young people, elderly, deaf people with other disability(ies). . . Each and every one of them with their specific needs and demands. It is important to know that, even if it is a heterogeneous collective, all deaf people, whatever their type or degree of deafness, individual situation and regardless of whether or not they are users of sign languages, share the need to access the communication and information of the environment without barriers of any kind. For this reason it is necessary to develop a service of guidance, advice and specific tutorial action for deaf students that takes into account their needs and difficulties and avoids any type of discrimination or lack of accessibility to university content of any kind. Therefore, it is necessary to provide this service with the necessary audiovisual resources, Spanish sign language interpreters and continuing education to the university community. It is essential to coordinate with associations of deaf people to meet the basic requirements to ensure their inclusion, since they are the ones who best know their needs by fighting for their rights, and guide the university to achieve that goal.

scholarly journals Deaf Ni-Vanuatu and their signs: A sociolinguistic study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jacqueline Iseli
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
Field Methodology ◽  
Degree Of Similarity ◽  
Similarity Of Signs

<p>This thesis provides the first documentation and description of the signs created and used by deaf individuals in Vanuatu. The specific aims of this research were as follows: to establish the sociolinguistic context experienced by deaf people in Vanuatu; to identify the repertoire and characteristics of signs used by the deaf participants; to compare features of participants’ individual signs with the characteristics of home signs and emerging sign languages; and to consider the degree of similarity and potential similarity of signs between participants and how this reflects individuals’ opportunities for contact with other deaf people and signing interlocutors. The limitations of this study are that field methodology for data collection was developed in situ as conditions allowed. The sociolinguistic context for deaf Ni-Vanuatu confirms that language isolation leads to marginalisation from community and society. The study established that these home sign lexicons were limited in quantity and conceptual range, and that shared background knowledge was essential for comprehension. Overall, 22 handshapes were documented, and the predominant handshapes unmarked. Most participants preferred handling strategy for depicting signs. Some evidence of noun-verb distinction was noted in the repertoire of some participants. However, across this range of formational characteristics, results showed significant individual variations. Furthermore, multiple barriers have precluded development of a shared sign language and any form of deaf community.</p>

scholarly journals Deaf jokes and sign language humor

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Sutton-Spence ◽  
Donna Jo Napoli
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Visual Experience ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Deaf Identity ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
The World ◽  
The Creation

AbstractThis paper describes the humor of Deaf communities, arguing that the humor is related primarily to the dominant visual experience of Deaf people, but also influenced by their knowledge of humor traditions in the hearing society at large. Sign language humor in America and Britain may be seen in the creation of new visual signs, the witty reanalysis of existing signs and in bilingual games in which English is manipulated within sign languages. The content of Deaf humor supports the in-group of community members who embrace their signing collective Deaf identity and denigrates out-group people, including deaf people who do not belong to the community and hearing people who are often seen as a threat to the community. Many of these jokes also make reference to sign language. We conclude that the visual nature of Deaf humor is one of its key characteristics and ask what else this can tell us about the Deaf cultural way of interacting with and presenting the world.

Ophelia, Emma, and the beast from the east effortful engaging and the provision of sign language interpreting in emergencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199
Author(s):  
Lorraine Leeson
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Linguistic Community ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
National Emergency ◽  
Pro Forma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Republic of Ireland’s National Emergency Coordinating Group performed with respect to ensuring access to emergency information for deaf sign language (SL) users over the course of two emergency situations in 2017 and 2018 as a result of storms. The storms book-ended parliamentary and public debate around the recognition of the indigenous SL of Ireland, Irish Sign Language (ISL). The author explores if/how increased political awareness led to better access in 2018, and how access provision maps to best practice guidelines set out by the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). Design/methodology/approach This paper provides empirical insights about the asymmetrical effort that is required of a minority linguistic community, in this instance, community of deaf ISL users and their allies, to secure provision of access to emergency information that is provided as a matter of course to the wider community of hearing English language speakers. The author draws on parliamentary records, social media and print media to document the political, societal and deaf community discourse around ISL recognition and the emergencies. Findings The author finds that significant effort was required of deaf people and their allies to secure access to national emergency briefings in 2017, with significant improvement evidenced in 2018 for Storm Emma and the Beast from the East, in the aftermath of the adoption of the ISL Act (December 2017). The author drew on the theory of effortful engaging, which posits that unless we have greater awareness of and pro forma consideration of SLs and deaf people, the burden of work required to ensure appropriate access and participation falls on deaf people. Research limitations/implications There is scope for completing a 360° analysis of stakeholders engaged in the process. Further work should also include interviews with deaf community members and emergency response coordinators. Practical implications This paper identifies implications for emergency coordinating groups: provision of appropriate interpreting must be a pro forma element in the planning for delivery of any emergency information. Broadcasters must be required to ensure that interpreters are visible on screen at all times during live briefings: what is unseen is “unheard” for SL users. Work remains to ensure that deaf people have access to preparatory information in their language, and that they have ease of access to two-way emergency services. Emergency coordinating teams need to integrate the UNCRPD-mapped WASLI-WFD recommendations into their emergency strategy. Social implications Communities depend on information for their survival in times of crisis. Communication requires comprehension and interaction. For SL users, information in an indigenous SL is a lifeline in a time of crisis. This requires emergency response teams to understand that “language” is multi-modal and embed strategies for engaging with deaf communities in all aspects of their processes, with guidance from deaf community leaders and advocates. There is also a need to consider deafblind people and deaf people who have disabilities, who are more vulnerable in crisis situations. Originality/value This is the first analysis of state provision of access to information for the Irish deaf community in an emergency setting. It is one of very few empirical analyses of how deaf communities fare in emergency contexts and the first to evaluate a state’s practice vis-à-vis UNCRPD-led guidelines on best practice issued by the WASLI/WFD. The socio-political context described represents a unique period where the Irish deaf community and ISL were central to political and media discourse because of the ISL Act and the death of two deaf brothers in tragic circumstances in Autumn 2017.

scholarly journals A Process to Develop Sign Language Corpus using Crowdsourcing

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 2098-2103
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
General Term ◽  
Small Data ◽  
Deaf Community ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
The World ◽  
Concept Application ◽  
Language Corpus

Humans use language in order to communicate between one another. There exist a number of languages which are either spoken or written. Among these languages, there exists a special type of language called Sign Language (SL). Sign language is a general term which includes any kind of gestural language that makes use of signs and gestures to convey message. Although the deaf community feels comfortable while using Sign Language as their mode of communication, but they face a lot of problems as well. Therefore, in order to help and assist the deaf community a repository of different sign languages are essential for each sign language. This work presents a process to develop a repository by collecting and validating sign language gestures of any language by involving the deaf community and language experts. A small data collection based on a proof-of-concept application has also been presented in this work. Lastly, it highlights the benefits of such corpus by discussing possible applications that can be built to serve the deaf community of the world at large.

Slavery and the Trumpocene: It's Not the End of the World

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50
Author(s):  
Claire Colebrook
Keyword(s):  
Living System ◽  
Racial Violence ◽  
First Century ◽  
The West ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
End Of The World ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Geological Period

There is something more catastrophic than the end of the world, especially when ‘world’ is understood as the horizon of meaning and expectation that has composed the West. If the Anthropocene is the geological period marking the point at which the earth as a living system has been altered by ‘anthropos,’ the Trumpocene marks the twenty-first-century recognition that the destruction of the planet has occurred by way of racial violence, slavery and annihilation. Rather than saving the world, recognizing the Trumpocene demands that we think about destroying the barbarism that has marked the earth.

Twenty-First-Century Fiction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berthold Schoene
Keyword(s):  
World Literature ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
First Century ◽  
Wealth Accumulation ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Imperial Power ◽  
The World ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Globalized World ◽  
Global Relations

This chapter looks at how the contemporary British and Irish novel is becoming part of a new globalized world literature, which imagines the world as it manifests itself both within (‘glocally’) and outside nationalist demarcations. At its weakest, often against its own best intentions, this new cosmopolitan writing cannot but simply reinscribe the old imperial power relations. Or, it provides an essential component of the West’s ideological superstructure for globalization’s neoliberal business of rampant upward wealth accumulation. At its best, however, this newly emergent genre promotes a cosmopolitan ethics of justice, resistance. It also promotes dissent while working hard to expose and deconstruct the extant hegemonies and engaging in a radical imaginative recasting of global relations.

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