It is a common misconception that sign language is the same wherever you go, that there must be one universal sign language. However, this is not the case. In the same way that spoken languages differ, sign languages have developed naturally over time within deaf communities in different countries and regions, arising from the basic need for communication and interaction.

There are around 130 recognised sign languages in the world, but possibly as many as 300 actually exist, as new sign languages have formed in village communities and have not been recognised or documented.

A few of the main sign languages and some of their peculiarities…
  • British Sign Language (BSL), today with around 150,000 users in the UK, was established in the late 1700s, and later spread to Australia and New Zealand, maintaining much similarity in its grammar, alphabet and vocabulary, whilst developing each their own small differences.
  • French Sign Language, with around 100,000 signers in France, has influenced several others around the world, especially those of Europe and Africa, and curiously also American Sign Language (ASL).
  • Despite the shared common spoken language, ASL is very different from BSL, markedly having the one-handed fingerspelling alphabet instead of the British two-handed one.
  • Many signs in Chinese and Japanese SL are visual representations of the characters.
  • In Brazil, where there are around 3 million users, the sign language was given official status by the government in 2002.
  • Meanwhile, Indo-Pakistani SL, a native sign language in South Asia, lacks official recognition and support.
A world of expression

More than a mere set of gestures, sign languages are very complex, having their own particular grammar, and make interesting use of space and direction to create meaning. What they lack in terms of sound and intonation, they make up for with visual expression, where the use of facial expressions, gestures, body posture, variations in speed and strength of movement convey meaning, emotion, and a range of colour which could be characteristic of any spoken language.

The interpreter

Deaf people live in a predominantly hearing world, and can struggle to live normal lives. With lack of government and private funding for educating and equipping interpreters, many institutions offering courses having to close and the low number of graduating students, deaf people are consequently faced with constant difficulty in already sensitive and demanding situations. Whether it is reporting a case to the police, obtaining an important diagnosis from the doctor, ensuring an education for their children, or being faced with making an emergency phone call, deaf people unfortunately find themselves confused and frustrated due to a lack of skilled, professional interpreters and adequate resources.

According to an article by Cynthia B. Roy, a good SL interpreter should have certain qualifications:

  • Complete fluency in two languages (a sign language and a spoken language)
  • Interpretation skills
  • Wide general knowledge and specialised knowledge of the field in which he/she interprets
  • Bicultural sensitivity
  • Highly developed sense of professionalism
Sing language in Spain

In Spain, sign language was recognised as an official language by law in 2007, and there are around 100,000 signers. However, while in the north of Europe for every 10 deaf people there is 1 interpreter, in Spain, there is one interpreter for every 143.

The Spanish National Confederation for Deaf People is fighting for sign language to be included in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to reform the Spanish Constitution so that the two variations, Spanish Sign Language and Catalonian Sign Language, can be recognised as two more official languages of the country, and also for them to be declared as immaterial cultural heritage.

On a practical level however, there is still a lot of work to be done to reduce the gap between the deaf and the hearing, to break down the communication barriers, to allow them access to information, education, justice and health, to be able to enjoy the same human rights and live a satisfying and full life.

 

Header image: David Fanuel on Unsplash