A sign language

A sign language

Deaf children

Deaf children

language

language

development

development

A sign language



A sign language

A sign language is a language which, instead
of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses
visually transmitted sign patterns (manual
communication, body language and lip
patterns) to convey meaning—simultaneously
combining

hand shapes, orientation

hand shapes, orientation and

movement of the hands, arms or body,

movement of the hands, arms or body,
and

facial expressions

facial expressions to express fluidly a

speaker's thoughts.

What is a sign language?

What is a sign language?

•

Handshape

Handshape -

Shape is the configuration of hands used in producing signs, which

includes also the fingers used and their positions

,

•

Orientation

Orientation -

The orientation is connected with the palm and whether it is facing

the signer or the interlocutor

,

•

Location

Location -

Location is where the hand is in relation to the head and upper body of

the signer, which is extremely important as slight change of the position of hands

might have influence on the meaning

,

•

Movement

Movement -

Movement is where and how the hands move during conversations

,

•

and

Non-manual markers

Non-manual markers (or Facial Expression)



The elements

The elements of a sign are

(the meaning

depends on):

It is vital to point out that

the speed of making symbols

the speed of making symbols plays

an important role in sign languages. Signs may involve fingers,

hands, and face

moving simultaneously

moving simultaneously, or the two hands

moving in different directions.



Sign languages

are not pantomime

are not pantomime - in other words, signs

are

conventional

conventional, often arbitrary and do not necessarily

have a visual relationship to their referent. They have

complex grammars

complex grammars of their own, and can be used to
discuss any topic, from the simple and concrete to the lofty
and abstract.



There does not exist one universal sign language.

There does not exist one universal sign language.
Different sign languages are used in different countries or
regions. Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign
languages develop. Some sign languages have obtained
some form of legal recognition, while others have no status
at all.

Polish sign language

Polish sign language

American sign language

American sign language

Chinese sign language

Chinese sign language

Sign languages' relationships with

oral languages



A common misconception is that sign languages are somehow

dependent on oral languages, that is,

that they are oral

that they are oral

language spelled out in gesture

language spelled out in gesture, or that they were invented

by hearing people.



Countries which use a single oral language throughout

may have two or more sign languages; whereas an area
that contains more than one oral language might use only
one sign language.



Deaf sign languages

are independent of oral languages

are independent of oral languages

and follow their own paths of development. For example,
British Sign Language and American Sign Language are
quite different, even though the hearing people of Britain
and America share the same oral language.

Is this a sign language?

Is this a sign language?

System Językowo - Migowy



System Językowo – Migowy is not a language

System Językowo – Migowy is not a language, it is
a code created for hearing people to translate

word by

word by

word

word a text into signs.



It is easy to learn for

hearing people

hearing people but it is

completely impractical for deaf people because

it has

it has

nothing in common with a sign language.

nothing in common with a sign language.

requires 2 gestures:

requires 2 gestures:



Marysia



podnosić wzrok

requires 5 signs:

requires 5 signs:



Marysia



podnosić



oczy



do



góry

System Językowo-

System Językowo-

Migowy

Migowy

E.g. to express

„Marysia podniosła oczy do

„Marysia podniosła oczy do

góry”

góry”

Polski Język Migowy

Polski Język Migowy

Seeing this a deaf person will
ask:

„O jakie góry chodzi i po

„O jakie góry chodzi i po

co zanosić tam oczy?”

co zanosić tam oczy?”

American Sign Language (ASL)



ASL is said to be

the fourth most commonly

the fourth most commonly

used

used

language in the United States.



Even though ASL is used in America, it is a language
completely separate from English. It contains all the
fundamental features a language needs to function on its
own--it has its own rules for grammar, punctuation, and
sentence order.

e.g. Whereas English speakers often signal a question by using a
particular tone of voice, ASL users do so by raising the eyebrows
and widening the eyes.



ASL evolves as its users do, and it also allows for

regional usage and jargon.

regional usage and jargon.

Spatial grammar

Oral language is

linear

linear. Only one sound can be made or

received at a time. Sign language, on the other hand, is

visual

visual;

hence a whole scene can be taken in at once. As an illustration,

in English one could utter the phrase,

"I drove here".

"I drove here".

To add information about the drive, one would have to make a

longer phrase or even add a second, such as,

"I drove here. It was a nice drive.„

"I drove here. It was a nice drive.„

However, in American Sign Language, information about the

shape of the road or the pleasing nature of the drive can be

conveyed

simultaneously

simultaneously with the verb 'drive' by

inflecting the

inflecting the

motion of the hand, or by taking advantage of non-manual

motion of the hand, or by taking advantage of non-manual

signals such as body posture and facial expression, at the same

signals such as body posture and facial expression, at the same

time that the verb 'drive' is being signed.

time that the verb 'drive' is being signed.
In fact, in terms of syntax,

ASL shares more with spoken

ASL shares more with spoken

Japanese than it does with English.

Japanese than it does with English.

Deaf Children and Native

Language



Generally, the language used by the parents defines a child’s
native language. 



However, in the case of Deaf children with hearing parents,
the parents’ native language may not be fully accessible to
the child. 

Deaf students can almost never acquire

Deaf students can almost never acquire

English as a first language.

English as a first language. Though there are some deaf
people whose only language is English, most of these people
only posses

a semi-fluency

a semi-fluency in the language.

Their English

Their English

resembles that of a person who is learning English as

resembles that of a person who is learning English as

a second language more than that of a native speaker

a second language more than that of a native speaker

of English.

of English.

If a deaf child have parents whose native language is

English, what is the native language of this child?

What are some common

What are some common

language difficulties deaf

language difficulties deaf

children have?

children have?



Deaf children may have difficulties with:

Limited vocabulary

The majority of deaf children starting school aged four or five years

have a

vocabulary level of fewer than

500 words

500 words. In comparison, hearing

children at this age have an expressive vocabulary of

3,000-5,000 words

3,000-5,000 words.

Difficulties with English grammar

Grammatical markers such as

"-ed", "-ing", or "-

"-ed", "-ing", or "-

er"

er"

The visual markers of language, such as turn taking, control,
asking for clarification, eye contact, greetings



Deaf children may also have difficulty in

requesting information,

requesting information,

asking and answering questions, seeking clarification,

asking and answering questions, seeking clarification,

greetings and repairing breakdowns in conversations

greetings and repairing breakdowns in conversations. When

questioned about their understanding, they will often affirm that

they have understood, as this is easier than admitting they did not

understand.



Deaf children may also misunderstand

common

common

expressions

expressions, such as "you've got ants in your pants,"

idioms

idioms, such as "you let the cat out of the bag" and
they may understand only in

a literal way

a literal way, such

expressiona as "he fell on hard times" or "open your
mind."

What is the difference between

What is the difference between

speech and language?

speech and language?



If a child does not develop speech it does not mean that s/he

does not develop language as well. Language is

the words,

the words,

structures, thoughts and concepts

structures, thoughts and concepts we have in our minds.

Speech is one way in which we communicate our

Speech is one way in which we communicate our

language to other people.

language to other people. We can also convey our

language through sign language or through writing.
It is critical to recognise that any hearing loss a child has will

impact on both language and speech development, but

language development is much more important than

language development is much more important than

speech development.

speech development.

How to teach speaking to a deaf

child



A while ago, people who were deaf

were not taught

were not taught

to speak

to speak. Nowadays, however, we have learned
techniques to teach deaf people how to speak. It's
pretty rare these days to have a deaf person who is
also dumb.

One of the most enduring traditional oral techniques
in teaching speech to deaf people has incorporated
the use of

both sight and touch

both sight and touch in the learning

process.

1. This process involves the instructor

placing the hand

placing the hand

of the student on the instructor’s throat

of the student on the instructor’s throat while
forming specific words. The student learns

how the

how the

lips move

lips move when a word is formed, and also

get a

get a

sense of how the muscles in the neck move

sense of how the muscles in the neck move when
a particular word is formed.

2. The student begins to

associate movements

associate movements with

the production

the production of particular sounds.

3. By

replicating

replicating the movement of the lips and the

manipulation of the muscles used in producing sounds,
deaf people learn how to receive and send verbal
communications.

How to teach reading to a deaf child



It has been said that reading requires two related capabilities,

first you

must be familiar with a language

must be familiar with a language and second

you must

understand the mapping between that

understand the mapping between that

language and the printed word.

language and the printed word.  Deaf children are

disadvantaged on both counts, but some deaf children do

read fluently. Skill in signing does not guarantee skill in

reading,

reading must be taught. 

reading must be taught. 



Learning to read the child must learn

the mapping

the mapping

between the spoken language and the printed

between the spoken language and the printed

words

words

This technique is called

chaining. 

chaining.  The teacher

fingerspells

fingerspells a word, then

points to the word written

points to the word written

on the blackboard

on the blackboard and finally the teacher

uses an

uses an

initialized sign

initialized sign for the word. 

Myths and facts about hearing loss



Deaf people cannot hear and enjoy music.

Deaf people cannot hear and enjoy music.

Myth.

Myth.

Depending on the level of hearing loss many deaf

children are about to

pick up the rhythm of music

pick up the rhythm of music

through sound vibrations

through sound vibrations and thus can learn to
recognize

the elements of pitch, duration, and

the elements of pitch, duration, and

intensity.

intensity. There are even deaf musicians.



All deaf people use sign language.

All deaf people use sign language.

Myth.

Myth.

Many people with a hearing loss do not know

sign language.



Deaf people are sensitive to noise.

Deaf people are sensitive to noise.

Fact.

Fact.

Some types of hearing loss actually accentuate

sensitivity to noise. Loud sounds become garbled and

uncomfortable.



If a deaf child learns to sign first, s

If a deaf child learns to sign first, s

/

/

he will

he will

have

have

difficulty learning to speak later.

difficulty learning to speak later.

Myth.

Myth.

Studies have shown that

sign language does

sign language does

not have a negative impact on the ability to

not have a negative impact on the ability to

speak

speak. The ability to communicate at an early age, in
any mode, increases the child's capacity to acquire
other languages. Children will learn the advantages of
speech if they receive positive feedback when using
their voice.