Learning the Sign Language
History of Sign Language
It has been speculated that all forms of human language have their roots in signed gestures which are said to have served as the earliest form of communication. This speculation has actually not been verified and therefore sign language cannot claim the originality of all the spoken languages even though its roots can be traced back in years than most people could have thought of. In the 5th century Socrates, who was a Greek philosopher, said that it was logical for the deaf having been naturally deprived of the hearing capability to use their hands, heads, and the various body parts in communication. In the period 1520 to 1584, Pedro de Leon is known for pioneering the creation of gesture systems to help in educating the deaf. Between the years 1579 and 1629, De Leons gesture system was falsely attributed to Juan Pablo Martin Bonet, who is oftenly considered as the father of the sign language (Stewart, 1998). In 1680, George Dalgreno came up with a manual alphabet better known as Didascalocophus which required the use of two hands and assigned each letter a spot on the fingers or palm of the right hand, which was pointed to by the left index finger or thumb (The National Captioning Institute, 2010, para 6).
Up to the late 18th century, educating the deaf took place on a small and private scale. The trend had to change following the creation of a National Institute for the Deaf-Mute in France which became the first school to attempt the instructions for the hearing-impaired. The French Institute was run by Abb de lEpe who thought that the Old French Sign Language (OFSL) could be subjected to modifications to incorporate the correct French grammar. He advocated for the use of affixes and engaged in the creation of a system that basically replicated spoken French language with the use of the hands (Stewart, 1998). In the year 1815, Thomas Gaullaudet, an American visited the French institute with the aim of learning a way of teaching the deaf children. In a couple of years, he together with his French counterpart, Laurent Clerc, co-founded the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons in West Hartford, Connecticut which has long been renamed as the American School for the Deaf. Clerc has been regarded as Americas first deaf instructor, who brought the OFSL to the US. The OFSL would later play a greater role in the development of American Sign Language (ASL) as it is argued that close to 60 of ASL has its origin in OFSL (The National Captioning Institute, 2010).
Learning sign language takes much commitment and practice. Just like the case of learning any new language, one has to devote himherself to the efforts of learning the sign language. However, there is no direct correlation between the spoken language and sign language as the two differ in the sense that sign language uses concepts to communicate as opposed to the use of words as the case of the spoken language. Though it is possible to translate between the two languages, the interpretations will not reflect a direct translation. While there are different systems of sign language, the American Sign Language (ASL) is the most commonly used by the deaf adults. One can learn sign language even though it requires commitment from the one interested. In which case there has been an argument that one does not have to be children of deaf parents to learn the language. We can learn sign language through classroom, videos, reading books, via the internet, and through socialization among other ways (Woods, 2010).
Ways of Learning the Sign Language
In sign language, there is the use of visually transmitted sign patterns as opposed to the acoustical conveyance of sound patterns common in spoken language. Sign language therefore involves expressions on the face which includes movement of the eyebrows when signing and the general body language. Sign language therefore combines hand shapes, orientation and the actions of the hands, arms, body and facial expressions in an effort to express the thoughts of the speaker. Sign language usually develops in deaf societies which encompass the interpreters, family and friends not forgetting the deaf themselves. In every deaf community therefore sign language has to develop. There are various sign languages across the world with some having legal recognition whereas some are not recognized at all.
The sign language can be learnt through various ways, amongst which is learning from reading books. There are many books containing signs and interpretations and one can buy these books and take time to read and understand the sign language. There is one thing that the buyer must consider before settling on the type of book to buy. One has to be keen on the selection of the book before settling on the one to buy. This is due to the fact that there are many books on the market and therefore the buyer has to select the best book that offers detailed explanations with good visual signs, indicating the movement, and direction of the signs (Woods, 2010).
In addition to books, some individuals may choose to learn the sign language through video technologies. Though there are numerous DVDs in the market with information regarding sign language including the alphabets and the signs, the main shortcoming of the book and video model of learning sign language is that the learner cannot ask for clarifications in areas that they fail to understand. The internet also provides another avenue through which one can learn the sign language. Several sites on the internet provide useful information that can guide the learner in conceptualizing the sign language. In addition, websites with videos of the deaf people communicating and one may find the internet as a resource material in learning the sign language. Viewing sign language videos over the internet requires one to have already developed a firm foundation in the language regarding the alphabets before viewing the videos. Therefore, it is important for one to have learned the basics of the language maybe through books or video clips before accessing the internet videos (Tan, 2010).
Another way to learn sign language is by taking classes at any local learning resource center that may include a community college or university. Community centers and public organizations that may be offering sign language classes often host a sign language club that one can join. Taking classes will definitely expose the leaner more to the deaf experience since the tutor should have some firsthand information about events that touches on the deaf. Taking classes comes with its advantages, as the teacher is always there to offer guidance and explanations to students when necessary. One is also able to share his or her experiences with the classmates through discussions and debatable issues (Todd, 2010).
After one has acquired the basic skills of the sign language, it is usually advisable to take practical lessons by volunteering at the community centers specializing with the deaf. This practical experience will enable a learner to learn more regarding sign language, how properly to use the signs as learned in a classroom environment. In an attempt to learn from the deaf, one has to observe the required etiquette. For instance, it is not advisable to stand and stare at the deaf when they are conversing in an effort to learn from them but instead try to initiate a conversation with them no matter how bad one is at the language. Some deaf people will understand and may try to interpret what it was that the individual was trying say. Learning the basics provides the foundation for fluency in the language whereas being around the deaf people accelerates the speed at which one can learn the language (Todd, 2010).
Some people have argued that the best way to learn sign language is by making friends with a deaf person. By becoming friends with the deaf, one has the opportunity to learn the sign language on a much faster pace as compared to any other model of learning the sign language. Educationists have argued that the children brought up by deaf parents have turned out highly skilled at sign language (Woods, 2010). Learning the sign language goes beyond simple mastery of communicating in sign language to include learning about the culture of the deaf (Tan, 2010).
Conclusion
Learning any new language comes with its challenges but the challenges are even more when the language does not provide auditory information to the student. Numerous ways in which one can learn sign language are described above and if asked to give my opinion on the best way to learn the sign language, I will definitely root for socialization. Learning from books often does not provide clear information while videos do not answer any questions that one may raise. The internet is even more confusing whereas taking classes will only provide the basis for the language. It is by making close contact with the deaf that one will be able to comprehensively make an understanding of the sign language and the culture of the deaf since language does not develop in a vacuum. If a person can become involved in a deaf persons conversation, it will provide him or her with the best model in learning sign language.
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