Sign Language in Spain - Research Paper Example

In Focus: Spanish Sign Language 1. Introduction Deaf people have always had a hard time functioning in society. Due to their impaired or outright nonexistent sense of hearing, they have a rather difficult time communicating not only among themselves, but with the non-handicapped. Since their disability with respect to their sense of sound carries over to their ability to speak, it becomes harder for them to communicate, leading them to be wrongly and cruelly mocked, derided, ridiculed or even ostracized (Walker 3). This problem is something acutely felt by deaf people everywhere, albeit to a less apparent degree with those who acquired their deafness as a result of an accident. Since such individuals were not always deaf, they will likely have managed to become literate, have learned at least basic lip reading, or both. At any rate, while these individuals may still find communication to be a chore at times, it is still more or less manageable for them. On the other hand, those who have been deaf since early childhood or even birth have a much harder time getting by in society. Since they have never been able to hear, they will be unlikely to be capable of producing anything more than inarticulate groans, moans and other sounds. Thus, in order to alleviate their difficulty, there are those throughout the years who have come up with sign language. And of course, there have also been those throughout the years who have succeeded in their chosen field in spite of their disability, mainly thanks to sign language. One of the most well-known examples of this is Helen Keller, who managed to become a celebrated author in spite of being both deaf and blind (Bauman 7). Sign language has existed since deaf people have been around. Various studies have allowed important individuals to develop new systems of sign languages based on the local sign languages being used. The establishment of teaching institutions that focuses on educating the deaf and mute with Sign Language has allowed the development of a standardized sign language system. Although standardized, a sign language may still have variations in dialects based on the region and cultural differences. 2. Definition and History of Sign Language A sign language uses visual sign patterns to transmit meanings instead of acoustic patterns. It uses hand shapes as well as well as facial expressions and body movements that convey specific meanings. Sign Language is known to have started where deaf people exist. It is comprised of gestures, finger spelling, and signs that could represent words or complete thoughts. Majority of sign languages are natural languages that are used for communication by deaf and mute people. The spatial grammar employed by these forms of communication is significantly different and complex as compared to written and/or spoken language, which makes them a tad more difficult to master for non-handicapped individuals. These sign languages number in the hundreds, and are said to exist all over the world. Obviously enough, these languages are most prevalent in local deaf cultures as the primary means of communication. Some of these have obtained legal status, while others have yet to be officially recognized (Stokoe 10). Among the first written records of sign language dated in 5th century BC in Plato’s Cratylus where it was expressed that if people couldn’t speak, wouldn’t they use hand and body signs as they do today. Specifically, it was said that those robbed of the ability to speak and/or who could not be bothered to learn how to write would simply make gestures using their body in order to indicate what they mean to say. Since such people obviously are unable to speak, and are likewise unable to write, the only way for them to get their messages and ideas across would be to act them out in front of others (Bauman 16). In Spain, written history of sign language dates back in 17th century. Juan Pablo Bonet (1620) published the Reduccion de las letras y arte para ensenar a hablar a los mudos (Reduction of letters and art for teaching mute people to speak in 1620 in Madrid. His work is considered the pioneer in integrating phonetics and speech therapy. Meanwhile, in the 18th century, Charles-Michel de L’Epee came up with his own sign language while based in Paris – the Old French Sign Language, patterned after the natural sign language already being used there – that spread relatively quickly, which should hint at the extent of its utility. In fact, this form of sign language continues to be used even in this day and age. This particular sign language became the basis for the manual alphabet devised by Charles-Michel de L’Epee in the 18th century, which likewise has survived to the present day (The Earliest History of Deaf Education in Europe 1). Abbe de L’Epee founded the first public school for deaf children in 1755 in Paris. The language taught was based on the observed sign languages used by deaf people in the Paris streets. It was soon developed to feature French grammar and became the French Sign Language. Soon after, Laruent Clerc, an alumni and former teacher of the school, went to United States with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet where they founded the American School for the deaf. Clerc and Gallaudet went on to the American Asylum for Deaf and Dumb in 1817. The institution was renamed to American School for the Deaf. In 1864, the National Deaf-Mute College was founded through the enactment of Abraham Lincoln. The school was named Gallaudet College in 1894, and was finally upgraded as Gallaudet University in 1986 (The Earliest History of Deaf Education in Europe 1). Martha’s Vineyard is a community in Massachusetts with a high rate of hereditary deafness recorded up to 2 centuries ago. The cause of such deafness was thought to have originated in Weald, England. In the study by Groce (4), Martha’s Vineyard has a .7% deaf rate where 1 in 155 people were born deaf, while the rest of the country only had a rate of .4% or 1 in 2,730. The island also has a rate of 65% in deaf marriages, as compared to only 20% in the United States. 3. Spanish Sign Language The Spanish Sign Language is used to communicate with and among deaf people in Spain. This language has minor variations throughout Spain; although there are difficulties in its usage in Catalonia and Valencia as these regions have their own sign language systems. As noted by Berke, there is a veritable myriad of variations on Spanish Sign Language depending on the country. For instance, countries such as Mexico and Columbia are known to have their own customized variants of the sign language. It should be noted that whether specific countries have such a customized form of SSL depends on their size, as well as on the population of deaf individuals living there. For instance, since the country of Andorra has a population of well below 100,000, fewer than 5,000 of whom are deaf, it was not deemed necessary for them to have their own customized variant of the SSL. Other countries such as Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica likewise do not have their own version of the SSL, though they have published various articles and references on the Spanish Sign Language, which should serve as an indication that the increased number of deaf individuals living there necessitated that SSL be taught on a wider scale (Berke). On the other hand, the nation of Argentina is much larger, and thus has a larger deaf community than the aforementioned countries. This being the case, this nation would thus benefit from or even require that it have its own spin on SSL. As also noted by Berke, the Argentine deaf community is quite large, enough so that it has its own national association called the Association Argentina de Sordos, which provides subtitling and captioning services for the benefit of the hearing impaired. Additionally, this organization is also in charge of current projects in theater, education and telecommunications. Aside from this, the Argentine deaf community also has its own sports league: the Confederation of Sports of the Deaf, which presides over sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and the martial arts. However, arguably the most important area where deaf Argentines are concerned is education, which in Argentina is spearheaded by the Oral Institute of Buenos Aires, the Las Lomas Oral School for the Deaf and the Escuela de Sordos. Discrimination is still an unfortunate trend in this particular country, as can be seen in the statistics pertaining to deaf Argentines, less than 7% of whom make it past high school, and even fewer of whom actually graduate from college (Berke). 4. American Sign Language The American Sign Language (ASL) is mainly used by deaf Americans in the United States, as well as in certain parts of Canada and Mexico. In addition, countries that are influenced by American English language and culture also use ASL, including the Philippines, Singapore, Haiti, etc (YourDictionary.com). As with most other sign languages, ASL necessitates the use of palm orientations, hand shapes, body language and facial expressions to get their point across. However, rather than merely being an adaptation of American English, ASL actually has its own forms of syntax and grammar, and can actually be considered to be a distinct language all its own. In fact, ASL is actually the third most popular language – sign language or otherwise – within the United States, surpassed only by the English and Spanish languages, with 500,000-2,000,000 people within the US using it as their main form of communication in everyday life. Not only does it help one to gain a better understanding of the culture of the deaf, ASL also helps to enhance one’s own skills in nonverbal communication. It also works especially well for parents trying to teach their babies to communicate, as well as for those who have children with special needs. Additionally, it should be worth noting that a lot of employers within the service industry consider knowledge of this language to be a major, major plus, no doubt because it serves as an immense aid when communicating with the deaf (Berke). Before 1817, American communities are believed to have used home sign language to communicate with the deaf. As early as 1541, it was recorded that Plains Indians developed a sign language which was used to communicate with tribes that use a different spoken language. This language is believed to have started in lower Rio Grande and was known as Plains Indian Sign Language (Berke). 4.1 Dialects Just as there are a lot of varieties of American English depending on state, region and denomination, so too does the American Sign Language has varying dialects and accents that are attributed to the regional and cultural differences. For instance, Southern Americans tend to sign slower than Northern Americans (Walker 22). Yet another proof of this is the existence of Black American Sign Language which, as the name implies, is a special variant of ASL practiced among African-Americans dating back to the period of racial segregation. Just as conventional English differs greatly from that practiced by African-Americans, so too does the BASL differ from the ASL in terms of vocabulary and grammatical structure, among other things. 4.2 Finger Spelling Dactylology or fingerspelling is the use of hand shapes to represent the letters of a writing system as well as numerical systems. The American manual alphabet is widely used by United States as well as nations with English influences. At least two families of manual alphabets are currently being used to represent the Latin alphabet, the more common of which can be used with only one hand, and spread all over the world courtesy of Abbe de L’Epee, who in turn adopted it from a similar system used by Spanish monks during the 18th century. From there, it not only spread all over the world, but in the process also underwent subtle yet undoubtedly important and context-sensitive changes. For one thing, steps were taken to ensure that the hand shapes used by the system did not coincide with gestures that may be considered obscene in certain cultures (Carmel 17). 5. Deaf Education Deaf schools are the main institutions that teach sign language among the deaf and mute. Other communities were able to develop and understand their own sign language since a large portion of the population was deaf or mute. Education for the deaf began with Geronimo Cardano, an Italian Physician who claimed that learning does not require hearing and found that the deaf could be educated through written systems. He used this system to educate his deaf son. Meanwhile, a Spanish Benedictine monk named Pedro Ponce de Leon was able to teach deaf children from noble families. De Leon’s work influenced Juan Pablo de Bonet to develop his teaching methods for deaf individuals. De Bonet used existing methods of reading, writing, along with his own manual alphabet to educate the deaf. His manual alphabet comprised of hand shapes which represent various speech sounds. Earlier deaf education was only available exclusively. Organized education only began in the mid 18th century when the first association for the deaf was founded by Abbe Charles Michel de L’Epee in Paris. In 1771, Abbe Charles established the pioneering free public school for deaf children named Institut National des Jeune Sourds-Muets (National Institute for Deaf-Mutes). Children from various areas of the country came to the school where L’Epee learned the sign languages used by the children at home. He then used these home sign languages to develop a standardized singing system which he used to educate his students. 6. Conclusion Sign language has been around since the time the first deaf humans existed, and is undoubtedly essential in this day and age, especially to deaf individuals who still intend to succeed in a modern, competitive world. This is arguably the only way for these individuals to still be able to communicate with others in spite of their disability, more so if they were born deaf. Luckily, thanks to the existence of sign language, even deaf people who would otherwise have a difficult time functioning in today’s society can not only get by, but even succeed. This becomes even more important when one takes into account the more tolerant and compassionate mindset pervading within today’s society, which even values knowledge of sign language among non-handicapped individuals as a way of bridging communication gaps between them and the hearing impaired. Communities or even units of families have developed varying kinds of sign language. The development of a standardized sign language is patterned after the sign languages used by the people within the location of interest. Among the first sign languages developed were the Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. The development of sign languages have allowed the establishment of educational institutions dedicated to teaching the deaf and mute how to communicate through sign language. Although there are standardized Sign Languages, each Sign Language still has its dialects along with other variations. The use of Sign Language enabled the deaf and mute to effectively communicate within their communities. More importantly, sign language has allowed them contribute to the society. References American Sign Language Worksheets. YourDictionary.com, 2011, Web. 07 October 2011. Bauman, Dirksen. Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking. University of Minnesota Press, 2008. Print. Berke, Jamie. “Deaf Community – Argentina” About.com, 2011b. Web. 07 October 2011. Berke, Jamie. “Sign Language – Sign Language in Spanish Speaking Countries” About.com, 2011a. Web. 07 October 2011. Carmel, Simon. International Hand Alphabet Charts (2nd edition). National Association of the Deaf, 1982. Print. De Bonet, Pablo Reduction de las letras y Arte para enseñar á ablar los Mudos. Ed. Abarca de Angulo, Madrid, 1620.Print. Groce, Nora. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1985. Print Stokoe, William C. Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles. Linstok Press, 1976. Print. The Earliest History of Deaf Education in Europe. Eudy.info, 2011. Web. 07 October 2011. Walker, Lou Ann. A Loss for Words: The Story of Deafness in a Family. New York: Harper Perennial, 1987. Print. Read More