Sign language how many. Sign language - how to learn on your own

It all started again with the series. Although, to be absolutely precise, from a beautiful interior. I was looking for TV shows with interiors from Greg Grande, the same one who was the artist for.

So I came across the series "They were mixed up in the hospital."

It is about two girls who were mistakenly confused by doctors in the hospital, and the families found out about this only when their daughters were 16 years old. This is where the series begins, and then everything seems to be as usual: first love, conflicts with parents, arguments between the parents themselves, rivalry at school, parting and reconciliation. Oh yes, all this in beautiful interiors.

The trick is that one of the main characters is deaf.

She became deaf after an illness at the age of two and now wears a hearing aid, goes to school for the deaf and speaks sign language. And the plot is also strongly twisted around this.

I became seriously interested when I watched interviews with actors and found out that some of the actors are really deaf.

Actress Cathy Leclair, playing the main character, has Meniere's disease, the syndromes of which include hearing impairment and dizziness. The disease does not interfere with her work, but it helps to talk about this diagnosis in interviews and more people go to doctors to get tested.

Back at school, Katie learned sign language. Imagine, in the States, you can easily choose sign language as a second language to learn.

One of the episodes of the series is completely filmed in sign language, it does not use a single word. At the very beginning, two main actresses appear who warn the audience, they say, do not worry, everything is in order with your TV, but some of the scenes will be filmed in complete silence.

This is so cool! Talking about people with special needs is not through short commercials or speeches trying to squeeze a tear.

I watched the series and understood that disabled people are not only people we imagine in wheelchairs.

Oh, this stereotype, which has firmly settled in my head thanks to the sign on the windows of cars and on the asphalt of parking lots.

And so I ran into a deaf company at an intersection. I remembered that at the age of eight I myself suffered severe otitis media with the risk of losing part of my hearing. The event organizers, who invited me as a speaker, asked me to speak louder, since there was a participant with a hearing aid in the hall.

It feels like the universe was desperately hinting at me: "Would you like to learn sign language?"

I entered the search for "sign language training" and very quickly found in St. Petersburg school of sign language "Image" ... The school is located on the territory of the Herzen Pedagogical University, which means that at least twice a week I find myself in the very center of the city.

The campus of the university, which I need to completely cross - from the entrance with a strict guard to building 20, our teacher Denis Aleksandrovich - "So, you will learn these gestures at home yourself, now there is no time to spend on this" (in fact, he is very cool!) - all this brings me back to nostalgia for the student past.

Training twice a week for two months. This is an express course, the usual course lasts four months. The lesson lasts an hour and a half. What you need to learn something new and not get tired. And most importantly - no sports uniforms that I hate in a bag, no changing clothes and a shower in open booths. In general, one hundred thousand five hundred times better than sports.

There are many students in the group. One of my classmates was born in 2000. Imagine! I thought they are still somewhere in kindergarten, and they are already in higher educational institutions. I find it hard to believe. But there are also adult students like me.

Most of my classmates ended up in class for the same reason as me. Interesting.

Only a few classes have passed, and I can already tell about myself, what my name is, what I do, how old I am and what year I was born. I can tell you about my family and keep the conversation going: "Do you have a dog?" "No, I don't have a dog, I have a cat."

It's fun, but incredibly addictive.

Some interesting things about sign language

Sign language in different countries is different, we have Russian sign language (RSL). For some reason, this is terribly disappointing to everyone, they say, they could agree on one language and they would have super-strength.
Dactylology is a form of speech where each letter is transmitted as a sign, but it is not sign language. For example, you can produce a name or a foreign word for which there is no sign yet.
Deaf people read lips, so it is important for them to see not only the hands that show gestures, but also the lips that speak the words.
Sign language has a different grammar and therefore uses a different word order. For example, the question word is always placed at the end of a sentence.
Sign language is not a copy of a real language, but a full-fledged language with its own linguistic characteristics, structure, and grammar. In sign language, the shape of the sign, its localization are important (the same gesture at the forehead and at the chest means different things), the nature of the movement and the non-manual component (facial expressions, turn of the body, head).

What I like most about my studies is that, perhaps for the first time, I try not to be an excellent student.

There is no need to write down anything in class - I laid the notebook out of my bag after the first meeting. Yes, there are homework assignments, but I don't always do them. No grades or tests. I remember well what they say in the lessons and that's enough for me.

We are used to considering oral speech as the only and main language of people. But besides her, there are other ways of expressing words and thoughts. Hearing impaired people use body language and facial expressions for interpersonal communication. It is designed for communication between deaf people and is called sign language. Signed speech is carried out using a visual information transmission channel. This type of communication is not widespread and has not yet been fully studied. In our country alone, Russian sign language is used by 2 million people.

In sign language, information is transmitted from the speaker to the listener through the movement of hands, eyes, or body. It is perceived through the visual channel and has the following properties:

In sign language, the main place is occupied by the space around the person speaking. When communicating, it affects all levels of the language.
Unlike spoken words that reach the ears sequentially, the language of the deaf is shown and perceived simultaneously. It helps convey more information using one gesture.

There is no universal sign language for deaf and dumb people in the world. There are more than 100 sign languages \u200b\u200bused for communication between people with speech and hearing impairments. People using different gestures will not understand each other. Deaf people can, like speakers, learn or forget sign language from another country.

The use of sign speech is expanding every year, making a primitive communication system a suitable area for expressing a variety of thoughts and ideas. Sign speech is used in the educational system, on television, video lessons. Russian sign language is used only for interpersonal communication between people.

The language of the deaf appeared in Europe at the beginning of the 18th century. Before his appearance, deaf people lived and studied in isolation from others. The first school for the deaf and dumb appeared in 1760 in France. Teaching reading and writing to deaf children became the main task of teachers. To solve this problem, the old French sign language was used, which appeared among a group of deaf and dumb. It has been slightly modified. Added specially designed learning gestures that were used to indicate grammar. The training used the "mimic method" of transferring information, when each letter was designated by a separate hand gesture.

This training system was later used in Russia. In 1806, the first school for the deaf was opened in Pavlovsk. And in 1951 the World Federation of the Deaf appeared. The members of the organization decided to create a standard sign language. It was to be applied to deaf professionals and public figures attending the congress.

To standardize sign language, experts from many countries, having analyzed similar gestures used by different nationalities, have developed a single language for all. And in 1973, a sign language dictionary was published, which was prepared by the World Federation of the Deaf.

Shortly thereafter, at the 7th Congress of Deafness in America, the International Language of the Deaf was created and approved, which was used for communication between deaf people from different countries who took part in world-class events.

Sign language linguistics

Despite the prevailing opinion about the language of the deaf as a primitive language, it has a rich vocabulary and is not at all easy to use. A linguistic study was carried out, which proved the presence in the language of elements that are present in full-fledged oral speech.

Gesture words are made up of simple components - hirem, which have no meaning. There are 3 elements describing the structure and difference between gestures:

The location of the gesture to the speaker's body;

The gesture can be used in a space that is neutral for him, at the same level with a part of the body without touching it.

The shape of the hand that performs the gesture;
Hand movement when performing a gesture.

The movement of the hand in space and the movement of the hand or fingers are taken into account with a constant position of the hand.

The movement of hands in space relative to the speaker's body or to each other.

Gestures are schematic, invented in the course of communication and have a distinctive connection with the visual designation of the word. Deaf language has its own grammar to facilitate communication on a variety of topics and is not a visual repetition of ordinary language.

Distinctive features of the structure of sign language

Concreteness;

The gesture lacks generalization, limited to the attribute of an object and action. There is not a single gesture that uses the words "big" and "go." Such words are used by various gestures that accurately convey the signs or movement of a person.

The gesture is capable of depicting an object. Sounds or letters that make up words, regardless of the characteristics of the object, can be conveyed by a special movement of the hand. For example, for a house, hands show the roof, and for friendship, they show a handshake.

The origin of the names of things in speech is sometimes impossible to explain. The origin of gestures is easier to explain, since their history of creation and origin is known. But even it wears off over time and becomes more schematic.

Imagery;

Thanks to the imagery, gestures are easier to remember and learn. It makes gestures more understandable for deaf people to communicate with each other.

Syncretism;

Gestures have the property of unity in the transmission of words that are different in sound, but the same in meaning. For example, fire, bonfire or video, filming. To indicate synonyms in a gesture, additional signs of an object are used. For example, the words "paint" and "frame" are shown to represent a painting.

Amorphousness;

Sign language consists of concepts, but it is not able to express such forms of grammar as case, gender, time, number, species. For this, gestural mimic speech is used, which from a small number of gestures gets the usual combinations of words. This happens by gluing (agglutination) words in a specific order:

A person or an object is a designation of an action (I - to sleep);
The action taking place is negation (to be able to - no);
Item designation - quality;
The condition of an object or person (the cat is sick, slightly).

Grammatical spatiality.

Sign speech conveys several phrases and words simultaneously. An expression transmitted in this way contains, in addition to gestures, non-manual components. This is the expression on the face of the speaking person, the movement of body parts, the look. This type of information transfer is used, like intonation in oral speech.

Deaf language is non-linear. Grammar is transmitted along with vocabulary, the speaker's gesture can be modified during communication.

Teaching Russian Sign Language

It will take as much time to learn sign language as for any other language, special video courses will be useful. In addition to the theoretical part, practice is required. It is impossible to master the language without it. It is much more difficult to understand deaf and dumb people than to show something yourself. The test speech contains words or expressions that do not have a translation into Russian.

You can learn sign language yourself, using video lessons or a dictionary. Using video training, you can learn how to use such simple but necessary words as “thank you”, “sorry”, “love” in practice when communicating with deaf people. The word "thank you" in the language of the deaf is useful in life when meeting people who are deaf.

It is easier to learn and remember information from video lessons, to understand how to correctly perform a gesture, to practice repeating movements. Learning the language of the deaf, using dictionaries, lectures or video lessons, solves the following tasks:

Improving speech skills using sign language;
Expansion of knowledge about the linguistic component of the language;
Formation of knowledge about the language of the deaf as a natural form of communication between people, the presence of similar and distinctive characteristics with other languages;
Acquaintance with the history of the emergence of the language and the stages of development;
Formation of the importance of language learning and understanding of the role of Russian and sign speech in the life of society.

Learning a language using a special program or video lesson contributes to the development of communication in different living conditions, with informal communication with friends, parents, strangers or when talking in an official setting.

It's a paradox, but often posture and facial expressions speak about a person more than words, and gestures make speech vivid and expressive. According to psychologists, the ability to read the interlocutor's gestures and use them will not interfere with successful communication. Therefore, mastering sign language will help anyone at home and at work.

What is sign language

In psychology, sign language (sign language) is a system of movements of the body and hands, which helps to better convey information, understand others; for people with hearing impairments, it is the main way of communication. Sign language is now popular among psychologists as an effective means of reading non-verbal signals.

Note. Sign language (SL), naturally arising, independently functioning, is a combination of gestures, facial expressions, posture.

The history of the appearance of the deaf-mute language

Although sign language has existed for many centuries, it began to be systematized in the 18th century, during the industrialization of European cities. There were concentrated groups of the deaf who needed to be trained. The first person who suggested the idea of \u200b\u200bteaching deaf and dumb children with the help of gestures was the Italian doctor J. Cardano. The languages \u200b\u200bof the deaf and dumb, which have national characteristics, became the basis of training. They were the basis for creating gesture interpretation.

Today sign language is rapidly developing, transforming into a full-fledged communication system. It is used to educate people with hearing impairments in schools and universities. An artificial international life style has been created - rigidly, which is used at international events.

Note. In contrast to Europe, where LJ developed in a civilized manner, in the countries of Africa and North America it was actively used by the entire population, for example, during a hunt or war.

The difference between sign language and audio language

Experts clearly distinguish between sign and sound languages. It is believed that the sound one is too cumbersome: each letter is indicated by its own sound, that is, a phoneme, only then the word is composed. Unlike spoken language, gestures denote both letters and whole words, which is more convenient for conveying information. Therefore, sign language is considered more effective.

In real life, every person daily uses a non-verbal way of communication, and he, as a person, is characterized by a look, manner of speaking, gesturing. It turns out that the speech method of communication is inaccessible to the deaf, and ordinary people easily use the language of the deaf and dumb.

Note. ZL is actually a foreign language, which, if necessary, must be studied in accordance with all the requirements of a foreign language.

Where is sign language used

It is a mistake to think that only the deaf and dumb use non-verbal. Anyone intuitively uses gestures for expressive coloring of speech. ZH is necessary in many areas of activity: on television, a sign language interpreter transmits information for the hearing impaired, divers and cosmonauts use special signs due to the inability to speak in water or air. In the theater, politics, medicine, the army, professional body movements are needed everywhere.

Differences in the language of the deaf and dumb

Sign languages \u200b\u200bcan differ geographically and nationally. Studies have shown that countries with a common sound language have different SLs, and, conversely, in places with a large number of dialects, a single sign language is used. A striking example of the American LJ, which is more similar to French and nothing to do with British, although it is common for the population of these countries - English.

In Europe, the situation is similar: the common German language in Germany and Austria does not affect the Austrian DL and German DL, which are not even similar.

According to experts, the main difficulty lies in the absence of a unified system in the language of the deaf and dumb, which is why its difference in different regions is so strong, which makes it difficult to learn.

How to quickly learn sign language in Russian

With Russian Sign Language (RSL), a different problem arises. To study it, you need to know the features of the linguistic system, which differs from other PLs lexically and grammatically. The main thing is that the grammar of the Russian ZhYa is different from the Russian spoken language due to the complex morphological transformation of words.

In addition, most of the RSL gestures are taken from German, Austrian, French sign languages, so its vocabulary is close to international.

Despite such subtleties, there are many Russian words in RSL. The initial letters of these words are indicated by fingerprinting (fingerprinting), for example, days of the week.

Note. It is important for students of RSL to know that there are 33 letters in the Russian dactyl alphabet. They correspond to the letters of the Russian alphabet and are reproduced with the help of fingers and hand movements.

The structure of teaching the language of the deaf and dumb

Now you can learn any foreign language, including the language of the deaf and dumb. The main thing is to have the desire and desire to learn. Experts advise to start teaching sign language with a selection of videos, memorizing signs on specially designed sites.

It is advisable to join groups that are created for the study of sign language. They are now easy to find on social networks and practice practical skills there. However, this method is effective when the basics of life are learned. For a faster mastery of the language of the deaf and dumb, you can use the self-instruction manual.

How to learn sign language yourself from scratch

There is no single theoretical and methodological basis for teaching sign language, mastering it independently. For those who wish, printed dictionaries and online dictionaries have been developed: the deaf teacher demonstrates a gesture in accordance with the word and gives clear articulation.

Important! When studying, the following feature is strictly taken into account: dactylology is needed for proper names (cities, people) or for words that do not have a gesture.

How to start self-study

Study plan:

The main thing is to study the dactyl alphabet - 33 gestures corresponding to a certain letter of the alphabet. In reality, the alphabet is rarely used, but knowledge of it is useful when learning new words for which there are no special gestures, for proper names when using letter gestures.
As soon as the theory is mastered, the alphabet is learned, and the basic vocabulary is acquired, communication with native speakers is necessary to train speaking skills. This can be done on thematic forums, specialized sites, where the audience is hearing impaired and deaf people.

Important! It is unrealistic to master the language of the deaf and dumb without practice. Language skills are acquired only in the process of direct communication. Then it is possible to understand sign language and be able to explain in it.

Acquaintance with fingerprinting

Getting acquainted with sign language, one must understand that it is not universal for different countries. Each region has its own, not the same alphabet and dictionary. This is the whole difficulty, since often in non-verbal communication, a gesture does not mean a letter, but a word or even a whole phrase. Therefore, knowledge of dactylology is necessary - a peculiar form of speech that includes the dactyl alphabet. In it, each letter has its own sign (dactylam), folded from fingers.

It is difficult for beginners to distinguish between sign language and the dactyl alphabet, meanwhile, dactyls spell words, and gestures spell whole words.

Finger placement technique

Dactylology is a manual alphabet, many gestures in it begin with a letter, for example, a teapot - the letter H. You need to study the dactyl alphabet step by step, without rushing, it is important to work out the technique of setting your fingers well. The hand will fatigue at first, but with constant exercise the fingers become more flexible. At first, beginners have wooden gestures. Flexibility is acquired through stretching exercises and developing the hands.

The clarity principle in the GL is the following explanation:

fingers not involved in the configuration remain straight;
in configuration, each finger acts independently;
there are no intermediate configurations between dactyls;
fuzzy, blurry configurations are defects.

Study sequence

FAL dactylology is different in each country; there is no single language for the deaf and dumb. Therefore, when studying on your own, you should adhere to certain rules:

When mastering dactyl, you need to remember the basic words, names, titles.
It is advisable to immediately master the account, the simplest numbers. This will help to consolidate the SE.
Then they learn the language itself - about 2000 different designations.
Learning gestures starts with simple words: thank you, please, hello.
You need to memorize words gradually, in one lesson, learn several gestures.

ZL is an informative way of communication that is perceived better than verbal communication. By learning to control non-verbal cues, you can interact more effectively with your interlocutors.

Video

Our world is diverse. It cannot be said that there are people who are one in one friend to another both externally and internally. So, another universe, which has its own properties, is inhabited by those who are usually called deaf and dumb people. Their perception of the environment is at times different from how a person understands reality, who do not have such physical deviations.

But it is important to note that the sign language of the deaf and dumb has the same versatility and colorfulness as that of a healthy person. The dictionary contains over 2,000 gestures. And sign signs are whole words, therefore it will not be difficult to show and learn some of them.

Non-verbal sign language

Before proceeding with the dictionary of sign language, it will be pertinent to note that one of the misconceptions about it is the opinion that it depends on the verbal language that we use every day (sound and written) or that it allegedly originated from the latter, and even that the language of the deaf and dumb was founded by the hearer. Moreover, it is incorrectly believed that gestures of a mute language are accepted as fingerprinting of letters. That is, letters are drawn with hands. But this is not the case.

In this language, dactylology is used to pronounce place names, specific terms and proper names. It is very easy to get acquainted with its basics since there is an established alphabet. And you will be able to easily communicate with the deaf and dumb, pronouncing the word with the help of gestures by letter. Sign language for the deaf in Russian dactylology has 33 dactyl signs.

Sign language lessons

More detailed information about the language of the deaf and dumb can be found in the book by G.L. Zaitseva. Sign speech. Let's take a closer look at the most common gestures.

If you ask the question: "Do I, a healthy person, need to know such a language?", The answer is simple - sometimes there is not much knowledge, sometimes it is not required. But perhaps someday, thanks to them, you will be able to help, for example, a lost deaf and dumb person.