SIGN LANGUAGE WORK - World Federation of the Deaf
SIGN LANGUAGE WORK - World Federation of the Deaf
SIGN LANGUAGE WORK - World Federation of the Deaf
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THE FINNISH ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF<br />
• “Need to standardize <strong>the</strong> national sign language.” Whose<br />
need?<br />
• A standard variety <strong>of</strong> a language is usually promoted in<br />
education and in <strong>the</strong> media. Existence <strong>of</strong> a standard form might<br />
be used as a condition for <strong>of</strong>ficial recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> language<br />
or for its use as a language <strong>of</strong> instruction<br />
• It seems that <strong>the</strong> impetus to standardize sign languages<br />
usually come from <strong>the</strong> desire <strong>of</strong> hearing persons, not <strong>Deaf</strong><br />
persons, e.g. in <strong>the</strong>ir learning process.<br />
• Teachers and interpreters might think that <strong>the</strong>re should only be<br />
one sign for each word. This opinion reveals ignorance about<br />
sign languages<br />
• The standardization desire is focused on individual signs<br />
• Usually <strong>Deaf</strong> signers have no problem understanding each<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r, even if <strong>the</strong>y use different signs.
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