sign language
Let an agent explain sign languages as natural languages and their diversity, describe their grammar, communities and recognition, support learning and access questions, and address misconceptions, describing deaf communities in their own terms.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain sign languages as natural languages and their diversity, describe their grammar, communities and recognition, support learning and access questions, and address misconceptions, describing deaf communities in their own terms.
A language expressed through hand shapes, movement, facial expression and body posture rather than sound, used primarily by deaf communities as natural languages with their own grammar and vocabulary, in hundreds of distinct languages and families such as the Japanese Sign Language family and Arab sign languages, alongside village sign languages, family sign systems and manual codes for spoken languages; sign languages are full languages, recognised officially in many countries and studied in linguistics.
What it is for: Languages expressed by hands and body.
It can be explain sign languages as languages; describe diversity and grammar; support learning and access; address misconceptions.
Distinguishing features
Visual-manual modality
Full grammar
Community languages
Legal recognition
What it looks like
Signed communication using hands, face and body.
How it is recognised
Natural language in the visual-manual modality
Hundreds of distinct languages and families
Fingerspelling represents written words; gesture is not language; manual codes follow spoken grammar
Related models
is a kind of - category
is a kind of - category
is related to - another accessibility-related communication system
is related to - bilingualism in signed and spoken languages
In practice
Families and kinds
national deaf sign languages
sign language families
village and shared sign languages
family and home sign systems
manually coded spoken languages and tactile signing
Standards and regulation
Legal recognition of sign languages
Accessibility and interpreting standards
Education policy for deaf children
Failure modes and hazards
Treating sign language as universal or as gesture
Excluding deaf perspectives
Confusing sign languages with manual codes
Also called
+9
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What sign languages are.
Linguistics.
Concept
Concept and status.
Concept
Concept.
- What is a sign language, why is it a full natural language, and how does it differ from gesture and manual codes? definition
- Which sign language is meant? boundary
Grammar
Grammar.
Grammar
Grammar.
- How do sign languages use hand shape, movement, space and facial expression grammatically? provenance
- Which entry fits sign language linguistics? action
Diversity Diversity and communities.
Attribution.
Languages
Languages and families.
Languages
Languages.
- How many sign languages exist, and how are families such as the Japanese and Arab sign language groups related? provenance
- Which entry fits a specific language? action
Communities
Deaf communities.
Communities
Communities.
- How do deaf communities describe their languages and cultures in their own terms? provenance
- Is the presentation respectful and attributed? boundary
Access Learning and access.
Practice.
Learn
Learning.
Learn
Learning.
- How can a sign language be learned, and which resources are recommended by deaf organisations? provenance
- Which entry fits language learning? action
Interpreting
Interpreting and rights.
Interpreting
Interpreting.
- What rights to interpreting and accessible services exist, and how is sign language recognised in law? provenance
- Which entry fits accessibility law? action
Learn History and teaching.
Education.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did sign languages and deaf education develop, including periods of suppression, according to historians and deaf communities? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Teach
Teaching.
Teach
Teaching.
- How can sign languages be taught and included in schools? action
- Which misconceptions arise? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should each sign language be a separate entry?
- How should deaf organisations be linked?
- How should interpreting services be linked?