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Research draft

sign language

vr.tr.sign-language · INF.MED

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.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems

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

signed language

is a kind of - category

manual communication

is related to - another accessibility-related communication system

Braille script

is related to - bilingualism in signed and spoken languages

multilingualism

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

non-deaf sign languagedeaf sign languageArab sign-language familyJapanese Sign Language familyfamily sign languageSign Language in Örebromanually coded languagediving sign languageProvidencia–Cayman Sign Language familyParaguay–Uruguay Sign Language familyOld Chiangmai–Bangkok Sign Language familyDanish Sign Language familyBANZSLNicaraguan Sign LanguageInternational Signhome signcontact signFrench Sign Language familyGerman Sign Language familySpanish Sign language familySwedish Sign Language familysign language in SurinameKuwaiti Sign LanguageYemeni Sign Languagemanually coded EnglishMouth-hand systemIndian Signing SystemSigned Italianmanually coded language in South Africasigned Frenchcued speechFiji Sign LanguageMaritime Sign LanguageDutch-Belgian Sign LanguagesAustro-Hungarian sign languagesSwiss-French Sign LanguageTajik sign languageBolivian Sign LanguageSelangor Sign LanguageSwiss-German Sign Language

+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.

  1. What is a sign language, why is it a full natural language, and how does it differ from gesture and manual codes? definition
  2. Which sign language is meant? boundary

Grammar

Grammar.

Grammar

Grammar.

  1. How do sign languages use hand shape, movement, space and facial expression grammatically? provenance
  2. Which entry fits sign language linguistics? action
Diversity Diversity and communities.

Attribution.

Languages

Languages and families.

Languages

Languages.

  1. How many sign languages exist, and how are families such as the Japanese and Arab sign language groups related? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific language? action

Communities

Deaf communities.

Communities

Communities.

  1. How do deaf communities describe their languages and cultures in their own terms? provenance
  2. Is the presentation respectful and attributed? boundary
Access Learning and access.

Practice.

Learn

Learning.

Learn

Learning.

  1. How can a sign language be learned, and which resources are recommended by deaf organisations? provenance
  2. Which entry fits language learning? action

Interpreting

Interpreting and rights.

Interpreting

Interpreting.

  1. What rights to interpreting and accessible services exist, and how is sign language recognised in law? provenance
  2. Which entry fits accessibility law? action
Learn History and teaching.

Education.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did sign languages and deaf education develop, including periods of suppression, according to historians and deaf communities? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Teach

Teaching.

Teach

Teaching.

  1. How can sign languages be taught and included in schools? action
  2. 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?