Welcome back. This is Aline from the University of Antwerp. In this video you will learn more about sign language interpreting, a service offering support for access to auditory information, mainly aimed at the deaf and hard of hearing. In Unit 1 you learnt that the deaf and hard of hearing community is very heterogeneous. Deaf written with a capital letter refers to the culturally Deaf community, people who usually are deaf from birth or from an early age. The culturally Deaf group uses sign language or SL the most, and is the main target group for SLI or Sign Language Interpreting. How much do you know about SL and SLI? This lecture will be built around questions. I will formulate a question, give you a few seconds to think, and then formulate the answer. Here we go. What is sign language? Sign language is a complete, complex language that employs signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. Do all deaf communities share the same sign language? No, they don't. Different sign languages are used in different countries or regions. For example, American Sign Language is different from British Sign Language. Is sign language a natural language? Yes, it is. Sign languages have their own lexicon, grammar and sentence structure. Sign languages also have their own evolutionary history. Moreover, just as with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas vary from one individual to the next. Is there an international sign language? Yes, there is. International Sign is a contact variety of sign language used mostly in international contexts, particularly at international meetings, cultural events, or media events that are watched worldwide. It is not as complex as natural sign languages, and it has a limited lexicon. Can sign language tackle complex and abstract topics? Yes, it can. You can be as inventive, philosophical or complicated in sign language as you can be in any other natural language. Can sign language be used to render music or visual arts? Yes, it can. Sign language is also used artistically to represent music, visual and performing arts. Creative users keep expanding its possibilities. What does a sign language interpreter do? Sign language interpreters help the hearing-impaired or deaf understand what is being communicated at any type of gathering. A sign language interpreter converts sign language into spoken language and/or the other way around. When do I need a sign language interpreter? Schools, businesses and medical facilities but also cultural centres and anyone organising live events needs to hire one or several sign language interpreters to ensure accurate, clear communication between hearing and deaf people. This can be for communication before or during a performance, between individuals or groups. Interpreters are also familiar with Deaf culture and can provide guidance with the practicalities of communication access. Now... Would you like to see an example? Go to the website of TED – Ideas Worth Spreading. Their archive has several interesting talks given in sign language and interpreted by a professional sign language interpreter. Would you like to read more about sign language and sign language interpreting in your region? Simply Google: British English or French or German, or virtually any other language + sign language. There is lots of expert advice to be had online.
