6 The recognition of British Sign Language British Sign Language is one of the minority languages of Britain, and is probably used by at least 50,0005 people as their only or preferred language, which is about one in 1,000 of the population. Comparisons with the extent of other minority languages in Britain are difficult, first because the necessary data are not available, and second because the basis on which comparisons could be made is unclear. For example, it is often stated that the second and third natural languages of Britain are Welsh, spoken by 50,000; and Scots Gaelic, spoken by 80,000-100,000. However, this may make for misleading comparisons as for many of these language users English will be their first language, unlike the majority of BSL users. The number of monoglot users of Welsh and Scots Gaelic is thought to be negligible, whereas for a substantial proportion of BSL users it is their only language. In addition, there are also many other languages in use in Britain-it is likely, for example, that the number of Urdu speakers exceeds the number of Welsh speakers, although figures are not available. British Sign Language is becoming increasingly visible. Some television programmes have interpretation into BSL, and while the amount is still small, it is seen on some news programmes, specialist programmes for deaf people, in the signed interpretation of political party conferences and the Queen's speech at Christmas. Its identity as a unique language was only first established in October 1975 in a paper by Mary Brennan, published in the USA in the American Annals of the Deaf; which was re-published in this country in a supplement to The British Deaf News in February 1976.6 She says:
The discussion which follows will be concerned with so-called conventional or native-signing, i.e. with that communication system, which makes use of a set of directly semantic manual signs organised independently of English ... The abbreviation B.S.L. will be used for the abstraction 'British Sign Language' and A.S.L. for 'American Sign Language'. Although the use of these labels is primarily a matter of convenience, the incorporation of the term 'language' implies a theoretical position which will be expanded in the following pages. (Brennan, 1976)
This paper by Brennan was an important trigger for work in education and linguistics in this country. The first systematic study of BSL started at much the same time, by Margaret Deuchar who began her research in 1976. Deuchar had been influenced by work in the USA, where sign language research was already in progress. There the first person to focus attention on
'There has never been a complete survey and so figures for the numbers using the language are est~matesand these vary For example Deuchar (1984) 40,000 Br~t~shDeaf Assoc~at~on(1987) 50,000 Sainsbury (1986) 70,000-80,000 6An earlier reference could possibly be identified in Stokoe's Semiotics and Human Sign Languages, 1972, where he refers to 'British S~gnLanguage signers' on p. 121.
For this man is very well known. And I myself know a certain peasant, a speaking man, who by a speaking wife had four or more sons and daughters . who were deaf mutes. They were perceived to be mutes because they could not speak; and to be deaf also, because they understood only signs that could be perceived by eye.
The first documentation of sign languages is found in the books of Bulwer: Chirologia: or the Natural Language of the Hand (1644) and Philocophus: or the Deaf and Dumb Man's Friend (1648).
4 Reading Accounts of the early developments of slgnlng ore found In the two Set Books
Brlhsh Slgn language A Beginner's Guide by Mlles, pp 15-26 And In Reader Two Artlcle 6 2, 'Hlstorlcal and Comparative Aspects of BS1' by Benc~eWoll You should read these accounts now 4
Yet throughout history this signed communication was referred to as signing, or manual communication, or occasionally sign language (as a general term), rather than being specified as a language in its own right. Often discussion would even point out that signing was not a language-a point we shall return to later in Section 7. As late as April 1979, a seminar called to discuss 'Methods of Communication Currently Used in the Education of Deaf Children' had no reference to a British Sign Language but described signing variously as manualism, manual communication, manual systems and other terms largely including the word 'manual'.
ITQ What are the implications of moving from terms such as 'manual methods' to British Sign Language? Consider this with respect to: (a) the Deaf community; (b) the educational establishment.
The use of the word 'language' implies a full communication system which has infinite possibilities. Dropping the term 'manual' means the language is not just conveyed by hands. For the Deaf community it means that their language is seen as a proper language and a matter of pride rather than as a debased method of communication. Deaf people can be considered as a linguistic minority group rather than as a group disabled by their limited communication. The term 'British Sign Language' could legitimate its use in education in a way that 'manual methods' does not. This is discussed further in Unit 5.