DOCSLIB.ORG

A Study of Lexical Variation, Comprehension and Language

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Study of Lexical Variation, Comprehension and Language A Study of Lexical Variation, Comprehension and Language Attitudes in Deaf Users of Chinese Sign Language (CSL) from Beijing and Shanghai Yunyi Ma UCL Ph.D. in Psychology and Language Science I, Yunyi Ma, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. The ethics for this project have been approved by UCL’s Ethics Committee (Project ID Number: EPI201503). Signed: ii Abstract Regional variation between the Beijing and Shanghai varieties, particularly at the lexical level, has been observed by sign language researchers in China (Fischer & Gong, 2010; Shen, 2008; Yau, 1977). However, few investigations into the variation in Chinese Sign Language (CSL) from a sociolinguistic perspective have previously been undertaken. The current study is the first to systematically study sociolinguistic variation in CSL signers’ production and comprehension of lexical signs as well as their language attitudes. This thesis consists of three studies. The first study investigates the lexical variation between Beijing and Shanghai varieties. Results of analyses show that age, region and semantic category are the factors influencing lexical variation in Beijing and Shanghai signs. To further explore the findings of lexical variation, a lexical recognition task was undertaken with Beijing and Shanghai signers in a second study looking at mutual comprehension of lexical signs used in Beijing and Shanghai varieties. The results demonstrate that Beijing participants were able to understand more Shanghai signs than Shanghai participants could understand Beijing signs. Historical contact is proposed in the study as a possible major cause for the asymmetrical intelligibility between the two varieties. The third study investigated signers’ attitudes towards regional varieties of CSL and Signed Chinese via a questionnaire. The findings demonstrate that older signers tended to have a conservative attitude towards their comprehension of regional signs of CSL, and that participants of both regions tended to ascribe high solidarity to their own varieties and high social status to Signed Chinese. This study has expanded our knowledge of sociolinguistic variation in Beijing and Shanghai signing varieties, and lays the groundwork for a future comprehensive study of the regional varieties in CSL. This study may also serve as a useful reference for official sign language planning in China including such issues as promoting a standardised lexicon across China and offering qualifications for CSL learners and interpreters. iii Acknowledgements During the four years of being a Ph.D. student, I have benefited greatly from a number of key individuals whose help, support, and encouragement were the catalyst for this thesis. I would like to give them my sincere thanks. First and foremost are my supervisors Prof. Bencie Woll and Dr. Kearsy Cormier. They have provided immensely professional and generous advice for my thesis. Bencie, my primary supervisor, has generously provided her own funds to support my data collection in Beijing and Shanghai. She is always willing to counsel and direct me to people and resources from whom and which my research has greatly benefited. I also owe so much to Kearsy, who always offers detailed comments on my work, and never hesitates to show affirmation in my work to keep building my confidence in writing. Although she is my secondary supervisor, the counsel I have received from her is definitely far beyond what a secondary supervisor could normally offer. I am so lucky to have both of them being my supervisors. In short, this thesis owes much to their insightful guidance, enthusiasm in my project, and not least at all, infinite patience with my slow progress over the past few years. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the deaf individuals who participated in the three studies of this thesis and a big thank you to the individuals who have provided crucial help during my trips for data collection in China. Xu Jianping is a responsible and trustworthy deaf friend who not only assisted me to recruit the deaf participants in Shanghai but also introduced to me the researchers and fieldworkers in Beijing Normal University. The fieldworkers in Beijing, Wu Yongsheng and Qiu Bing, made the procedure of data collection very organised, starting from recruiting Beijing deaf participants to sorting the collected documents. My fieldwork went much more smoothly thanks to their professional work ethics. I would also thank Prof. Gu Dingqian and Wei Dan for kindly providing the filming sites in iv Beijing Normal University. I also owe my Hong Kong friend Ella Hoiling Wong an appreciation for her help in reproducing the lexical stimuli in the lexical comprehension task. My appreciation also goes to Prof. Gong Qunhu for sharing with me important reference on sociolinguistic research on CSL and for allowing me to join the weekly sign language seminar held in Fudan University. I would also like to thank the faculty members and students from East China Normal University, my M.A supervisor Prof. Jisheng Zhang for guiding me to the studies of sign linguistics, and my colleague Yanhong Wu for continuously sharing updates on relevant researches going on in China with me. My research has also benefited from Dr. Adam Schembri whose answers to my questions on Rbrul have been essential. I also owe a big thank you to Dr. David McKee for kindly sharing with me his student’s dissertation on HKSL, and to Dr. Bronwen Evans for being the examiner in my upgrade viva. Many of her suggestions in the upgrade viva have laid a solid foundation for the initial start-up of my research. I would also like to sincerely thank Dr. Lisa McEntee- Atalianis and Dr. Junhui Yang who kindly agreed to be the external examiners for my thesis viva. Without their detailed and insightful comments during the process of revision, the thesis would not have been professional and persuasive as it is now. My gratitude also goes to the warm and friendly DCAL staff: to Hannah Philips-Haynes for her help with many administrative issues around DCAL and UCL; to Daniel Diaz, for his kind help with the installation and use of all kinds of software; to Sannah Gulamani for demonstrating the data coding for me; to Dr. Gabrielle Hodge and Dr. Elizabeth Manrique Cordeje for always being nice and supportive; to Heidi Proctor for being a nice officemate and for organising the weekly BSL lunch. I would also like to thank Antonietta Esposito for offering kind help along the four years of my study in UCL. I would also like to thank the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for offering me the scholarship to support my study in London throughout the four years. v Last, but definitely not the least, thanks to my family for their unconditional love and support. Special thanks to my mother Meirong Lin and father Changle Ma who have been supporting me anytime and anywhere unconditionally. Thanks to my sister Yunxin Ma for the emotional support when things did not go well. We have always been the best friends to each other. I would also like to thank my boyfriend Jiachen Zhang who has provided the most crucial support throughout my four years of study in the UK. This thesis would not be possible without him. Pursuing a PhD in UCL was totally beyond my imagination five years ago. Without the help, support and love from these lovely people, this journey would never have come true. vi Impact Statement This research investigated the sign language used by deaf people in China from a sociolinguistic perspective. The use of lexical signs, comprehension of regional signs, and attitudes towards the varieties among the signers were found to vary along social and linguistic factors. It is hoped that the findings obtained from the research will have an impact on linguistic studies of sign languages, language policy and public awareness of the deaf people in China. The study of Chinese Sign Language (CSL) as a language started relatively late compared with work on other sign languages. The current study is the first systematic investigation of sociolinguistic variation of lexical signs in CSL, with data collected from deaf signers in Beijing and Shanghai. The study thus lays the groundwork for future research on a comprehensive study of regional varieties in CSL. The results from this research will be written up for publication, to disseminate both across China and abroad, and to serve as reference materials for teachers in deaf schools, sign language interpreters and sign language researchers. Another benefit arising from the current research is the potential for contributing to language policy making on sign language in China. Until recently, language policies on Chinese Sign Language in China have placed the focus on promoting a standard sign variety, while possibly neglecting the variation in natural signing used within the deaf community. With the increasing amount of research that has been carried out on natural sign languages in recent decades, this tradition is now undergoing some changes. The current study thus can serve as relevant reference for language planning on issues such as implementing a standardised lexicon across China, and the data collected for the study can be shared to CSL learners and sign language interpreters as learning materials. Finally, the research helps promote to the public the language used by the deaf community of China. Deaf people in China are socially marginalised and are seen by many as just disabled individuals. This is reflected by the overall negative attitudes towards deaf people in public. vii This research, which explores the signing used by deaf signers in China, aims to see the deaf community in China as a cultural and linguistic group and hopes to contribute to the public awareness of deaf community in China.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sign Language Typology Series
    SIGN LANGUAGE TYPOLOGY SERIES The Sign Language Typology Series is dedicated to the comparative study of sign languages around the world. Individual or collective works that systematically explore typological variation across sign languages are the focus of this series, with particular emphasis on undocumented, underdescribed and endangered sign languages. The scope of the series primarily includes cross-linguistic studies of grammatical domains across a larger or smaller sample of sign languages, but also encompasses the study of individual sign languages from a typological perspective and comparison between signed and spoken languages in terms of language modality, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to sign language typology. Interrogative and Negative Constructions in Sign Languages Edited by Ulrike Zeshan Sign Language Typology Series No. 1 / Interrogative and negative constructions in sign languages / Ulrike Zeshan (ed.) / Nijmegen: Ishara Press 2006. ISBN-10: 90-8656-001-6 ISBN-13: 978-90-8656-001-1 © Ishara Press Stichting DEF Wundtlaan 1 6525XD Nijmegen The Netherlands Fax: +31-24-3521213 email: [email protected] http://ishara.def-intl.org Cover design: Sibaji Panda Printed in the Netherlands First published 2006 Catalogue copy of this book available at Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag (www.kb.nl/depot) To the deaf pioneers in developing countries who have inspired all my work Contents Preface........................................................................................................10
    [Show full text]
  • Download Full Issue In
    Theory and Practice in Language Studies ISSN 1799-2591 Volume 9, Number 11, November 2019 Contents REGULAR PAPERS Adoption of Electronic Techniques in Teaching English-Yoruba Bilingual Youths the Semantic 1369 Expansion and Etymology of Yoruba Words and Statements B T Opoola and A F, Opoola EFL Instructors’ Performance Evaluation at University Level: Prescriptive and Collaborative 1379 Approaches Thaer Issa Tawalbeh Lexico-grammatical Analysis of Native and Non-native Abstracts Based on Halliday’s SFL Model 1388 Massome Raeisi, Hossein Vahid Dastjerdi, and Mina Raeisi A Corpus-based 3M Approach to the Teaching of English Unaccusative Verbs 1396 Junhua Mo A Study on Object-oriented Adverbials in Mandarin from a Cognitive Perspective 1403 Linze Li Integrating Multiple Intelligences in the EFL Syllabus: Content Analysis 1410 Salameh S. Mahmoud and Mamoon M. Alaraj A Spatial Analysis of Isabel Archer in The Portrait of a Lady 1418 Chenying Bai Is the Spreading of Internet Neologisms Netizen-Driven or Meme-driven? Diachronic and Synchronic 1424 Study of Chinese Internet Neologism Tuyang Tusen Po Zongwei Song Recreating the Image of a “Chaste Wife”: Transitivity in Two Translations of Chinese Ancient Poem 1433 Jie Fu Yin Shilong Tao Evokers of the Divine Message: Mysticism of American Transcendentalism in Emerson’s “Nature” 1442 and the Mystic Thought in Rumi’s Masnavi Amirali Ansari and Hossein Jahantigh 1449 Huaiyu Mu Analysis on Linguistic Art of Broadcasting in the New Media Era 1454 Chunli Wang A Critical Evaluation of Krashen’s Monitor Model 1459 Wen Lai and Lifang Wei ISSN 1799-2591 Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Diverse and Localised Tibetan Sign Language Was Consolidated, Standardised and Promoted by the Tibet Deaf Association?
    “MAKING IT WORK!” Good Practice case study How the diverse and localised Tibetan Sign Language was consolidated, standardised and promoted by the Tibet Deaf Association? Title: Tibetan Sign Language Development and Promotion Organization/project: Tibet Deaf Association Location: Lhasa and Shigatse Prefectures, TAR - CHINA Scope: Regional (Tibet Autonomous Region) Related articles of the UNCRPD This practice relates to articles 21, 24, 30 concerning the freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information ; education; participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport. Related articles of the China National Law of the Protection of Persons with Disabilities (2008) This practice relates to : Article 29 “Government department concerned shall organize and support the research and application of (…) sign language.” Article 47 (3) “ Offer TV programs in sign language, (…) add subtitles or narrations to more TV programs and movie. Article 55 (…) “ in public services, information in sign language shall be made available to persons with disabilities”. LOCAL CULTURE EDUCATION -EQUAL OPPORTUNITY- INNOVATION TIBETAN SIGN LANGUAGE INCLUSION – ACCESSIBILITY Promotion of the Tibetan Sign Language dictionary 4th Key words Edition Background and context Social and cultural settings strongly influence the development of all languages. This is a common rule, and especially relevant for sign language which is a visual language. Tibetans, as an ethnic group of China, have their own culture and lifestyle. Members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in TAR are influenced by native cultures, beliefs and traditions, developing individual vocabulary and grammar. Based on this principal, members of the Tibetan deaf and hard-of-hearing community developed a sign language on the region’s cultural and linguistic characteristics that differ from the standard Chinese Sign Language.
    [Show full text]
  • Prayer Cards (709)
    Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations A Che in China A'ou in China Population: 43,000 Population: 2,800 World Popl: 43,000 World Popl: 2,800 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 1 People Cluster: Tibeto-Burman, other People Cluster: Tai Main Language: Ache Main Language: Chinese, Mandarin Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Status: Unreached Status: Unreached Evangelicals: 0.00% Evangelicals: 0.00% Chr Adherents: 0.00% Chr Adherents: 0.00% Scripture: Translation Needed Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest www.joshuaproject.net Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations A-Hmao in China Achang in China Population: 458,000 Population: 35,000 World Popl: 458,000 World Popl: 74,000 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 2 People Cluster: Miao / Hmong People Cluster: Tibeto-Burman, other Main Language: Miao, Large Flowery Main Language: Achang Main Religion: Christianity Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Status: Significantly reached Status: Partially reached Evangelicals: 75.0% Evangelicals: 7.0% Chr Adherents: 80.0% Chr Adherents: 7.0% Scripture: Complete Bible Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net www.joshuaproject.net Source: Anonymous Source: Wikipedia "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations Achang, Husa in China Adi
    [Show full text]
  • “Goat-Sheep-Mixed-Sign” in Lhasa – Deaf Tibetans' Language Ideologies
    Theresia Hofer “Goat-Sheep-Mixed-Sign” in Lhasa – Deaf Tibetans’ language ideologies and unimodal codeswitching in Tibetan and Chinese sign languages, Tibet Autonomous Region, China 1 Introduction Among Tibetan signers in Lhasa, there is a growing tendency to mix Tibetan Sign Language (TSL) and Chinese Sign Language (CSL). I have been learning TSL from deaf TSL teachers and other deaf, signing Tibetan friends since 2007, but in more recent conversations with them I have been more and more exposed to CSL. In such contexts, signing includes not only loan signs, loan blends or loan trans- lations from CSL that have been used in TSL since its emergence, such as signs for new technical inventions or scientific terms. It also includes codeswitching to CSL lexical items related to core social acts, kinship terms or daily necessities, for which TSL has its own signs, such as for concepts including “to marry”, “mother”, “father”, “teacher”, “house”, “at home”, “real”, “fake”, “wait”, “why”, “thank you” and so on.1 Some Tibetan signers refer to the resulting mixed sign language as “neither- goat-nor-sheep sign” (in Tibetan ra-ma-luk lak-da). This phrase is partly derived from the standard Lhasa Tibetan expression of something or somebody being “neither-goat-nor-sheep” (in Tibetan ra-ma-luk), an expression widely used in the context of codeswitching between Lhasa Tibetan and Putunghua (i.e. stan- dard Chinese) and the resulting “neither-goat-nor-sheep language” (in Tibetan 1 Although the acronym TSL is also used for Taiwan Sign Language and Thai Sign Language, I use it here, because it is used in the English designations of many TSL-related publications written in the Tibetan language, co-authored by deaf Tibetans.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexander Vovin 1 Curriculum Vitae for Alexander Vovin
    Alexander Vovin Curriculum Vitae for Alexander Vovin ADDRESSES home address: work address: 1, rue de Jean-François Lépine EHESS-CRLAO 75018 Paris FRANCE 131, bd Saint-Michel 75005 Paris, FRANCE [email protected] [email protected] PERSONAL DATA Born 01/27/1961 in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), Russia US citizen, married (spouse: Sambi Ishisaki Vovin (石崎（ボビン）賛美), two children EDUCATION Leningrad State U. "Kandidat filologicheskikh nauk"(=Ph.D.) 10/29/87 Dissertation: The Language of the Japanese prose of the second half of the XI Century. 189 pp. In Russian. Leningrad State U. "Vysshee Obrazovanie" (=MA) June, 1983 Philological Faculty, Department of Structural and Applied Linguistics. Thesis: The Dictionary Bongo zōmyō (『梵語雑名』) as a Source for the Description of some Peculiarities of the Phonetics of Early 18th Century Japanese. 73 pp. In Russian. EMPLOYMENT 01/01/2014 Directeur d’études, linguistique historique du Japon et de l’Asie du Nord- present Est, EHESS/CRLAO, Paris, France 08/01/2003 - Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Department of 01/10/2014 East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, USA 08/01/1997- Associate Professor of Japanese, Department of 07/31/2003 East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, USA 08/01/1995- Assistant Professor of Japanese, Department of 07/31/1997 East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, USA 08/01/1994- Assistant Professor of Japanese, Department of 07/31/1995 German, Russian, and East Asian Languages, Miami University, USA 9/1/1990 - Assistant Professor of Japanese Language & 06/30/1994 Linguistics, Department of Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Michigan, USA 1 Alexander Vovin 6/1/1990 - Visiting Lecturer in Japanese, Department of Asian Languages 8/31/1990 & Cultures, University of Michigan, USA 3/1/1989 - Junior Scientific Researcher, Far East Sector, May, 1990 Japanese Group, Inst.
    [Show full text]
  • Goat-Sheep-Mixed-Sign” in Lhasa - Deaf Tibetans’ Language Ideologies and Unimodal Codeswitching in Tibetan and Chinese Sign Languages, Tibet Autonomous Region, China’
    Hofer, T. (2020). "Goat-Sheep-Mixed-Sign” in Lhasa - Deaf Tibetans’ Language Ideologies and Unimodal Codeswitching in Tibetan and Chinese Sign Languages, Tibet Autonomous Region, China’. In A. Kusters, M. E. Green, E. Moriarty Harrelson, & K. Snoddon (Eds.), Sign Language Ideologies in Practice (pp. 81-105). DeGruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510090-005 Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record License (if available): CC BY-NC-ND Link to published version (if available): 10.1515/9781501510090-005 Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via DeGruyter at https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501510090-005 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher. University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/red/research-policy/pure/user-guides/ebr-terms/ Theresia Hofer “Goat-Sheep-Mixed-Sign” in Lhasa – Deaf Tibetans’ language ideologies and unimodal codeswitching in Tibetan and Chinese sign languages, Tibet Autonomous Region, China 1 Introduction Among Tibetan signers in Lhasa, there is a growing tendency to mix Tibetan Sign Language (TSL) and Chinese Sign Language (CSL). I have been learning TSL from deaf TSL teachers and other deaf, signing Tibetan friends since 2007, but in more recent conversations with them I have been more and more exposed to CSL. In such contexts, signing includes not only loan signs, loan blends or loan trans- lations from CSL that have been used in TSL since its emergence, such as signs for new technical inventions or scientific terms.
    [Show full text]
  • Iconicity in Chinese Sign Language
    Proceedings of the 20th North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL-20). 2008. Volume 1. Edited by Marjorie K.M. Chan and Hana Kang. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University. Pages 343-360. Modality Effects Revisited: Iconicity in Chinese Sign Language Marjorie K.M. Chan and Wang Xu The Ohio State University Tai (2005) argues for the importance of iconicity as a fundamental property of language, illustrating the modality effects of iconicity through the study of a set of iconic devices used in Taiwan Sign Language (TSL). This paper extends Tai’s research, in exploring the iconic devices used in another Asian sign language, Chinese Sign Language (CSL). Some preliminary comparisons are made in this paper between CSL and TSL lexical items, based on an examination of the iconic devices used in the CSL and TSL signs, and determining the iconic motivations underlying the signs that are formed. The study provides a glimpse into the pre- valence of iconicity in CSL and TSL, a strong trend across sign languages, making iconicity one of the most significant modality differences between sign and speech, with important ramifications for future studies on language structure, language acquisition, language processing, language change, etc. (Quinto-Pozos 2007b).* 0. Introduction The seminal work of William C. Stokoe and his associates (Stokoe 1960; Stokoe et al. 1965) and the ensuing research by Klima and Bellugi (1979) and their associates have firmly established that signed language is natural language, with a full system of linguistic
    [Show full text]
  • THE MEDIA's INFLUENCE on SUCCESS and FAILURE of DIALECTS: the CASE of CANTONESE and SHAAN'xi DIALECTS Yuhan Mao a Thesis Su
    THE MEDIA’S INFLUENCE ON SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF DIALECTS: THE CASE OF CANTONESE AND SHAAN’XI DIALECTS Yuhan Mao A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Language and Communication) School of Language and Communication National Institute of Development Administration 2013 ABSTRACT Title of Thesis The Media’s Influence on Success and Failure of Dialects: The Case of Cantonese and Shaan’xi Dialects Author Miss Yuhan Mao Degree Master of Arts in Language and Communication Year 2013 In this thesis the researcher addresses an important set of issues - how language maintenance (LM) between dominant and vernacular varieties of speech (also known as dialects) - are conditioned by increasingly globalized mass media industries. In particular, how the television and film industries (as an outgrowth of the mass media) related to social dialectology help maintain and promote one regional variety of speech over others is examined. These issues and data addressed in the current study have the potential to make a contribution to the current understanding of social dialectology literature - a sub-branch of sociolinguistics - particularly with respect to LM literature. The researcher adopts a multi-method approach (literature review, interviews and observations) to collect and analyze data. The researcher found support to confirm two positive correlations: the correlative relationship between the number of productions of dialectal television series (and films) and the distribution of the dialect in question, as well as the number of dialectal speakers and the maintenance of the dialect under investigation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to express sincere thanks to my advisors and all the people who gave me invaluable suggestions and help.
    [Show full text]
  • Situation of Sign Language Interpreting in the Asian Region (July 2015)
    Situation of sign language interpreting in the Asian region (July 2015) 1. How many accredited sign language interpreters are there in your country? Country Number of interpreters Bangladesh 30 interpreters Cambodia 6 interpreters are employed by the DDP program and 2 interpreters from Punonpen. China Hong Kong Approx. 10 interpreters. There is no certified interpreter. India 45 Diploma (Top Level in ISL so far) passed from AYJNIHH, currently undergoing Diploma in ISL interpreting – 43. Approx 20 from Ramakrishna Mission ISL centre. But NOT ALL are registered with Rehabilitation Council of India yet. Rest basic B level (6 months training) interpreters approx – 80 Indonesia At the moment in Jakarta we have 7 active SLI from 14-SLI that are accepted by Gerkatin (the mother organization for the deaf in Indonesia) and are used in formal and informal events. There are about 15 SLI serving in churches, a decreased from 20-SLI in 2010. Japan Nationally certified: 3,500 Prefecturally certified: about 4,000-5,000 Employed sign language interpreters: 1,500 Jordan Approx. 35 certified interpreters. Possibly another 35 non-certified. Quite a number are CODA’s with minimal education. Most interpreters have Diploma or University degrees. Interpreter training done at one of the Institute for Deaf Education. Plans are afoot to formalize and develop Interpreter training and take it to Diploma level. Macau Macau Deaf Association has 7 sign language interpreters at work currently. Malaysia 50 interpreters in Malaysia Association of Sign Language Interpreters (Myasli). 80 accredited sign Language interpreters in Malaysia. Mongolia We do not have an accreditation system yet.
    [Show full text]
  • Gesture, Body and Language in Tibet and the Himalayas
    WORKSHOP: GESTURE, BODY AND LANGUAGE IN TIBET AND THE HIMALAYAS TUESDAY, 25th OF JUNE 2019, Wolfson ColleGe 8:00 – 9:00 Arrival, Coffee & Registration in Lodge Area 9:00 – 9:30 WELCOME AND GENERAL INTRODUCTION, Theresia Hofer, SeMinar RooM 2 9:30 to 11:00 SESSION I: GESTURE AND BUDDHIST DEBATE, SeMinar RooM 2 Tenzin Choephel & Jonathan Samuels Practical Demonstration of Tibetan Buddhist Debate Gestures Jonathan Samuels, Wolfson JRF AniMated Discussions: Reflections on the Place and History of Tibetan Debate Gestures Chair: tbc Discussion 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break 11:30 – 12:30 KEYNOTE LECTURE, SeMinar RooM 2 Mara Green StudyinG Deaf CoMMunication in Nepal: Notes on Theories and Barnard College, NYC Methods This talk focuses on natural sign, a term I take from Nepali Sign Language (NSL) that refers to less conventionalized modes of signing used by deaf Nepalis who are not NSL signers. Drawing on over a decade of involvement with both deaf and hearing worlds in Nepal, I examine how intensive participant observation and attention to deaf signers’ metalinguistic categories and insights have been critical to my understanding of natural sign as a phenomenon distinct from the classifications familiar from the (English- language) literature on signing. Natural sign is socially and linguistically distinct from co-speech gesture, home sign, village sign languages, and national sign languages. In addition, I show, natural sign conversations are characterized by a seemingly-unique mixture of fluency and frequent mis- or non- understanding. I argue that both the affordances and limits of natural sign as semiotic system and the shifting stances of signers toward the very possibility of interaction must be taken into account, revealing the importance of interaction-focused research.
    [Show full text]
  • Prayer Cards | Joshua Project
    Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations A Che in China A'ou in China Population: 43,000 Population: 2,800 World Popl: 43,000 World Popl: 2,800 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 1 People Cluster: Tibeto-Burman, other People Cluster: Tai Main Language: Ache Main Language: Chinese, Mandarin Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Status: Unreached Status: Unreached Evangelicals: 0.00% Evangelicals: 0.00% Chr Adherents: 0.00% Chr Adherents: 0.00% Scripture: Translation Needed Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest www.joshuaproject.net Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations A-Hmao in China Achang in China Population: 458,000 Population: 35,000 World Popl: 458,000 World Popl: 74,000 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 2 People Cluster: Miao / Hmong People Cluster: Tibeto-Burman, other Main Language: Miao, Large Flowery Main Language: Achang Main Religion: Christianity Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Status: Significantly reached Status: Partially reached Evangelicals: 75.0% Evangelicals: 7.0% Chr Adherents: 80.0% Chr Adherents: 7.0% Scripture: Complete Bible Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net www.joshuaproject.net Source: Anonymous Source: Wikipedia "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations Achang, Husa in China Adi
    [Show full text]