These series of articles provide insights on various facets of sign-language, with a special focus on Indian Sign Language (ISL).
Myth: Sign Languages cannot express complex ideas Fact: Despite the delusion that sign language is not a “real language”, it is a very rich and complex language. It has got the same potential to express feelings, emotions as well as complex ideas as the spoken languages do. That is true that sign language has less vocabulary …
Myth or Fact: Sign Languages cannot express complex ideas. Read More »
Myth: Sign Languages are iconic Fact: In linguistics, an iconic sign is the one that resembles its meaning in one way or another. The opposite of this is what we define as arbitrariness. Sign languages are not truly arbitrary. But there exists a relationship between the sign and the meaning it conveys—those signs are iconic. …
Myth: Sign Language can be spelled out using different hand gestures. Fact: Every country uses different ways to communicate using the sign language. For instance, India uses a two-handed finger-spelling system, while in USA and some other countries, it is one-handed. Finger-spelling has a small part to play in the world of sign language. It …
Myth or Fact: Sign Language can be spelled out using different hand gestures. Read More »
Myth: Signed Hindi/Signed English is better than the Indian Sign Language. FACT: Signed Hindi or signed English are in fact difficult than ISL as signed hindi or signed English are not actually languages on their own. Like Signed Hindi and Signed English, there are also other signed languages like Signed Urdu, Signed Marathi, Signed Telugu …
Myth or Fact: Indian Sign Language is better than Signed-Hindi or Signed-English Read More »
Myth: American Sign Language (ASL) is better than Indian Sign Language(ISL) Fact: Every sign language is better in its own way, there is and should be no comparison. Whether it is ASL, ISL or MSL, the main objective that is getting fulfilled is that deaf people can communicate with each other. Some people, including the …
Myth or Fact: American Sign Language is better than Indian Sign Language Read More »
Myth: Sign Language is invented by hearing people Fact: Some researchers believe that sign languages are in fact invented by deaf people. Deaf people are probably always building “home sign systems” to communicate with their hearing family. Home sign systems are simple sign languages with small words and not a multilingual grammar. When the deaf …
Myth or Fact: Sign Language is invented by deaf people. Read More »
Myth: Sign Language has only hand gestures. Fact: We cannot deny the fact that hand gestures are an integral part of every sign language, but sign languages are not only about using the hands. Using our facial expressions and body language is also an integral part of sign language. Expression is one of the five components …
Myth or Fact: Sign Language has only hand gestures. Read More »
Myth: Sign Language is not an independent Language. It depends on the languages spoken. Fact: The structure of each sign language differs from the structure of the spoken language of the same country. They follow their own path of development. For example, in Hindi, relationships like brother, husband and son are expressed using only one …
Myth or Fact: Sign Language is an independent Language. Read More »
Myth: Sign Language has no grammar and is all about hand gestures. Fact: People believe that communication with deaf people is easy and can be done by pointing to an object and making shapes in the air, to make them understand what they are trying to say. Some researchers have showed that the natural sign …
Myth: Sign Language is a Universal language. Fact: Sign Language is NOT same all around the world. Each country uses different sign languages. According to the statistics given by World Federation of the Deaf, there are almost 70 million deaf people in the world, and almost 80% deaf population live in developing countries. This 80% …
Myth or fact: Sign Language is a Universal language Read More »
