Dimecres, 26.5.2010. 23:00h
Josep-Lluís Carod Rovira, vicepresident del Govern català, Barcelona, 26 de maig 2010
Source: http://www.la-clau.net/noticia/el-parlament-de-catalunya-aprova-la-llengua-de-signes-catalana-4481
Posts Tagged ‘Sign language’
May
26
2010
El Parlament de Catalunya aprova la llengua de signes catalana
Apr
20
2010
Is American Sign Language a ‘foreign’ language?
On many college campuses, it is, but to some, it doesn’t make the cut, sparking a fierce debate about the nature of culture and language itself
April 18, 2010|By Angie Leventis Lourgos, Tribune reporter
Twenty students are holding several animated small-group discussions, but no one in this Northern Illinois University classroom utters a word.
Their fingers weave in complex patterns as they converse in American Sign Language, which the university has declared an official foreign language.
To the students, the new label is fitting: They say that American Sign Language is distinct from spoken English and that its coursework provides a new perspective akin to the cultural immersion they’d experience in French, Spanish or other traditional language classes.
“It shapes how you view the world around you,” said Christine Theobold, a sophomore from Streamwood who is taking the most advanced sign class at NIU. “I guess it’s how you view the word ‘foreign.’”
But the practice of awarding foreign language credit for American Sign Language coursework has been fiercely debated at universities across the country. Some educators argue an indigenous language by definition can’t be considered foreign. Others say a language must have literature for proper study.
(more…)
Jun
28
2009
Sign language gatherings bond the deaf with hearing friends
By KATHRYN REM, THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER. Posted Jun 28, 2009 @ 12:00 AM
When Cathi Blickenstaff and Erin Rachford met for the first time at a youth retreat, they had a hard time communicating. That’s because Blickenstaff is deaf and Rachford didn’t know sign language.
“Cathi sparked my interest in signing,” said Rachford, a nurse at St. John’s Hospital who sometimes deals with patients who cannot hear.
She took American Sign Language classes and then started accompanying Blickenstaff to informal Monday night restaurant dinners known as “Silent Suppers” or “Deaf Dinners.”
The 5 p.m. get-togethers, held weekly at various Springfield eateries, provide opportunities to improve sign language skills and to socialize.
“Hearing people are welcome to join, and it’s good for those who are learning to know how to use sign language to communicate with the deaf at a comfortable level,” said Pat Gurley, a state employee who hosts the dinners with Blickenstaff.
“Sometimes we have people coming in from Jacksonville and Decatur. Even some college students who are home on breaks join us,” she said.
Attendance ranges from 10 to 30 per week. The suppers, which last about two hours, alternate between restaurants on the east and west sides of towns. Good lighting and long tables allow diners to see each other, encouraging interaction.
(more…)
