Learn sign language for the deaf. Elementary Sign Language Courses. Youth hand gestures and their meaning
In our classes, we devoted more and more time to the history of writing. But this time I wanted something different, more unusual and modern. So the idea came to my mind to tell children about other languages. The plans already include:
Sign language;
- the language of spies;
- programming languages;
- Braille cipher.
Hard is the language of people with hearing impairments.
Deaf people communicate with gestures - quick hand movements accompanied by a lively facial expression. These gestures, like any other language, need to be learned. They quickly convey information to the interlocutor. Where the hearers need a lot of words, for example: Shall we go across the bridge? ", One gesture is enough for the deaf.
This opportunity is also used where it is impossible to hear: under water for divers or in space for astronauts working outside the spacecraft.
International alphabet of gestures. Each language has its own system for naming letters or sounds.
Deaf and dumb sign languages differ from country to country. There are TV shows in which the text is "translated" for the deaf. Then, in the corner of the screen, you can see the announcer, who silently gestures, i.e. speaks sign language.
There are more than 13 million deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. The birth of a child with hearing impairments in a family is a difficult test for both parents and the child himself, who needs special teaching aids and, importantly, communication with peers and relatives. Fortunately, the Russian Society of the Deaf is actively working on this front. Thanks to the activities of its branches, people with hearing impairments unite and communicate with each other, without feeling excluded from the social process.
There are also problems: a shortage of educational institutions, where people with hearing impairments are accepted for training, a shortage of sign language interpreters and teaching aids that allow them to master sign language.
Russian Sign Language is an independent linguistic unit that is used for communication by people with hearing impairments.
Sign language does not consist only of a static figure shown by hands - it also contains a dynamic component (the hands move in a certain way and are in a certain position relative to the face) and a mimic component (the speaker's facial expression illustrates a gesture). It is also customary to "pronounce" words with your lips during a conversation in a harsh manner.
In addition to this, when dealing with people with hearing impairments, it is worth being extremely attentive to your posture and involuntary hand gestures - they can be misinterpreted.
Sign language is based on dactyl (finger) alphabet. Each letter of the Russian language corresponds to a certain gesture (see the picture).
Knowing this alphabet will help you at first to overcome the "language barrier" between you and the person with hearing impairments. But fingerprinting (spelling) is rarely used by the deaf in everyday speech. Its main purpose is to pronounce proper names, as well as terms for which their own gesture has not yet been formed.
For most words in Russian Sign Language, there is a gesture that denotes the whole word. At the same time, I want to note that almost all gestures are intuitive and very logical. For example:
"To write" - we kind of take a pen and write on the palm of our hand. "Count" - we begin to bend our fingers. "Grandpa" - very much like a beard, right? Sometimes, in gestures for complex concepts, you simply wonder how accurately the essence of the subject is noticed.
The structure of sign language is not complicated at all. The word order corresponds to the usual sentences of the Russian language. For prepositions and conjunctions from one letter, their finger gesture (a letter from the alphabet) is used. Verbs are not conjugated or inflected. To indicate the time, it is enough to give a marker word (Yesterday, Tomorrow, 2 days ago) or put the gesture "was" in front of the verb.
Like any other language, Russian sign language is very lively, it changes all the time and varies greatly from region to region. Manuals and teaching materials are updated at a snail's pace. Therefore, the recent publication of a primer for children with hearing impairments has become a real event.
The main gestures with which you can communicate with deaf people are quite elementary:
The main difficulty lies not even in mastering the gestures, but in learning how to "read" them by hand. Gestures can be complex - they consist of several positions of the hand, following each other. And out of habit it is difficult to separate the end of one gesture and the beginning of another. Therefore, studying in a rigid manner takes no less time than learning any foreign language, and maybe even more.
We often see people with hearing impairments in the subway and on the street, in cafes. They are cheerful shining people, completely ordinary, just having different ways of communication. Deafness does not prevent them from being happy - having friends, a job they love, and a family. They can even sing and dance - yes, yes, people with hearing impairments can still hear music,
Few understand the power they have in their hands. There are times when your own hands can save or literally betray, and all this happens without your conscious participation. Of course, unless you know how hand language works.
A person who speaks the language of non-verbal communication has a lot of advantages over his counterpart, and is able to hear not only what the interlocutor is talking about, but also understand what he is thinking or not talking about. But let's talk about everything in order.
Today, many of the symbols displayed with the hands have an international registration, and are equally understandable for New Zealand Maori and African Masai. Why did it happen?
Why do the military put a hand to the head to greet, or to praise a person, we raise our thumb up, and to offend - the middle one? The answers to these questions came to us from the past. Let us analyze the history of the occurrence of some of these gestures in more detail.
- Thumb up. Shows that everything is fine, and you are great. This movement came to us from antiquity. The Roman public, during gladiatorial battles, in this way signaled that for the diligence and diligence shown by the defeated slave during the battle, he could be spared. A lowered thumb did not bode well for a loser warrior. Since that time it has become a custom: the thumb points to the sky - you are at a height, to the ground - you are a little bit of a loser;
- The greeting of the military when addressing the chief or when raising the flag, by offering an open palm to the head, is borrowed from medieval knights. In those ancient times, in order to show the purity of their thoughts, the warriors, when they met, raised their visors, thereby demonstrating the friendliness of their plans. Another version of the emergence of this sign is associated with earlier periods of human history. In ancient times, the subjects, in order to show that only the sun is higher than their ruler, when meeting with the autocrat, covered their eyes with their hand, thereby demonstrating humility. Over time, the form of the gesture has changed slightly, but the content has remained unchanged. People in uniform show their respect and adherence to the authorities or the state symbol by raising their hands to their heads;
- An outstretched hand or handshake. The appearance of this greeting is easy to explain. In ancient times, the outstretched hand, without weapons, symbolized your peace plans and respect;
- Middle finger raised up. There are at least two explanations for the appearance of this obscene gesture. According to one version, the ancient Greeks showed this symbol to those with whom they would like to carry out actions, the meaning of which reflects what we mean by demonstrating this gesture today. Another option goes back to the beginning of the 15th century, when during the French-English battle of Azincourt, French soldiers chopped off the middle fingers of a captured English archer so that they could not subsequently shoot at them aimingly. Naturally, those of the English, whom the vile French could not catch, from a safe distance showed them their middle fingers, thereby showing their disdain and courage. Why didn't the French just kill the prisoners? The question remains open;
- The so-called goat. A symbol that distinguishes true metalheads from the people around them. In one version, it is said that the sign originated in the midst of the ancient Vikings, and symbolized the Scandinavian rune that protects its owner from the evil eye. According to another version, this is the "folding" of Soviet convicts, who, in order not to go to work, simply cut their tendons, and the hand took this shape spontaneously. Today, this symbol of coolness says that the person showing him is a principled "thief in law" and the popcorn scattered in the cinema, he will not collect;
- The well-known American OK. This gesture can be different depending on the part of the world in which you are. In some nations, it symbolizes that your affairs are in perfect order, in others it means that you are "complete zero", and in some it demonstrates problems with the large intestine. According to one of the most plausible versions, this sign is borrowed from the non-verbal language of Native American people - Indians, who in this way showed their fellow tribesmen that there was no problem.
Some hand gestures and their meaning
Each gesture has its own interesting and multifaceted history, however, it's time to talk about their meaning and the practical use of this knowledge in everyday life.
Open palm
In most cultures, an open hand is associated with honesty. Therefore, if you want to make people believe that you are telling the truth, it is not recommended to present your arguments with your hands clenched into fists.
At such times, it is better to open your palms to show that you are not hiding anything.
On the other hand, be vigilant when someone tells you important things by shoving their hands in their pockets or hiding them behind their backs. Hidden palms do not make phrases more believable, even if they are correct. With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that your interlocutor is lying or hiding some important information from you.
Palm up and down position
How you use your hands when communicating with others can significantly affect their perception of your words and yourself. Ask a simple question with palms up, and people will think you are asking for a favor.
On the one hand, they will not be bothered by your request, but on the other hand, they will not feel threatened or pressured by you. If you ask this question with palms facing down, it will more likely resemble a mandatory requirement.
Can not only set the tone for any business or political meeting, but also influence its results. When two equal interlocutors shake hands, their palms remain upright.
But if the palm of one person is facing up when shaking hands, this can be perceived as a symbolic surrender, and denote the superiority of another person.
When talking, your interlocutor holds his hands behind his back and makes meaningless movements with them - he is not interested in you, you should stop the meaningless conversation, or move on to another topic.
What is the meaning of finger gestures
No less revelation can be gleaned from the position of the fingers on our hands. Here are some examples.
There is a fine line between a hand gesture and a finger gesture, but we will talk about those cases in which the movement of the fingers is an independent signal.
Some finger gestures are unintentional, and from their position, you can accurately read the emotional state of a person, or his attitude to the topic of conversation.
- finger on your mouth - they are lying to you;
- during a conversation, the index finger involuntarily points towards another person - a clear sign of dominance;
- index finger up - you should be wary of such a person, since the gesture is often used by parents in relation to a negligent child;
- fingers are straight and tightly pressed to each other - the person has made a firm decision to achieve his goal and he does not care about sentiment;
- fingers squeeze the wrist or palm of the other hand - the interlocutor is furious, trying to restrain his emotions;
- fingers clenched into a fist from time to time - a clear sign of a hidden threat.
And what about the deaf and dumb?
Many gestures, unconsciously used in communication, are reflected in the alphabet for the deaf and dumb.
Sign languages of the deaf and dumb refer to independent languages, which consist of combinations of hand and finger movements in combination with facial expressions, the position of the mouth, lips and body.
It is a mistake to believe that sign languages for the deaf and dumb were invented by the hearers in order to convey information to the non-hearing. In fact, these languages develop completely independently.
Moreover, in one country there may be several sign languages that grammatically do not coincide with the verbal languages of this country.
As practice shows, in the absence of the opportunity to use sound language as a means of communication, people instinctively begin to use gestures for this. The main means of communication for this are hands and fingers.
At the same time, deaf people have many gestures, the meaning of which can be understood by an unprepared person. For example, the word “peace” in the language of the deaf and dumb will look like hands squeezing each other, located in front of the chest, “love” is a palm raised to the lips in the form of an air kiss, and “house” is the palms folded in a triangle in the form of a gable roof.
Youth hand gestures and their meaning
Our children also use sign language for their communication, and the variety of these non-verbal signs is constantly enriched by the emergence of new ones. Here are some examples of such youth gestures, with the help of which teenagers can easily understand each other, and people of the older generation, and even middle-aged people, will remain in the dark.
Time and scientific and technological progress dictate their conditions, and this fully applies to our gestures.
Until recently, a hand folded in the shape of an English L did not mean anything, but today it is a loser, a sign signaling that you are a loser.
Pointing to the side outstretched middle finger can mean that you are being sent, at the same time it can be interpreted as an invitation to sex.
With fingers folded in the shape of a heart, everything is simple: "I love you." But the "horned goat" with the thumb set aside means simple sympathy.
An English V played by a teenager with the back of his hand facing you can mean two colas or the equivalent of a middle finger in the UK. And such a familiar sign as OK, but upside down, and shown at waist level or below, is a frank invitation to sex.
Thanks to its specific versatility, using the language of the hands and a few widespread English words, you can communicate with a foreigner you meet by chance on a busy street. Of course, you cannot conclude a contract for the supply of gas equipment with him, but you can easily explain how to get to the nearest metro station or stadium.
Differences in the interpretation of habitual gestures in different countries
Take your time to apply your broad knowledge of sign language when you're abroad. Some common symbols may have opposite meanings in different parts of the world. Let's look at examples again.
- If you are in France, then the world wide OK turns into a big, bold zero. And in Turkey, with such a gesture, you signal that your interlocutor is gay - not a very pleasant statement in a country where the majority of people are Muslims;
- Raising up the thumb and extended forefinger in the sign language of adolescents means a loser, and in China this symbol denotes the number eight;
- A thumbs up in Europe and America says: "Everything is cool", and in Iran, Afghanistan and Greece, this obscene gesture will be read: "I ..., you ..., and all your relatives ...", well, you get the idea;
- The crossed index and middle fingers protect Europeans from the evil eye, and in Vietnam, such a figure denotes the female genital organ;
- Stretched forward five stops all over the world, and, as it were, says: "Wait", and in Greece it literally translates as "Eat shit."
If, as the proverb says, silence is gold, then continuing the associative array, in some countries, the absence of gestures is a diamond.
The gestures and their interpretations that you have seen are not limited to the examples provided. The purpose of our article is to popularize, interest and direct. Perhaps our theses will help solve small life problems. Or maybe not small.
For some more information on the most popular gestures, see the next video.
Our world is diverse. This is not to say that there are people who are one to one friend to each other both externally and internally. So, another universe, which has its own properties, is inhabited by those who are usually called deaf and dumb people. Their perception of the environment is at times different from how a person understands reality, who do not have such physical deviations.
But it is important to note that the sign language of the deaf and dumb has the same versatility and colorfulness as that of a healthy person. The dictionary contains more than 2,000 gestures. And sign signs are whole words, therefore it will not be difficult to show and learn some of them.
Non-verbal sign language
Before proceeding with the dictionary of sign language, it will be pertinent to note that one of the misconceptions about it is the opinion that it depends on the verbal language that we use every day (sound and written) or that it allegedly originated from the latter, and even that the language of the deaf and dumb was founded by the hearer. Moreover, it is incorrectly believed that the gestures of the mute language are accepted as the fingerprinting of letters. That is, letters are drawn with hands. But this is not the case.
In this language, fingerprinting is used to pronounce place names, specific terms and proper names. It is very easy to get acquainted with its basics since there is an established alphabet. And you will be able to easily communicate with the deaf and dumb, pronouncing the word with the help of gestures by letter. Sign language for the deaf in Russian dactylology has 33 dactyl signs.
Sign language lessons
More detailed information about the language of the deaf and dumb can be found in the book by G.L. Zaitseva. Sign speech. Let's take a closer look at the most common gestures.
If you ask the question: “Do I, a healthy person, need to know such a language?”, The answer is simple - sometimes there is not a lot of knowledge, sometimes it is unclaimed. But perhaps someday, thanks to them, you will be able to help, for example, a lost deaf and dumb person.
How to learn sign language? This question has long worried people, because deaf and dumb were at all times.
It is more difficult for such people to adapt in society, it is more difficult to lead a fulfilling life. In the old days, in many European countries, people with hearing and speech impairments were not considered normal. They were sent to psychiatric hospitals for compulsory treatment. Society treated them negatively.
Before answering the question "how to learn sign language?", Let us consider how the state of affairs has changed over time and learn the prehistory of the emergence of sign language and dactylology.
Bone system
Fortunately for the deaf and dumb, there were also positive-minded people who felt sorry for them and wanted to help. Such a person was, for example, the priest Juan Pablo Bone. He lived at the beginning of the 17th century. Once Bonet was hired as an assistant to a wealthy family, the head of which was an important official. The son of this gentleman was deaf, no one could teach him to write or count.
Soon, the priest created his own training system for this boy. He came up with a special designation for each letter in the alphabet. The question of how to learn sign language was not even raised with this deaf-mute boy; Bone, with enthusiasm and great enthusiasm, began to study with the child.
Very soon the boy learned the whole alphabet. After that, rumors about the Bone system spread throughout Spain. The priest published a book in which he described his method in detail.
Michel Charles de Lepe School
Michel Charles de Lepe became famous for organizing and opening the first school in the world for teaching deaf and dumb people. He took the book of Juan Bone as the basis for his method. By the way, in Paris at that time there was already a semblance of sign language in Old French. However, Michel de Lepe adapted this similarity to modern French, and communication between the deaf and dumb began to consist of more than just separate words. Now people could really communicate, build a smooth and coherent "speech".
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet School
Thomas Gallaudet, after attending de Leppe's school, returned to the States and opened his own educational institution. The method was borrowed from a French colleague. At Thomas Gallaudet's school there were real "lectures" on how to learn sign language adapted into English.
And again this method enjoyed great success and popularity.
Oralists opposed such a training system. According to their beliefs, such a technique separates deaf people from the hearing community, and there is really no benefit from it.
Alexander Graham Bell and his School of Oralists
Here they taught writing and reading according to a completely different system. Each sound of speech (depending on the position of the lips) was marked with a written symbol. Initially, this method was supposed to be used to correct diction. But in the process, Bell taught the deaf and dumb in the same way.
The first surdopedagogical schools in Russia
In 1806 in Pavlovsk (not far from St. Petersburg) the first school of deaf education was opened. They taught here according to the French system.
In 1860, such a school was opened in Moscow. In the capital, the German method was taken as the basis for teaching how to learn sign language for the deaf and dumb.
Gradually, researchers and scientists began to appear in our country, who were interested in such a training system.
Lev Semenovich Vygotsky
At first, he did not really believe in the benefit of sign language, he considered it to be very limited. But after some time, in one of his works, he called the sign language extremely complex and diverse. The scientist considered it richly developed, recognized its undeniable benefits for deaf and dumb people.
Rachel Boskis and Natalia Morozova
We studied the works of Vygotsky. In their work on the development of speech, they concluded that the grammar of simple Russian and sign language is different.
It was mistakenly believed that deaf people cannot learn sign language on their own, as well as simultaneously learn verbal speech.
Victor I. Fleury
He was a teacher, worked as director of a school in St. Petersburg. He conducted a deep analysis of "deaf speech" and came to the conclusion that sign language, Russian, can be learned by every person with a hearing or speech impairment. In addition, he noticed that in certain companies and societies of the deaf, sign language has its own characteristics, differences and subtle patterns inherent in this particular society. As in "our" (verbal speech) there is jargon and specific words, so in "speech" the mute is also present.
He wrote the book "The Deaf and Dumb". In this work, the teacher collected all the gestures and signs known to him.
There were other people who made a contribution to Russian pedagogy of deafness: I. A. Sokolyansky, L. V. Shcherba, A. Ya. Udal.
So how do you learn mute sign language?
Let us examine this issue in more detail. Below is a step-by-step guide.
Acquaintance with fingerprinting
First you need to get acquainted with dactylology. This is the name of a special form of speech. Dactylology includes the dactyl alphabet. In it, each letter of the alphabet has its own designation - a sign made of fingers. These signs are called dactylae.
Many people are deeply mistaken that sign language and the dactyl alphabet are one and the same. There is a difference: with dactyls, words are conveyed letter by letter, and with sign language, whole words.
There is also a manoral speech. With this form of communication, words are read by lips, with gestures only emphasis is placed on hard and soft, voiceless and voiced consonants.
Finger placement technique
When studying the dactyl alphabet, one should not rush. You need to remember well and work out the technique of setting the fingers. The hand will get tired at first. But after two or three workouts, the fingers begin to get used to, bend better.
Fingering speed
Having perfected the technique of forming with dactyl, we turn to the speed of setting the fingers. The proper names, surnames, and geographic names are shown letter by letter in deaf education.
You can find the dactyl alphabet in the form of a picture or use a more visual video tutorial. By the way, sign language and fingerprinting are different in each country. Unfortunately, there is no single language for the deaf and dumb.
Practice
Once you've mastered all the dactylae, you should practice. Memorize basic words, names or titles. Videos, films can help in this, there is even a special application for "Android".
Counting and numbers
When you have a little practice, it is worth mastering the counting. It is advisable to immediately learn to show at least the simplest numbers. This will greatly advance the study of sign language.
Study sequence
Moving on to the sign language itself. It contains about 2000 different designations. How to quickly learn sign language with such a volume of signs? In fact, everything is not as complicated as it seems.
The study of gestures should start with the simple words "hello", "goodbye", "sorry", "thank you". It is worth memorizing them gradually, not chasing the quantity. It is better to teach a small number of gestures in one workout.
And the last recommendation. If you are seriously thinking about studying the language of the deaf and dumb, it may be worth looking for such courses in your city. They are not widespread, but you can still find them. Such courses are good because here you can get the practice of live communication, hone your skills and language skills.
Today, in order to learn a language, it is enough to have access to the network from any device. The web is replete with sites that help you learn the intricacies of foreign languages using video tutorials. And applications for mobile devices offer to master the program in a fun way, passing interesting tasks. But there is one unique language that differs from others in the non-verbal way of conveying information. It's a sign language. How do you learn it from scratch? Where to start and what are its features, this article will tell.
Russian dactyl alphabet
The dactyl alphabet is a set of 33 letters corresponding to the Russian alphabet and visually reproduced with the help of hand gestures. Therefore, communication by means of dactyl is considered verbal. To indicate a letter, the position of the fingers is changed.
More letters in the dactyl alphabet are similar to printed ones, which makes learning easier. With the help of the "finger alphabet" communication takes place between the deaf and the hearing person.
However, this method of conveying information is secondary, more often used for words or phrases that do not have special gestures, for example, for the names of institutions or proper names. Video tutorials will help you quickly learn the Russian dactyl alphabet; you can find them on the following resources on the Internet:
- Youtube is the most popular video hosting site where you can find convenient video courses for learning dactyl;
- "City of Signs" - a resource convenient for learning sign language, with a simple video dictionary interface and constant user support;
- Groups in the popular social network VKontakte - video tutorials, acquaintances, interesting stories from the deaf and hard of hearing.
Sign speech
In the communication of the deaf, two speech systems are distinguished: KZhR (tracing sign speech) and RZhR (Russian sign speech).
- Russian Sign Language is used for communication between deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. It differs from tracing sign speech in that it is not accompanied by oral speech, but is used for casual communication.
- Calculation sign language is used in business communication and is accompanied by oral speech.
It is interesting that KZhR consists not only of gestures that directly denote a word, it includes words consisting of combinations of lexical units with gestures, for example, the word "office" will be represented as follows: k + a + b (letters of the dactyl alphabet) + gesture, meaning the word "room". Also in KZhR there are words completely consisting of dactyl - dactyl words, for example: k + o + n + c + e + p + b + a + t + o + p - "conservative".
To master sign language, communicate fluently in the language of the deaf, use all sources of information - video tutorials, video dictionaries, tests, watch films in sign language and, of course, practice communication.
List of useful services, literature, courses and activities for learning sign language:
- Surdoserver is a simple assistant for learning sign language, which includes dactyl alphabets in different languages, a phrasebook, tests, and also puzzles. Has a mobile version.
- G.L. Zaitsev “Dactylology. Sign speech "," Russian sign language. Course for Beginners "- Zaitseva's works are highlighted among the educational literature. From her books, you will learn the history of the formation of sign language, its features, understand the language at a structural level and master many gestures.
- A.A. Ignatenko "Collection of Sign Speech Exercises and Tests."
- “Center for Education of the Deaf and Sign Language named after G.L. Zaitseva "conducts courses of mastering sign language at three levels: basic course; a course for those who have primary communication skills in YaZh; advanced course. The first two courses are designed for a period of 3 months, after which you will be able to express your thoughts to the deaf.
In addition to educational activities, watch films for the deaf to consolidate your knowledge.
- The St. Petersburg Film Company Kovcheg makes videos and films for the deaf, and also publishes a video dictionary of Christian gestures. Look for individual films for the deaf on Youtube.
- Visit the Theater of Mimicry and Gesture in Moscow, where performances are performed by deaf actors and translation is provided for hearing people throughout the program. The actors play expressively, the liveliness of the performances energizes, shows the richness of sign language, and most importantly, such a performance will be equally pleasant to watch for both deaf and hearing people.
No matter what the reason for learning sign language, make learning a fun way to play, thus making it easier as well as speeding up the process. Deaf people, whether they are family, friends, or coworkers, love to communicate as much as you do. By mastering Russian Sign Language, you will expand your social circle and help people with hearing impairments.
