A handy language: why we should care about sign language | Jessica Combrink | TEDxUCT | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

South African Sign Language (SASL) should be formally recognized and taught to deaf children from a young age, as it is crucial for their language development, education, and future success.

Key Insights

• 🇿🇦 South African Sign Language (SASL) is the first language of the Deaf community in South Africa, and its formal recognition is important for their cultural and linguistic identity.
• 🤕 Language development is crucial for deaf children, and early exposure to sign language from a young age is beneficial for their cognitive, communication, and emotional well-being.
• 😘 The delay in language development for deaf children leads to a language gap, resulting in limited subject offerings and lower educational outcomes in Deaf schools.
• 🙉 Teaching sign language to deaf children does not hinder their cognitive and linguistic abilities; in fact, it facilitates their neurological development and language acquisition.
• 🙉 Sign language should be mandated and widely implemented as the first language for deaf babies and toddlers, as it is a visual and kinetic tool that helps build relationships and facilitates adjustment to the environment.
• 👪 The responsibility of supporting deaf children's language development falls on parents, support structures, government organizations, and educational institutions.

Transcript

Transcriber: Martina Abrami Reviewer: Michael Nystrom I am one of the 4 million South Africans with hearing loss. And for many of us, we culturally identify as ‘Deaf’. ‘Deaf’ with a capital ‘D’, that is, because we are a community of people who share South African Sign Language as our first language. And for many of us, it’s our mother tongue. The ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is it important for South Africans to care about sign language?

South Africans should care about sign language because it is the first language of the Deaf community, and formal recognition and teaching of South African Sign Language (SASL) can greatly improve the lives of deaf children and their future opportunities.

Q: How does the delay in language development impact deaf children's education?

The delay in language development for deaf children leads to a language gap, making it challenging for them to learn other subjects and communicate effectively. This results in limited subject offerings in Deaf schools and lower educational outcomes for deaf students.

Q: What is the role of parents in supporting their deaf children's language development?

Parents play a crucial role in supporting their deaf children's language development by exposing them to sign language from a young age. Sign language helps deaf children develop vocabulary, communication skills, and emotional well-being, fostering a strong bond between them and their families.

Q: How can the wider community support deaf children's language development?

The wider community can support deaf children's language development by learning and using sign language, advocating for its formal recognition in education systems, and ensuring resources and opportunities are provided to empower deaf children for their future.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• South African Sign Language (SASL) is the first language of the Deaf community in South Africa, and they have been advocating for its formal recognition for many years.

• Language development is crucial for deaf children, and exposure to sign language from a young age is essential for their cognitive, communication, emotional, and social development.

• There has been a harmful myth that teaching sign language to deaf children would hinder their cognitive and linguistic abilities, but research shows that deaf children benefit greatly from early exposure to sign language.