Thumbs up for sign language

[Francis M. Hult]

Ashburton Guardian

Friday, 21 April 2006

http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/index.asp?articleid=7087

Thumbs up for sign language

The applause would have been loud if Ashburton students learning sign language 
had showed their appreciation in the usual manner.

Instead, the group welcomed the adoption of sign language as an official 
language in New Zealand using their new skills – circular hand movements in 
the air convey the same message.

About 30 students, past and present, of the Ashburton Community Learning 
Centre’s sign language course celebrated the milestone this week, after 
Parliament passed a bill recognising it as a unique New Zealand language and 
giving it status equal to that of spoken languages.

Sign languages differ from country to country, just as spoken languages do; 
they use a mixture of hand movements, facial expression, space and direction 
and have their own rules for grammar and syntax.

Sign language in New Zealand was used as early as the mid-1800s, with a school 
teaching it first opening in 1880.

More centres began teaching it after the rubella epidemic in 1940, with 
deafness a possible consequence of the disease.

Community learning centre co-ordinator Dianne Moss said the special night 
class this week was a celebratory affair, with a cake cut to mark the occasion.
She said students included those with hearing impairments or those with family 
members or workmates who could not hear.

About 95 per cent of deaf children are born into hearing families with little 
or no knowledge of sign language.

Mrs Moss said the class was quiet, because of the nature of language, but 
there was always plenty of laughter.

“I feel like an intruder when I do into the class because I can’t communicate 
and it gives me a feeling of how it must be for them when they can’t join in 
the conversation.”

The centre’s sign language class has concluded for this term, but will start 
again with a more advance module on May 11.