[SL-LING] Status of Sign Languages

[Trevor Jenkins]

On Fri, 8 Apr 2011, Barbara Gerner De Garcia <barbara.gerner.de.garcia at GALL...:

> Is anyone aware of anyone or any entity that has a list/database documenting
> the status of Sign Languages in various countries, including any legal
> status? WFD's page on Sign Languages is "under construction" . I am working
> on developing ideas for possible student projects related to language
> rights.

Closest I can think of is the Ethnologue catalogue. Some entries for
signed languages are woefully out of date. The one for British Sign
Language, for example, is based on research conducted in the 1970s. Recent
publications from government departments suggest that that research
under-estimates the number of native or preferred first language users of
BSL by a factor of 5. (The 2011 census which was conducted last week has a
specific question asking for native/first/preferred language and uses BSL
as an example. In a few years we may therefore get more meaning data.

And even if the Ethnologue entry for BSL was up to date any mention of its
formal ``legal status'' would be misleading. It has been recognised as an
ethnic minority language under EU legislation but not given the same legal
status as Welsh --- a language that has fewer speakers than BSL.

Regards, Trevor

<>< Re: deemed!