AW: [sw-l] brother and sister

[Lucyna Dlugolecka]

Hello List,

The discussion on varieties of sign languages, mouthing and
distinguishing signs is very interesting. In my opinion, the problems
and doubts in this matters arise due the belief that the spoken tongue
one uses is the fullest language. For example, if grammatical genders
occur in this tongue, they are to occur also in other tongues. Languages
are more diversified than they seem to be. For example, there are no
articles in Polish. Someone might wonder: how come? How do the Poles
distinguish definite and indefinicte nouns? I don't know why :-) but I
assure we manage pretty well :-). The same way other nations go without
7 cases.

As to sign language varieties in Poland, the situation is the same as in
the USA. Most Deaf people use Polish Sign Language (PJM) without oral
speech. That is, they use oral components (we call them vocalizations)
that are an inherent part of PJM. These components are non-manual
elememts of the grammar. But, if the Deaf can speak and they have to
talk to a signing hearing person or to a hard-of-hearing person, they
often use oral speech along with the signs. Most Deaf are poor at
Polish, so they don't bother if they use correct Polish grammar when
signing or not. There are also people (deaf, hearing or hard of hearing)
who use something like a pidgin sign language. I mean they use PJM
signs, Polish word order and some grammatical aspects of PJM (facial
expression, space usage etc.). And we have also Signed Polish, called
also System Jezykowo-Migowy (SJM, Language Sign System). It was worked
out by professor Bogdan Szczepankowski, a hard-of-hearing person. He
changed, concocted and rearranged signs so that SJM is barely
understandable by the Deaf. But since it is used by the teachers of the
Deaf in almost all schools for the Deaf in Poland, young people can
understand it, to some degree.

My first language is Polish but I prefer PJM to communicate with the
Deaf. The pure PJM is so beautiful, rich and understandable, whereas, if
someone is signing and speaking at the same time, I have a problem to
understand him/her very well. I don't know whether I have to read the
lips or to track the hand movements and to watch the facial expression.
In most cases I see contradictory signals, for example mounthing is too
clear and the facial expression is too poor. But it easier for me to see
hand movements than to read the lips. Or I read a word that does not
correspond to the sign. Or the person is poor at languages and confuses
the meanings. Here is an example if such confusion (from a prayer):

Polish: Siedzi po prawicy Boga Ojca wszechmogacego.
English translation: He is sitteth at the right hand of God the Father
Allmighty.
Signed Polish: SIEDZIEC PO PRAWICA BOG OJCIEC WSZYSTKO MOC
Word for word in English: SIT AFTER RIGHT-HAND GOD FATHER ALL CAN
PJM: BOG OJCIEC WSZYSTKO MOC [zmiana miejsca w przestrzeni] JEZUS SIEDZIEC
Word for word in English: GOD FATHER ALL CAN [space change] JESUS SIT

Educators have thought that Signed Polish would help Deaf children learn
Polish. But it does not help, it introduces chaos into their minds.
Their Polish is like SIEDZIEC PO PRAWICA BOG OJCIEC WSZYSTKO MOC.

Lucyna