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DEAF CULTURE | ||
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Deaf Culture Deaf people all over the world view themselves as belonging to a linguistic minority with its own culture. This Deaf community has its own language (Sign Language) and specifically for the South African Deaf culture - South African Sign Language (SASL). Deaf culture has its own history, shared values, social norms, customs and technology which are transferred from generation to generation. The term "Deaf" is written with a capital "D" - in the same way as one refers to "Jewish people" using a capital "J". |
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Sign Language Sign Language is a naturally occurring language which develops as a result of the need to commuicate among members of Deaf communities. Sign Language is a language tht occurs in the visual-gestural modality. This means it is produced using the hands, face, head and upper torso and is processed by the eyes. In contrast, spoken languages are produced using the mouth, tongue and vocal chords and are processed by the ears. |
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Different Sign Languages have developed in different countries where Deaf communities exist, for instance British Sign Language (BSL), American Sign Language (ASL), Ethiopian Sign Language (ESL), South African Sign Language (SASL), etc. Sign Language is not universal or international as many people incorrectly believe. Sign Lanugages are living languages made by real people - the Deaf - making them dynamic, constantly changing and developing, like any natural human language which is capable of developing new vocabulary when needed. George Veditz (1904), an American Deaf teacher who eventually became the President of the American National Association of the Deaf said that "As long as we have Deaf people, we will have Sign Language." |
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South Africa Sign Language Interpreter Sign Language interpreters are bilingual: They are fluent in two or more languages, e.g. English and South African Sign Language (SASL). Sign Language interpreters conduct themselves according to professional ethics. Sign Language interpreters are bilingual, biciltural professionals who are sensitive and responsive to environmental factors which could foster or impede the message to be conveyed. Sign Language interpreters work within two languages - the source langugae (language in which the original message is conveyed, e.g. SASL) and the target language (the language into which the original message is interpreted, e.g. English). An interpreter takes the message expressed in the source language and expresses that same message in the target language. Sign Language interpreters are bi-cultural which means they are at home in the culture of the majority (hearing) and the culture of the minority (Deaf). Sign Language interpreters must convey the message from source language to target language so that it is accessible to the users of the target language. Sign Language interpreters are to Deaf people what the "white stick" and wheel chair/crutches are to the blind and orthopedically disabled. Sign Language interpreters can be used as the ears and voice of a Deaf person. Information by DeafSA. |
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Sign Language Course
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 Wits |
 Sign Language Education and Development(SLED) |
 DeafSA |
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For booking Sign Language Interpreter: admin@saslinc.co.za
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