The Languages Thread (Survey in OP)

[baldgye]

Despite being aware that one is specified as "American", it never occurred to me that there would be more than one variation on the form. That said, it makes sense that there would be [and is]. I'd be interested in just how different the two are.

My fiance went on a basic sign course and found out that not only are there different variations of English sign, there are also fairly decent regional differences

 

[Obelisk]

My fiance went on a basic sign course and found out that not only are there different variations of English sign, there are also fairly decent regional differences

This is very true and I can confirm it as someone who's been to big nation-wide gatherings.

 

[baldgye]

This is very true and I can confirm it as someone who's been to big nation-wide gatherings.

Always seems to me like such a massive missed opportunity... to have one single unified global language... though I guess sign is difficult to maintain world wide like the spoken/written word is

 

[TexRex]

Always seems to me like such a massive missed opportunity... to have one single unified global language... though I guess sign is difficult to maintain world wide like the spoken/written word is

Though it seems to me that it wouldn't have to be quite so subject to regional differences as spoken language.

Written language probably wouldn't have to matter either way, as an inability to comprehend written word isn't likely pervasive in the deaf community.



One wonders, though, if forms of written language for the blind are similarly varied regionally as sign language. Of course, one could probably look into this one's-self if one were so inclined.

One has done just that.

Interesting read, and in hindsight it makes perfect sense that Braille isn't a written language but a code used to interpret written language for users to easily comprehend it based on touch alone.

I remember as a kid trying to "read" raised letter labels using my fingertips with my eyes closed because someone with whom I was acquainted was blind and I was curious, and it was nigh on impossible to do so apart from easily identifiable capital letters like "A", "S", "T" and "X". Others that seem obvious such as "M" and "R" closely resembled "N" and "P" [respectively].

-

As small as the world has gotten by virtue of technology, it seems like we're pretty well due for a universal spoken and written language.

 

[Rallywagon]

I know freedoms english (as opposed to the queen's english) and a variety of its dialects, from the north east to the dirty south.
I am learning Scottish Gaelic, though it's going slow since I have little time and no one to converse with. Once we finish getting the house together, sold and moved i'll be diving back into that as well as learning Siksika. I once knew enough Spanish to know when someone was talking ish. But it's been over 8 years since ive spoken a lick of it.

 

[MatskiMonk]

My native tongue is English, I speak no other languages to any useful degree.

 

[baldgye]

Written language probably wouldn't have to matter either way, as an inability to comprehend written word isn't likely pervasive in the deaf community.

Yeah, what I meant was that. Language and regional dialects can be formed by groups who can’t interact with other groups.

For example, since the internet American English and English has merged together far more. I hear more and more people refer to their mum as ‘mom’.
But sign is limited to physically being in front of someone, or watching video. Which kinda limits exposure and over time would probably lead to dialects of sign. So by now, even if it was just a single sign language, by now it would be fairly diverse...just my thoughts anyway

 

[PocketZeven]

I'm a bit of an odd duck.

Two fluent languages:
American sign language (first language)
American English (second language)

Funny how I'm rusty in my first language but fluent in the second.

Really curious. How many languages are there in sign language?

 

[Obelisk]

Really curious. How many languages are there in sign language?

Every nation generally has its own sign language, with dialects everywhere. I tried talking to deaf Italians once...It took five minutes before one piped up and asked if I was American.

 

[baldgye]

Every nation generally has its own sign language, with dialects everywhere. I tried talking to deaf Italians once...It took five minutes before one piped up and asked if I was American.

Five minutes is pretty good. Every time I meet someone new in Italy, first thing they do is ask if I'm English...

 

[Obelisk]

Following up on my last comment: There are over 200 sign languages.

 

[PocketZeven]

Every nation generally has its own sign language, with dialects everywhere. I tried talking to deaf Italians once...It took five minutes before one piped up and asked if I was American.

Never really knew that. I always assumed somehow that sign language was universal with some regional variants.

 

[Obelisk]

Never really knew that. I always assumed somehow that sign language was universal with some regional variants.

Sadly not the case. If you were to watch me sign and immediately go over to the next state and watch someone else sign, it'd look pretty different.

Sign languages are mutually intelligible, so it's not too hard to figure out at least one sign between regional dialects.

 

[PocketZeven]

Sadly not the case. If you were to watch me sign and immediately go over to the next state and watch someone else sign, it'd look pretty different.

Sign languages are mutually intelligible, so it's not too hard to figure out at least one sign between regional dialects.

Is there any initative to make it universal? Or is that too hard to do? Is there a international organisation that oversees sign language?

 

[Obelisk]

Is there any initative to make it universal? Or is that too hard to do? Is there a international organisation that oversees sign language?

It might be too hard, since deaf communities tend to be a bit isolated. I mean, the biggest grouping of deaf people in my part of the U.S. is Rochester, NY.

Yes, there are two - WASLI and WFD. They have some universal signs, iirc.

 

[PocketZeven]

It might be too hard, since deaf communities tend to be a bit isolated. I mean, the biggest grouping of deaf people in my part of the U.S. is Rochester, NY.

Yes, there are two - WASLI and WFD. They have some universal signs, iirc.

It does seem like a missed opportunity especially because it is a relatively small community. It would also open up these isolated communities with modern facetime and videocalling it would be a great way to communicate internationally without the need to learn a different written language. But I dont know enough about the structure and grammer to know how complicated it would be.

 

[TexRex]

It does seem like a missed opportunity especially because it is a relatively small community.

Small, but isolated. Consider this:

But sign is limited to physically being in front of someone, or watching video. Which kinda limits exposure and over time would probably lead to dialects of sign. So by now, even if it was just a single sign language, by now it would be fairly diverse...

You can easily apply that argument to the spread of a unified language, and consider that while the community is rather small, factions within it are so far removed from one another as to impede any such spread.

 

[PocketZeven]

Small, but isolated. Consider this:


You can easily apply that argument to the spread of a unified language, and consider that while the community is rather small, factions within it are so far removed from one another as to impede any such spread.

With the advent of the internet it dramatically has reduced the size of the "isolation"though. It is much easiuer now to communicate with eachother in signlanguage then ever. Any standardised version would be much easier to spread then ever before. As long as the ones who teach sign language use the same source.

 

[baldgye]

With the advent of the internet it dramatically has reduced the size of the "isolation"though. It is much easiuer now to communicate with eachother in signlanguage then ever. Any standardised version would be much easier to spread then ever before. As long as the ones who teach sign language use the same source.

Easier, but far from ideal or really practical.
Think about chat-rooms and online message-boards and forums... all of those use the written word and the vast majority are in English.

So you can communicate with (in theory) every single English reading/writing person on the planet who is deaf... and not a single sign is communicated. You can't exactly record a message in sign, in a youtube video and then upload that and then post it to a forum. A discussion that could happen over the course of a few minutes could take weeks

 

[TexRex]

Think about chat-rooms and online message-boards and forums... all of those use the written word and the vast majority are in English.

Beat me to it.

 

[Obelisk]

I'd say Baldgye hit the nail there. Video calls and stuff like that are a viable option for deaf friends communucating to each other, but going large scale just screws up everything.

 

[PocketZeven]

Easier, but far from ideal or really practical.
Think about chat-rooms and online message-boards and forums... all of those use the written word and the vast majority are in English.

So you can communicate with (in theory) every single English reading/writing person on the planet who is deaf... and not a single sign is communicated. You can't exactly record a message in sign, in a youtube video and then upload that and then post it to a forum. A discussion that could happen over the course of a few minutes could take weeks

True, but those are the same problems for regional sign language with the written word. I think a universal sign language is more applicable in situations when you are speaking in person or talk via video 1 on 1.

 

[TexRex]

True, but those are the same problems for regional sign language with the written word. I think a universal sign language is more applicable in situations when you are speaking in person or talk via video 1 on 1.

I don't think anyone's rejecting the efficacy of a universal language, rather the ease of implementation.

Of course difficulty shouldn't be a deterrent, but is a universal sign language warranted? People who want to communicate more easily with those accustomed to a different tongue have the option to familiarize themselves with that tongue.

 

[TenEightyOne]

You can't exactly record a message in sign, in a youtube video and then upload that and then post it to a forum.

You don't need to.

 

[TexRex]

You don't need to.

Where's the app to go the other way?

 

[TenEightyOne]

Where's the app to go the other way?

Here's one solution, although this is cheaper and far more practical.

 

[huskeR32]

At one point, I could manage enough Spanish to get around a predominantly Spanish-speaking place. Not sure if that's true anymore...

 

[baldgye]

Here's one solution, although this is cheaper and far more practical.

That’s cool!

 

[Hun200kmh]

Portuguese (native language); English; French; Spanish.

 

[Liquid]

Dutch and Welsh - enough to prove to people when they ask but hardly "fluent"

Be careful. I can test you and find out if it is true.

@Dennisch can verify my "I speak German so I can transplant that to know some Dutch".

I did legitimately study it for one year at university, to be fair, so my Dutch is probably better than most German people's Dutch.