Learn the language of the deaf and dumb. Basic training courses in sign language. Independent work: searching for gestures in online dictionaries

There are many languages in the world, but sign language occupies a special place among them. In order to communicate with deaf and mute people, the first sign language, called Amslen, was developed in the 18th century. Subsequently, closer to the 20th century, it had many branches and interpretations. In the middle of the 20th century, to standardize the language of the deaf and dumb, an international sign language was developed - Zhestuno, which is still relevant. It is mainly based on gestures that the speaker shows with his hands, with the help of facial expressions and through various turns of the body.

In our country, Zhestuno is not popular. If in European countries there are 300 sign language interpreters per hundred deaf-mute people, then we have only 3. In 2012, amendments were introduced to the bill “On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities” regarding sign language. The language received official status, special educational institutions were created for the training and retraining of interested people, teachers, and people with disabilities. This had a positive effect on the percentage of people willing to learn Gestuno.

Local deaf communities provide special free classes that anyone can sign up for. In a few months you will learn the basic aspects of Gestuno and, of course, try out the acquired knowledge in practice.
Educational sites - institutes and colleges - often include the subject “sign language” in their programs. This applies to a greater extent to social and linguistic specialties. So if you are still a student or planning to become one, then you have the opportunity to get acquainted with this subject for free.
In the event that you cannot find free courses, there are specialized paid classes at research institutes, methodological centers, and specialized schools for the deaf and mute.

Structure of teaching the language of the deaf and mute

Let's take a closer look at what these special courses are and what you will receive upon completion of the training.

Note that there are 3 levels of Gestuno mastery, which include the following skills:

Level 1 is a basic course for beginners, which covers basic lexical norms and practices live communication.
Level 2 is a course for those who are already familiar with the basics. It is designed for initial acquaintance with translation skills from Gestuno.
Level 3 – includes the improvement of linguistic skills and in-depth training in simultaneous and consecutive translation.

Training at levels lasts 3 months and consists of 44–50 academic hours. At the end of the course you will receive a special certificate indicating your level. But do not equate this piece of paper with the certificate of a sign language interpreter. To obtain such a crust you will need to pass a special commission. You can try your hand at this after level 2.

How to learn a deaf-mute language yourself

In addition to the methods listed above, you can learn deaf-mute gestures yourself using the following resources:

On the Internet you will find websites that will help you learn the language of the deaf. The most popular of them is the “City of Gestures”. You will also find a lot of useful information on social networks, in specialized groups on Zhestuno. In them you will work out both the theoretical part and the practical component with like-minded people.
Since progress does not stand still, special applications have been created for mobile devices, which are alphabet books and textbooks on sign language. Download the program to your phone and study or review the information you need in your free time.
Books are a universal option for gaining knowledge in this area. However, this method is only suitable for those who are patient and willing to put extra effort into learning. This is due to the fact that there will be no teacher nearby who can clearly explain everything to you, and, therefore, you will need more time to understand the material.
Video lessons are a way to learn sign language, close to special courses, but with the caveat that no one will correct you if you make mistakes. The main advantage of videos is their variety and clear, visual explanation of the material.

Where to start learning sign language on your own

Before we figure out where to start, let’s note this feature:

Gesture is confused with letter fingering, that is, drawing individual letters with your hands. Dactylology differs from the gestures of the deaf and dumb in that it is used to say proper names: cities, names of people, geographical names, etc., or to say a word for which a special gesture has not yet been invented. So keep this in mind when you start studying.

So, having chosen one of the options for self-study, find information resources and choose those that will be understandable and interesting.

To become fluent in sign language, you must first learn the alphabet. Once you feel confident in your fingerprint skills, move on to learning nonverbal sign language. Build your lesson plan based on the difficulty levels described above. So, gradually you will be able to learn the language perfectly.

Don't forget that the most effective and fastest way to learn a language is to communicate in it. So, even if you study alone, you still need to find someone to talk to. This way you can learn to express thoughts correctly and understand what a like-minded person is thinking about.

Learning Gestuno on your own is difficult, but after a while you will achieve visible results. The main thing is not to abandon learning and reinforce theoretical knowledge with practice. Sign language is no more difficult than a foreign language, so gain strength and patience and you will soon get the desired result.

Sign Language Interpreter Day was established in January 2003 on the initiative of the Central Board of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf. All-Russian public organization of disabled people “All-Russian Society of the Deaf” (VOG) is the largest and oldest public organization of people with hearing disabilities in Russia, formed back in 1926.

The purpose of Sign Language Interpreter Day is to draw public attention to the problems of the deaf. For comparison, if in Finland there are 300 sign language interpreters for every thousand deaf people, then in Russia there are only three. And over time, the number of sign language interpreters is only becoming smaller. At the same time, the work of a sign language interpreter is socially invaluable for the deaf community, because he is needed in court, police, tax inspectorate, for social protection, at a doctor's appointment and so on.

Typically, sign language interpreters are children of deaf parents who grew up in a “deaf” environment. You can get an education in this specialty at training centers in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

The language that sign language interpreters “speak” on screen or with their clients is sign language, and several million people around the world communicate in it. In some countries, it has long been officially recognized and is used to adapt news programs and various programs for people with hearing problems.

By the way, on October 24, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted in the first reading a bill raising the status of Russian sign language. Thanks to amendments to the laws “On Education” and “On Social Protection of Disabled People in the Russian Federation,” Russian sign language is now defined as the language of communication in the presence of hearing or speech impairments, including in the areas of oral use of the state language of the Russian Federation.

The special significance of this bill is that the official recognition of the status of the Russian sign language will make it possible to create the necessary conditions in educational institutions for the hearing impaired to receive education using sign language, to build a system of training and retraining of teachers on the basis of secondary and higher vocational educational institutions, according to the website VOGinfo.ru.

How to communicate with a person in the language of the deaf?

Sign language

First, one of the major misconceptions about sign languages is the idea that they depend on or are derived from verbal languages (audio and written) and that these languages were invented by hearing people. This is wrong. Secondly, fingerprinting of letters is often mistaken for sign languages - that is, when letters are “depicted” with hands.

The difference between dactylology and sign language, which is used by deaf people to communicate with each other, is that dactylology is used mainly to pronounce proper names, geographical names or specific terms, that is, each word is “showed” by letters by hand. At the same time, sign signs represent entire words, and in total there are more than 2000 gestures in the dictionary of the deaf. Showing some of them will not be difficult.

For example:

You can study sign language in more detail using the famous book G. L. Zaitseva“Sign speech. Dactylology".

It’s easier to get acquainted with the basics of dactylology - there is an established alphabet, and by spelling the word with signs, you can communicate with a deaf person. In Russian dactylology there are 33 dactyl signs, each of which corresponds to the outline of the corresponding letter.

Russian dactylic alphabet from the website deafnet.ru:

Note that a deaf or hard of hearing person will most likely understand what exactly you want to tell him without sign language, because for the most part they read lips very well.

Today, to learn a language, it is enough to have access to the network from any device. The web is replete with sites that help you learn the intricacies of foreign languages using video lessons. And applications for mobile devices offer you to master the program in a fun way, completing interesting tasks. But there is one unique language that differs from others in the non-verbal way of transmitting information. This is sign language. How to learn it from scratch? This article will tell you where to start and what its features are.

Russian dactyl alphabet

The dactyl alphabet is a set of 33 letters corresponding to the Russian alphabet and visually reproduced using hand gestures. Therefore, communication through dactyl is considered verbal. To indicate a particular letter, the position of the fingers changes.

More letters in the dactyl alphabet are similar to the printed ones, making them easier to learn. Using the “finger alphabet”, communication occurs between a deaf and a hearing person.

However, this method of transmitting information is secondary; it is more often used for words or phrases that do not have special gestures, for example, for the names of institutions or proper names. Video lessons will help you quickly learn the Russian dactylic alphabet; you can find them on the following Internet resources:

Youtube is the most popular video hosting site where you can select video courses on learning dactyl that are convenient for you;
“City of Signs” is a convenient resource for learning sign language, with a simple interface, video dictionary and constant user support;
Groups on the popular social network VKontakte - video lessons, dating, interesting stories from the deaf and hard of hearing.

Sign language

In communication between the deaf, two speech systems are distinguished: KZhR (calculating sign speech) and RZhR (Russian sign speech).

Russian sign language is used for communication between deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. It differs from tracing sign language in that it is not accompanied by oral speech, but is used for casual communication.
Tracing sign language is used in business communication and is accompanied by oral speech.

It is interesting that the KZhR consists not only of gestures that directly denote a word, it includes words consisting of combinations of lexical units with gestures, for example, the word “office” will be represented as follows: k+a+b (letters of the dactyl alphabet) + gesture, meaning the word "room". Also in the KZhR there are words consisting entirely of dactyls - dactyl words, example: k+o+n+s+e+r+v+a+t+o+r - “conservative”.

To master sign language and communicate freely in the language of the deaf, use all sources of information - video lessons, video dictionaries, tests, watch films in sign language and, of course, practice communication.

List of useful services, literature, courses and events for learning sign language:

Sign server is a simple assistant for learning sign language, including dactylic alphabets in different languages, a phrasebook, tests, and puzzles. Has a mobile version.
G.L. Zaitsev “Dactylology. Sign speech", "Russian sign language. Course for Beginners” - Zaitseva’s works are highlighted among the educational literature. From her books you will learn the history of the formation of sign language, its features, understand the language at a structural level and master many gestures.
A.A. Ignatenko “Collection of exercises and tests on sign speech.”
“Center for Education of the Deaf and Sign Language named after. G.L. Zaitseva" conducts courses in sign language acquisition at three levels: basic course; course for those with primary language communication skills; in-depth course. The first two courses are designed for a period of 3 months, after which you will be able to express your thoughts to the deaf.

In addition to educational activities, watch films for the deaf to consolidate your knowledge.

The St. Petersburg film company “Kovcheg” produces videos and films for the deaf, and also produces a video dictionary of Christian gestures. Look for specific films for the deaf on Youtube.
Visit the Theater of Mimicry and Gesture in Moscow, where performances are performed by deaf actors, and interpretation is provided throughout the program for hearing people. The actors play expressively, the liveliness of the performances energizes, shows the richness of sign language, and most importantly, such a performance will be equally pleasant to watch for both deaf and hearing people.

No matter what your reason for learning sign language, make learning fun and playful to make the process easier and faster. Deaf people, whether they are your family, friends or colleagues, love to communicate just as much as you do. By mastering Russian sign language, you will expand your circle of communication and help people with limited hearing.

Few people have encountered the problem of communicating with deaf people. Even fewer people understand what such speech is based on. One of the misconceptions is that deaf sign language was invented only by hearing people, and that it depends on ordinary speech. Actually this is not true. The second misconception is that sign languages include fingerprinting of letters, that is, drawing letters with hands.

Dactylology shows words one letter at a time, while sign signs show them as a whole. There are more than 2000 such gesture words in dictionaries for the deaf. Some of them are quickly remembered and easily depicted.

The concept of "sign language"

The sign language of the deaf is an independent language that arose naturally or was created artificially. It consists of a combination of gestures that are made with the hands and are complemented by facial expressions, body position, and lip movements. It is most often used for the purpose of communication among deaf or hard of hearing people.

How did sign languages originate?

Most of us are inclined to believe that deaf sign language actually originated among hearing people. They used gestures to communicate silently. Be that as it may, people with speech and hearing impairments use it.

An interesting fact is that only 1.5% of people in the world are completely deaf. The largest number of people with hearing impairments is found in Brazil, among the Urubu tribe. There is one deaf child for every 75 children born. This is the reason why all Urubu representatives are familiar with sign language.

At all times, the question has been about how to learn the sign language of the deaf and dumb. Moreover, each region has its own. The problem of the emergence of a common language over large territories began to be considered in the mid-18th century. At this time, educational centers designed for children with hearing problems began to appear in France and Germany.

The teachers' task was to teach children the written form of their native language. For the explanations, gestures used among the deaf and dumb were taken as a basis. On their basis, a gestural interpretation of French and German gradually emerged. That is, sign language is largely artificially created. Anyone can understand and use this language.

Teaching the language of the mutes in the past

Each country has its own sign language for the deaf. This is due to the fact that the gestures taken as a basis could be interpreted differently in different states. For example, in the USA, teachers from France were invited to create their own school for the deaf. It was the teacher Laurent Clerc who developed this trend in America in the 18th century. But Great Britain did not adopt a ready-made language, adopting only the methods of deaf pedagogy. This is precisely the reason why American for the deaf is similar to French, but cannot have anything in common with English.

In Russia, things were even more complicated. The first school for the deaf appeared here at the very beginning of the 19th century. In Pavlovsk, the knowledge and practice of French teachers was used. And half a century later, an educational institution was opened in Moscow, which adopted the experience of German specialists. The struggle between these two schools can be traced in the country today.

Sign language is not a verbal tracing. At the same time, its structure and history were not studied by anyone for a long time. Only in the second half of the last century did scientists appear who proved that the language for the deaf is a full-fledged linguistic system. And it has its own morphological and syntactic features.

Gesture communication

In order to understand a silent language, the gestures of which vary depending on the state, you need to decide where it will be needed. In particular, Russian dactylology has 33 dactyl signs. A book by G. L. Zaitseva entitled “Sign speech. Dactylology" is suitable for studying the sign language of the deaf and dumb in Russia. Learning words will take time and require a lot of practice.

For example, here are some descriptions of gestures and their meanings:

hands raised to chin level and bent at the elbows, connected by the fingertips, mean the word “home”;
circular rotations simultaneously with both hands in the hip area mean “hello”;
the bend of the fingers of one hand, raised to chest level and bent at the elbow, means “goodbye”;
the right hand folded into a fist, which touches the forehead, means “thank you”;
a handshake at chest level means "peace";
smooth movements of two parallel palms looking at each other from left to right should be understood as an apology;
touching the edge of the lips with three fingers and moving the hand to the side means “love.”

To understand all the gestures, it is better to read specialized literature or watch video tutorials. However, even here you should understand which language is best to learn.

Tongue gesturing

The problem of understanding among deaf people around the world became very acute only in the last century. In 1951, after the emergence of the World Federation of the Deaf, it was decided to create a universal silent language, the gestures of which would be understandable to participants in all countries.

Work on this issue bore fruit only in 1973 in the form of the first dictionary of simplified sign language. Two years later, international sign language was adopted. To create it, the languages of England, America, Italy, and Russia were used. At the same time, the methods of communication among representatives of the African and Asian continents were not taken into account at all.

This has led to the fact that in addition to the official one, there is also an informal sign language in the world.

Dactyl alphabet

Gestures can show not only words, but also individual letters. This is not exactly the sign language of the deaf and dumb. Words consist of individual letter gestures, which makes communication difficult and takes longer. Using the dactylic alphabet, which is what this method is called, common nouns, scientific terms, prepositions, and the like are designated.

This alphabet has its own differences in different sign languages. It is quite easy to study it, since it consists, as already mentioned, of 33 dactylic signs. Each of them corresponds to the image of the corresponding letter. To understand Russian speech, you should study the corresponding dactyl alphabet.

The language of the deaf is a hot topic for the deaf themselves and for their potential translators, that is, those who speak and hear well. And this is no wonder. In developed countries, there are three sign language interpreters for every deaf person. And if you calculate around the world, there are only three interpreters for every hundred deaf and mute people. Therefore, it is quite natural that sign language is of interest.

Types of language for the deaf and dumb

The problem of communication between people with hearing impairments has been known to mankind for a long time. And this language also had its revolutions, ups and downs.

In the 18th century there was Amslen. His weakness was that he was constantly changing. Acquired many “dialects”. People had difficulty understanding each other.
By the middle of the last century, there was a need for an international language for the hearing impaired. He appeared. They called him a rude name. It includes hand gestures, body turns and facial expressions.

Language for the deaf and dumb and its types

It is important to distinguish the language of the hearing impaired from dactylology. The last one is the image of individual letters with hands. It is used for proper names, city names, and specific words not yet included in the unified language.

Where to go to learn the language of the deaf and mute?

From the previous section it is clear: on the one hand, there is a fantastic need for sign language interpreters, on the other hand, no one is particularly eager to get into this profession. Answering the question why takes too long and is not very pleasant, so let’s immediately move on to the practical part - where to turn? The options are as follows.

Groups and communities of the hearing-impaired and deaf-mute. The rescue of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves. Russian realities make many feel like Barons Munchausen. Of course, services of this kind are free.
Educational institutions of both higher and middle levels. Available to social workers and linguists – free of charge.
If suddenly the sufferers did not find free courses, then there are paid ones. They are provided by research and methodological centers, as well as special schools for the hearing impaired and the deaf.

When you don’t want to pay money (after all, this is not the most profitable investment), but there is a need for knowledge, then you should not despair. You need to turn to the great and mighty Internet, and it will tell you what to do.

How to learn deaf language on your own?

In general, real education is self-education. The world is fast and highly efficient, so there is often no time to get a systematic education when a person needs specific skills. Let's consider options for learning a language for the deaf and mute on your own.

Websites. The Internet, as always, helps. A huge number of groups and communities that will help a person in theoretical and practical language acquisition.
Phone applications. These are textbooks that do not take up much space and that can be opened at any time convenient for a person.
Books. Despite technological progress and newfangled novelties, books are still popular among the population. What can I say, books and dogs are man’s best friends. But books are not made for lazy people. They need to be dealt with seriously and thoughtfully.
Training video. Plus – visibility. The downside is that there is no mentor nearby to help if something goes wrong.

To understand whether a person speaks a language well or poorly requires practice. Therefore, as soon as the basics are mastered, you need to find a community where you can test yourself. And don't be afraid. If a person is hard of hearing, he will be welcome. If he has no hearing problems, then he will be doubly welcome, because there is a catastrophic shortage of sign language interpreters.