제 15 호 The Most Beautiful Language in the World - Sign Language
Kicker: WORLD
The Most Beautiful Language in the World
- Sign Language
by Da-hwee Kim, Cub-reporter
International Week of Deaf People 2022 - WFD (wfdeaf.org)
Do you know what day is 23rd September? It is the International Day of Sign Languages!The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf. In this article, we will find out some interesting facts about the history of sign language first. Then we will go a little bit further and dive into the story of the Korean Sign Language. Finally, we will figure out the value and the importance of it.
What Is a Sign Language?
Sign language is a visual language that is expressed through body movements instead of words. It relies on signals seen in the hands, eyes, facial expressions, and movements, and is primarily used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Like other spoken languages, sign language has grammar and structure rules and has evolved over time.
As with spoken language, there is no "universal" sign language. Different countries usually have their own versions of sign language that are unique to regions and cultures. For example, it is different from American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) spoken in the UK. Oral languages have different dialects or intonations, but sign language has different signs and gestures.
When Was the World’s First Sign Language Invented?
The first to create an official sign language for the deaf was 16th-century Spanish Benedictine monk Pedro Ponce de León. Benedictine monks used them to carry messages during daily silence. Inspired by this, he applied the gestures used in monasteries to create a method for teaching deaf people to communicate. And this paved the way for systems that are now used around the world.
A little later, in 1755, the French Catholic priest Charles-Michel de l'Épée devised a better way to educate the deaf. It was the founding of the National Institute for Deaf-Mutes in Paris, the first public school for deaf children.
At the time, deaf students from all over France came to the institute with signs they use to communicate at home. Épee created a dictionary of symbols by applying these symbols and adding their own manual alphabets. For his achievements and the establishment of 21 schools, Épée became known as the father of the deaf.
The efforts of these diverse people not only allowed the development of formal sign language, but also made all the different spoken languages accessible to people who are deaf.
Current Status of Sign Language
According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide. More than 80% of them live in developing countries. They also collectively use over 300 different sign language.
Sign language is a completely natural language that is structurally distinct from spoken language. There is also a separate International Sign Language that deaf people use informally at international conferences or when traveling and socializing. It is often considered a pidgin form of sign language, which is not as complex as natural sign language and has a limited vocabulary.
The History of Korean Sign Language
The establishment period of sign language can be seen as a natural expression used by the deaf while living in Korea and for communication between the deaf. Although we do not know the exact details, it is said that sign language was started as a means of communication between the deaf in Korea in 1909, when the first school for the deaf was opened in Pyongyang.
Rosetta Thurwood Hall, an American Methodist female medical missionary, trained Korean Ik-min Lee and his nephew at the Chefoo, China's first school for the deaf, to establish the Pyongyang School for the Blind in 1909. This started deaf education. Although the establishment of the school for deaf students was done by Mrs. Hall, the education was considered to be run by the Korean principal Ik-min Lee and his nephew.
Therefore, it is considered that the use of Korean sign language in Korea was naturally used as a means of communication between deaf children because deaf children live together to receive an education.
Korean Sign Language Day
This day was established to commemorate the enactment of the Korean Sign Language Language Act, and it is February 3rd every year. This is a day to commemorate the enactment of the 'Korean Sign Language Language Act', the day on which Korean sign language was recognized as the official language of the deaf which has the same qualifications as the Korean language.
The related bill designating 'Korean Sign Language Day' as February 3 was proposed in September 2020, but as it was promulgated in December, the actual implementation year is from 2021. Accordingly, the week to which this day belongs is 'Korean Sign Language Week' ', and the state and local governments can hold an event to commemorate 'Korean Sign Language Day'.
‘Korean Sign Language Day’ is also a legal anniversary related to language along with ‘Hangeul Day (October 9)’ and ‘Hangeul Braille Day (November 4)’.
Importance and Value
For non-disabled people, it may not be easy to feel the importance of sign language in daily life. However, as mentioned before, today there are over 300 different sign languages spoken by over 72 million deaf or hard of hearing people worldwide. It can be seen that this is a fairly small number. So, we will all need to think more about the value of sign language and pay attention to it.
Sources:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/sign-languages-day
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/creation-of-sign-language#:~:text=The%20first%20person%20credited%20with,16th%2Dcentury%20Spanish%20Benedictine%20monk.
http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0031792
https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6478313&cid=43667&categoryId=43667
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/sign-language
