Bilingual sign language dictionary for learning a second sign language without learning the target spoken language

Abstract

This paper describes a bilingual sign language dictionary (Japanese Sign Language and American Sign Language) that can help people learn each sign language directly from their mother sign language. Our discussion covers two main points. The first describes the necessity for a bilingual dictionary. Since there is no universal sign or real international sign deaf people would need to learn at least four languages if they want to talk to people whose mother tongue is different from their own: their mother sign language, their mother spoken language (as an intermediate language), the target spoken language, and the sign language fot the language in which they wish to communicate. The two spoken languages become language barriers for deaf people, and our bilingual dictionary will remove these barriers. The second describes the use of computers. As the use of computers becomes more widespread, it has become more convenient to study using computer software and/or the Internet facilities. Our dictionary system provides deaf people with an easy means of access using their mother-sign language so that they don't have to overcome the barrier of learning the target-spoken language. It also provides a way for people who are going to learn two sign languages to look up new vocabulary. Further, we plan to examine how our dictionary system could be used to educate and assist deaf people.