Abstract

There may be instances in which the creation of an artificial sign language will be both defensible and desirable. One such case is in South Africa. With many diverse spoken and signed languages in the country, there is a compelling case for developing a unified national sign language for use by and with the deaf of all ethnolinguistic groups. The Communication Committee of the South African National Council for the Deaf is engaged on such a project; however, sound principles of linguistic engineering ought not to be ignored, and so a number of guidelines are here presented that ought to be observed both in the process of devising such an artificial language and in the product itself.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.