2. Outline
• Introduction.
• History Sign Language.
• To what we apply it?
• Why is it important?
• Helen Keller & Anne Sullyvan.
• Differences between countries.
• Brief summary and questions.
3. Introduction
• Sign Language:
– Visual-manual modality.
– Sophisticated, complex and natural.
– Deaf people: first in use it.
• Not a substitute of a speech lang. (came to light
in the second half of the 20th century)
• Own independence.
4. History
Not universal
Differences as well as spoken language
“Gestuno” (deaf)= Speranto (hearing): artificially
devised language
World Congress of the WFD
(World Federation of the Deaf). Rome, Italy,
1951
5. To what we apply it?
To and by deaf-mute people.
Not even deaf people know what it is.
In visual media: television.
subtitles
6. Why is it important?
• Not to marginalize disabled people.
• Spread Language.
• Possible as any other way of
communication (radio, letter, television,
newspapers, magazines…)
7. Helen Keller
Blind deaf-mute girl.
Anne Sullivan (blind)
Fingerprint
Braille
Other skills.
“The Story Of My Life”
9. Brief Summary
History: Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan: willpower
Other types of communication: Subtitles, Braille,
Fingerprint…
Invented complex visual-manual modality
Not universal: differences between languages/countries, in
the same languages (accents) and confussions.
10. Thank you all
for comming !!!
The "I love you"
handshape in American
Sign language (ASL)
