KSL
KSL
KSL
ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF SIGN LANGUAGE Recorded history shows that gestures have been used for communication between groups of different languages and cultures. The use of formalized language of signs however has been gradual until the first attempts to educate deaf children were made. The first book with a manual alphabet was published by Juan Pablo de Bonet in 1620.However the public education of the hearing impaired using sign language began in France. In 1755 Abbe Charles de lEpee founded the first public school for the deaf. He is considered the father of public education of the deaf. He is also credited as the father of Sign Language. He refined and developed the language of signs into a full language from which the present day sign languages are derived. In America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a young minister and student of de lEppe became the developer of American education of the deaf. He also founded the first school for the deaf in America at Hartford Connecticut in 1817 in which sign language was used. In 1880 during the Milan conference the proponents of oralism led by Heinickes carried the day and it was declared that the deaf children should be taught through speech as opposed to sign language in schools. Origin and spread of Kenyan sign language (KSL) Sign language used by hearing impaired people in Kenya is probably as old as their history. However documented use of the sign language can be traced to 1958 and early 60s when the first schools and units for the deaf were established. Although the official policy, then, advocated for the use of speech and speech-reading, the hearing impaired learners used KSL amongst themselves both in class and other context. In 1985 Dr. Michael Ndurumo, a graduate of Gallaudet university came to Kenya and strongly advocated for the use of sign language,SE and SEE in the education of the hearing impaired in Kenya. A research conducted in 1986 in schools for the deaf revealed that the use of sign language was a better means of communication compared to the oral means of communication. This finding led to the development of the first draft of Kenyan sign language for schools by KIE. In 1986 Machakos School for the deaf was started as a pilot school for Total communication a method that incorporated signs, finger spelling and speech among others. In 1988, the government introduced the use of Kenyan sign language and sign systems in all schools and units for the deaf in Kenya under the philosophy of Total Communication . Through the influence of Kenya institute of special education (KISE), Kenya national association of the Deaf (KNAD), Kenya society for the deaf children (KSDC) and the Kenya institute of education (KIE) the Kenya sign language draft has been revised and new and emerging signs used in schools for the deaf and the deaf community have been incorporated in the fourth draft currently in use. Through the schools (innovation centers), there has been an increase
of Kenyan sign language vocabulary through sign invention. The signs spread through inter-school transfer, sports and games and also through rural-urban migration. Today the Kenyan sign language is recognized and is officially used as a language of instruction in the education setting. It has been approved by the Kenya institute of education (KIE) and is taught as a subject in schools for the Hearing impaired ORIGIN OF FINGER SPELLING The manual alphabet we use to finger spell in Kenyan sign language (KSL) consists of 26 different hand shapes that correspond to letters of the English alphabet. The hand shapes were originally taken from a book of prayers written by a Franciscan monk. Melchor Yebra. Each letter of the alphabet had a prayer associated with it; if a monk was too ill to recite a prayer, he could indicate his prayer intent by making the corresponding hand shape. Use of hand shapes to form whole words and messages evolved, allowing monks to communicate without: violating their oath of silence. The concept of a hand shape representation letters of the alphabet was then borrowed for use in education of the deaf at the national institution for deaf-mutes in Paris, where Laurent Clerc was a pupil and an instructor. In 1817, when he and Thomas Gallaudet established the American asylum for the education and instruction of deaf and dumb persons, in Hartford, Connecticut, finger spelling was an integral component of signed language. In 1995 and 1960s, the Rochester method of educating deaf students required both teachers and students to speak and fingerspell each word simultaneously. Everything from daily lessons to the school play was done this way. Most national sign languages have developed some kind of finger-spelled alphabet one-handed or two-handed. Most of these alphabets correspond to the alphabet of the spoken or written language used in the country. Finger-spelling, as used in Kenya, is a direct, letter-by-letter representation of English words. As an incorporated component of sign language communication, fingerspelling has various but specific uses within KSL. Importance of Sign Systems o Sign systems help the hearing impaired to understand English grammar, o Sign systems bridge the gap between the spoken word, signs and the written word, o They also help increase awareness of the sounds of spoken language, o Sign systems are aids to language development and supplement speech, o A sign system like finger-spelling plays a supplementary role to the learners with hearing impairment. o Signing exact English (SEE) shows the use of articles and prepositions to children with hearing impaired who often have difficulty learning the correct usage of these parts of English language. Pre-manual, non-manual and manual skills Pre-manual skills
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Pre-literacy skills that children acquire focus on pre-reading and prewriting skills which give the children prerequisite skills which they must have in order to be able to acquire reading and writing skills. Similarly, in order for children who are deaf to acquire signing skills, there are certain prerequisite skills which they must first acquire. These prerequisite skills are known as pre-manual skills. Pre-manual skills include the following: Visual memory Left-to-right movement and vice versa, Top-bottom-up movement. Manual skills In order to sign well you must acquire skills of signing well. These skills are known as manual skills. There are two types of manual skills:
o Receptive manual skills. o Expressive manual skills. Receptive manual skills These are the skills we use to read and understand information given in sign language. These skills involve the ability to attend to the sign made and interpret its meaning as used in context. The recipient of a signed message is expected to read meanings carried by the hands, facial expression and body posture at the same time. Expressive manual skills These are skills that we use to express ourselves. They require flexibility in using one's hands, facial expressions and body language. They also involve purposeful use of signs to give and solicit for information, express feelings and emotions. Non-manual features These features are used to accompany signs. They include: Facial expressions Eyebrow movements Head movements Body movements Lip movements Eye movements Elements of a sign and their relationship to meaning A sign consists of four main elements (parameters): Hand shape Place of articulation (location) Orientation Movement Hand shape There are different hand shapes in Kenyan sign language. Here are some of them: Extended index finger Open palm Claw hand "A" hand shape "C" hand shape Clenched fist
Place of articulation (location) This is the location of the hand shape in relation to the body. Signs are made in specific places either on the body or in the space within the signing space. The following are the possible places of articulation in KSL: The whole face or head The upper face (forehead or brow) The mid face (eyes) The lower face (chin or mouth) The side face (cheek or ear) The neck The trunk (shoulders, chest and belly) The upper arm The fore arm and the inside of the wrist The back of the wrist The other(passive) hand The neutral space in front of the chest also known as the Zero location The signing space in front of the body, chest, eye, mouth and forehead. Orientation Orientation is the direction of the palm in relation to the body of the signer. When two people are signing you will notice that some signs are made with the palm facing the signer while others face different directions e.g. palm turned up, turned down, facing you or facing away from you. For example the sign for "Look" can be made with the palm toward the left, right, up, down or toward oneself, depending on what one intends to communicate. Movement This is how your hand moves from one location to the other. For example, the hand may move upward, downward, backward, forward, diagonally, wavy, zigzag etc. While signing you make different movements using hand shapes. In movement, we consider the following characteristics: Direction of the movement Speed of the movement Frequency of the movement Direction of the movement When you were signing you moved your hand shape and in so doing you realized the following movements: Up/down movement Left/right movement Diagonal movement Forward/backward movement Simultaneous movement in different directions Circular movements Zigzag movements
Speed of movement In KSL signs are made at different speeds. Some signs are made with slow movements while others are made with quick movements and
hand shapes. For example if you make the sign for "Write" repeatedly with slow movement in quick succession it means "Writing quickly". Frequency of movement Frequency is the number of times a sign is made. Some signs are made by one movement of hand shape. Others are made by repeating the movement of the same hand shape. Elements of a sign and their relationship to meaning These elements have to combine in a specific sequence in order to form a meaningful sign. For example in order to make the sign for "Please" the elements have to combine sequentially. Finger spelling This is actually writing in the air, it uses the alphabet. It was and still is used by people entirely apart from deaf people. In a classroom situation when the manual alphabet and speech are used in conjunction, we usually reefer to this as the combined method or sometimes as Rochester method. Manual alphabet consists of 26 different hand positions that represent the letters of alphabet. Advantages of finger spelling Finger spelling in English or exact representation of any language with which it is used. There is no limitation in the number of words that may be spell. Disadvantages of finger spelling It tires the reader if read for a long period of time. It is difficult to read from a distance. Only very few people know and can understand finger spelling. It cannot help a deaf person who has not learnt the language or known how to read and write. It is easier to fingerspell and sign than to read both. HINTS FOR EXPRESSIVE FINGER SPELLING In order to fingerspell and read finger spelt letters properly, you should observe the following: o Relax. o Let the hand be steady. o Let the palm face the audience at a slight angle with the arm held in a comfortable natural manner. o The hand should not be far from the mouth to make it difficult to read both hand and lip o movements simultaneously, o Do not block the mouth with your hand since it is important to see the lip movement of the signer, o Avoid looking at the hand o Do not jerk, bounce or push the hand forward as you finger spell. o Make each letter clearly, distinctly and with a slight pause between words. o Do not drop hands between words. o Establish and maintain rhythm. HINTS FOR RECEPTIVE FINGER SPELLING o o o o Relax Avoid reading letters in isolation Try to get the first two letters and the last. Never- ask the signer to slow down. It is better for the signer to repeat the finger spelt word at the same speed severally.
REASONS FOR FINGER SPELLING To introduce a spoken word which has no sign equivalent? To explain word that may not be familiar. To accompany a new concept e.g. computer "mouse'. To produce idioms in code switching. To produce euphemism (e.g. s-e-x, g-a-y) To use a part of core vocabulary. For proper nouns. To produce a sign that is used for the rest of the discourse e.g. budget". o For convenience and time saving. o o o o o o o o Prepared by Dan Hwaga and Caroline Oremo