We currently have over 800 documented signs you can learn from. Dr Stephen Taylor works in the department of basic education and Marisa Coetzee is a researcher in the economics department at the University of Stellenbosch. Enjoy the read…, (Update: Sara Muller provides a useful summary of some the qualitative research on language of learning and teaching in SA here – go check it out. Among children in schools of a similar quality and coming from similar home backgrounds, those who were taught in their home language during the first three years of primary school performed better in the English test in grades four, five and six than children who were exposed to English as the language of instruction in grades one, two and three. The South African language policy is used as an example of such a constitutional text. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. We describe the legal and actual situation of South Afiican Sign Language in South Africa today, larly in relation to schooling. Sign Language in the Brain. The constitution mentions "sign language" in the generic sense rather than South African Sign Language specifically. Signwriting in South Africa. According to the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, nearly 500,000 deaf South Africans use SASL and yet, due to years of misunderstanding of the Deaf community, there are very few SASL interpreters. Includes an easy to use South African Sign Language Dictionary or Tutor module. About Donations. Rather, there are underlying similarities shared by many African societies which, when contrasted with other cultures, reveal a wide gap of difference. What we need is rigorous evidence. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Speaking hands and silent voices : exploring the identities of d/Deaf teachers through narratives in motion. https://libguides.wits.ac.za/deaf_and_hardofhearing, Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, Accessibility perspectives on enabling South African sign language in the South African National Accessibility Portal, Hands and Wrists: Learning American Sign Language, An Interpreter Isn't Enough: Deafness, Language, and Due Process by Michele Lavigne, McCay Vernon, Interpreters' and Sign Language Organizations in South Africa, Language and Gesture in Brazilian Sign Language Narrative by Leland McCleary, Evani Viotti, Language Trademarks: Beginner Guide To ASL, Signing Savvy | ASL Sign Language Video Dictionary, Sign Language (American Sign Language)(ASL), Sign Language Education and Development (SLED), Sign language for the information society: an ICT roadmap for South African Sign Language. What language should South African children be taught in? The copyright of the items in this collection belongs to the University of South Africa. establishment of a statutory Pan South African Language Board to promote, and create conditions for, the development and use of all official languages, other communities and sign language. … “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Mandela. A South African Sign Language Dictionary for Families with Young Deaf Children (SLED 2006) was used with permission as a data source in this research, and we thank Sign Language Education and Development (SLED) for this. In a nutshell, the Talk Sign campaign aims to have South African Sign Language (SASL) approved as South Africa’s 12 th official language. We investigate the different factors that underlie the claims that there is more than one sign language in South Africa, and we spell out the practical consequences of accepting these claims without further examination. Doesn’t practice make perfect?However, most linguistic theory doesn’t agree. This situation gives rise to a number of questions like when and how one should transition to English. The ongoing debates about the language of instruction in schools evoke strong (and often emotional) responses, as has again been seen in the various contributions in the media during the past two weeks.However, these responses are seldom backed by evidence. The document, it says, "applies to all segments of the South African society" and "creates obligations" to protect the linguistic rights of the deaf community. As researchers focused on education in South Africa, we recently conducted a study that we believe provides some preliminary evidence on one important part of the language in education debate. Slow play. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. English from day 1), and this is especially true for wealthier parents. SLED is not responsible for any of the conclusions of this study, and only the authors are responsible for any errors in transcription or description of the data. colonies in Africa, Asia and South America gained their political independence. Sign Language 1 2015 The Deaf Society Updated: Version 2, July 2015 INSIGHTS INTO AUSLAN Established and Productive Signs (Adapted by Anne Horton from “Australian Sign Language: An introduction to sign language linguistics” by Johnston and Schembri) Established Signs These signs are “frozen” and form the basis of the vocabulary listed in dictionaries Ethics Hotline: 0800 005 311. unisa@whistleblowing.co.za. This is my sign name. SignGenius SASL Pro 3 is the future for sign language software. SLED produces high quality South African Sign Language literature, and Education Resources for Deaf Education. Ability to keep track of best test scores per category. Although our study confirms that the language of instruction is an important contributor to the academic performance of children, it is not the main contributor. In this article we discuss the signed language used by the Deaf community in South Africa, and examine the historical conditions for its emergence. Add to cart. If a person did not speak a second language, that too was recorded. ORDER NOW. This week we are teaching SASL Fingerspelling - Alphabet and Introduction/Greetings by Yuvini Gounden. They write here in their personal ­capacities as academic ­researchers. Learning South African Sign Language (SASL) may seem daunting, but in fact the process is quite similar to that of learning any foreign language. South African Sign Language Dictionary for Families of Young Deaf Children . Development of indigenous languages and South African Sign Language/s 8 Subject to the provisions of section 9(a), the Minister shall take practical and positive measures for the development of the indigenous languages and South African Sign Language/s, in particular to – (a) identify priority areas for the development of these languages; The Pan South African Language Board has published a draft charter on South African Sign Language that will become final next week if nobody objects to it. Therefore, our analysis was limited to the 9 000 or so primary schools that serve predominantly black children who come from the poorest households in South Africa.What we found is quite striking. What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in their mother-tongue for the first three years (Grades 1-3) then switch to either English or Afrikaans in Grade 4 and continue with that language for the rest of their schooling career. This policy decision would require additional research. 5 National Language Policy Framework - 2003 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Approximately 25 different languages are spoken in South Africa, of which 11 have been granted official status in terms of section 6 of the Constitution (Act No. In addition, children who attend the “straight-for-English” schools are on average from richer households where they receive more academic support from better-educated parents or caregivers, are less likely to go to bed hungry, have fewer siblings with whom they need to share resources and are more frequently exposed to English on television and in the home. Ayanda Ntukwana signs in South African Sign Language for the video, and subtitles are in English.] This course, the first of two modules at Level 3, aims to enable participants to engage in specific sustained communication with users of the language in South African Sign Language at upper-intermediate A level, including making complex arrangements and engaging in sustained communication regarding the Deaf community and technology, services and education for the Deaf. At first this seems like a fair assumption to make: Surely the earlier you start with English the better? This Libguide provides information and useful web resources for persons who are deaf or who have hearing impairments, as well as persons providing education, training or other services to persons with hearing problems. In this paper, we try to show the relevance of African culture and values … South African Sign Language 2.1. ( Log Out /  It is important to recognise these limitations, because there are many policy issues and arguments that often get confused in South Africa’s language debates. The goal is to optimise educational outcomes, which include English fluency, mother-tongue fluency and skills in other subject areas, for pupils whose first language is not English but how does one best achieve this? Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. About Donations. Since 2001 Sign Language Education and Development (SLED) has become known throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries, as a Deaf non-profit organisation that is committed to providing the Deaf child of South Africa with an equal and democratic right to literacy, learning and access to information through the promotion of South African Sign Language (SASL). explanation(s) for events, the same language, and same mode of dressing and so on. “Hi. Because non-language subjects in the matric exam are available only in English or Afrikaans, schools with pupils who are neither Afrikaans- nor English-speaking must figure out when to begin using English (or in a minority of cases, Afrikaans) as the language of instruction. 0800 00 1870. The hands are in many colors and shades. Student enquiries. Talk Sign Sticker – Sheet of 20 R 200.00. Signwriting in South Africa. Learning, including language learning, begins well before children enter formal schooling. For those who aren’t from South Africa, we have 11 official languages – Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. For those less interested in fixed effects and more inclined to scroll to their conclusions, you’re better off reading a Mail & Guardian article they wrote last week which I am going to include verbatim below because I think it is a truly excellent article! Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. South African Sign Language - one language or many? As Jansen observes, many black parents recognise that English proficiency is important for successful participation in the economy, and therefore conclude that their children should be instructed in English. This is a collection of theses and dissertations submitted since 2003 in electronic format to the University of South Africa in the Department of African Languages. These theories predict that several years of mother-tongue instruction will lead to better second-language acquisition than being instructed in that second language from the first day of school. Even more importantly, the quality of teachers, their English background and other aspects of school quality are typically stacked in favour of these “straight-for-English” schools. As with any study, our findings have their limitations. 2.The inherited language-in-education policy in South Africa has been fraught with tensions, contradictions and sensitivities, and underpinned by racial and linguistic discrimination. You need motivation and passion to enrol for this course. KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society Donations to the Society is tax deductible in terms of Section 18A(1)(a) Income Tax Act. Although there is a lot of theory about this, there is very little empirical evidence on the causal impact of these alternative instructional models. Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa with about 12 million speakers representing 23% of the country’s population. We used data from the department of basic education’s “annual survey of schools” to identify the language of instruction in each grade in each school for the years 2007 to 2011. http://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/wpapers/2013/wp212013, South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English - AfricansLive, South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English – FREE SPEECH DAILY. This is my sign name. Combining these data sets, we are able to separate the effects of overall school quality and home circumstances from the impact of language of instruction on the performance of children in a standardised English test written in grades four, five and six. Their full academic paper is ­available at http://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/wpapers/2013/wp212013. SASL would enable you to communicate with a Deaf person and provide you with the ability to communicate and therefor render a professional service to the Deaf without the use of … The current language in education policy encourages the use of mother-tongue instruction in the first three years of primary school followed by a switch to English or Afrikaans in grade four, but allows schools to make the final decisions. SASL would enable you to communicate with a Deaf person and provide you with the ability to communicate and therefor render a professional service to the Deaf without the use of an interpreter. CONNECT WITH US. (iii) sign language; and (b) promote and ensure respect for - (i) all languages commonly used by communities in South Africa, including German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Portuguese, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu; and (ii) Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit and other languages used for religious purposes in South Africa. Operates without CD. Change ). Evidence-based findings One of the perennial issues that arises when discussing South African education is our complex language policy. SASL South African Sign Language TISSA Telephone Interpreting Service for South Africa . The status of South African Sign Language (SASL) in South Africa | Sled - Sign Language Education & Development. Our friend, Ann Matthews, has developed a South African Sign Language Manual for parent-training classes provided at Mary Kihn School (where she once worked) in Observatory. My name is Ayanda Ntukwana. Frame-by-frame viewing of videos. The chapter concludes with a general For a long time, learners who are Deaf were persistently marginalised as they had been deprived of a home language, resulting NPO: 002-178 PBO 18/11/13/2948 . Talk Sign 1 – A Basic South African Sign Language Guide R 200.00. In conclusion, our research indicates that, as far as we can tell from empirical analysis, the current language policy is on the right track. “At SLED I focus on facilitating South African Sign Language training. Speaking hands and silent voices : exploring the identities of d/Deaf teachers through narratives in motion. Most children experience a transition from mother-tongue instruction to English instruction in grade four, something that by all reports is a difficult process. We are conscious of the important part the public broadcaster should play in facilitating the fulfilment of these rights, and pledge our commitment to working towards these goals. Add to cart. The real question is how much of the differences in performance is explained by children’s home circumstances, how much by a school’s quality and, lastly, how much by the language in which children are taught. We will describe our findings below. Who should enrol? ORDER NOW. Advocates of both “straight-for-English” approaches and mother-tongue instruction envisage a carefully thought-through set of instructional practices implemented by high-quality teachers and supported by sufficient materials. We use this manual for our beginner South African Sign Language group. Schools and teachers across South Africa rely on SLED to provide good resources, and friendly helpful back up and support in using the resources. [Brushes finger and thumb down her nose.] A more scientific approach is required to address such an explosive topic and this week we released a working paper that we believe offers this. The size of the difference is not inconsequential: it is equivalent to about a third of a year of additional learning for children who were instructed in their home language during grades one, two and three compared with their peers who were instructed only in English during that same period. establishment of a statutory Pan South African Language Board to promote, and create conditions for, the development and use of all official languages, other communities and sign language. “I have been working at SLED for 7 years. For those who aren’t from South Africa, we have 11 official languages – Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. In his recent Percy Baneshik Memorial Lecture to the English Academy of South Africa, Professor Jonathan Jansen recommends the introduction of English as the language of instruction as early as possible (“Wrest power from English tyranny“, Mail & Guardian, October 4). Visit us. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Obviously, many people are limited to one, and many others able to speak three, four or more languages. A sociolinguistic question . Sign language for the information society: an ICT roadmap for South African Sign Language. SLED produces high quality South African Sign Language literature, and Education Resources for Deaf Education. In South African Sign Language there are five basic elements or parameters that make up each sign. Our friend, Ann Matthews, has developed a South African Sign Language Manual for parent-training classes provided at Mary Kihn School (where she once worked) in Observatory. Introduction This chapter focuses on signed languages in general and SASL in particular. Talk Sign Sticker – … Factors such as community- and home-level poverty, weak school functionality, weak instructional practices, inadequate teacher subject knowledge, and a need for greater accountability throughout the school system all represent much more severe constraints to achieving better education. Classes are also given on request, should it seem fitting. Our study provides preliminary evidence on one key aspect of the matter: as things are currently being implemented, the choice to use mother-tongue instruction as opposed to English instruction in grades one, two and three generally leads to better English learning in the long run. Similarly, our study has no direct application to the language policy debates at the university level. In light of these challenges, and bearing in mind the need for evidence-based policy, we have released a working paper containing our research on this issue. My name is Ayanda Ntukwana. Pingback: South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English - AfricansLive, Pingback: South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English – FREE SPEECH DAILY. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. I have a great passion for teaching Deaf children. But this conclusion rests on a key assumption: “Instruction in English from as early as possible is the best way to become fluent in English.”. CONNECT WITH US. Given the practical realities of the South African education system, the policy to encourage the use of mother-tongue instruction in the foundation phase but still allow schools to make the final choice based on their specific circumstances seems to be beneficial. The contrast between first language and second language is shown in the maps at right. This finding seems to be in line with the thinking of education specialists, who have for many years promoted the advantages of mother-tongue instruction in the early stages of children’s education. SignGenius SASL Pro v.3.1.3.718 Learn South African Sign Language in a fast, interactive and convenient way. We also used test score data from the annual national assessments of 2012 for all children in grades one to six. [Brushes finger and thumb down her nose.] First, schools that decide to teach in English are, on average, more likely to charge school fees, have smaller classes and have access to more resources than mother-tongue schools. Both sets of factors – school quality as well as the home environment – have been shown by research to impact strongly on the academic performance of children. The Deaf Federation of South Africa stated that it was approaching the Committee as a suggested first step in its quest to have South African Sign Language recognised as the twelfth official language of South Africa. Community Resources. Advanced Search function. ), [The following article appeared in the Mail & Guardian on the 18th of October], Mother-tongue classrooms give a better boost to English study later – Stephen Taylor & Marisa Coetzee. Unisa Open . What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in … South African Sign Language. By grade four, this proportion is only about 5%. We describe the legal and actual situation of South Afiican Sign Language in South Africa today, larly in relation to schooling. Classes are also given on request, should it seem fitting. Two friends (and colleagues) of mine have recently completed a Working Paper (“Estimating the impact of language of instruction in South African primary schools: A fixed effects approach“) which is well worth the read – methodologically interesting and highly policy-relevant, the very thing we need more of in South Africa. We use this manual for our beginner South African Sign Language group. The South African government added a National Language Unit for South African Sign Language in 2001. respect for all languages used in the country, including South African Sign Language and the languages referred to in the South African Constitution. Although this is what government recommends, many parents choose to send their children to straight-for-English schools (i.e. The general characteristics of sign languages will be discussed, followed by a discussion on the history of SASL and the varieties of sign language used in South Africa. With 2221 videos in several categories learning SASL has never been easier. SignGenius SASL Pro 3 is the future for sign language software. Click on the button to see a video on the Do's and Don'ts of interacting with Deaf people. As a bonus, there’s even a small crash-course in South African sign language too. What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in their mother-tongue for the first three years (Grades 1-3) then switch to either English or Afrikaans in Grade 4 and continue with that language for the rest of their schooling career. Rather, what is required is to separate out the effects of the various factors affecting academic performance. The theme of language in education has been a contentious issue ever since former colonies in Africa, Asia and South America gained their political independence. Real South African Sign Language (Realsasl.com) strives to create an extensive database of South African Signs. However, the suggestion that using English as the language of instruction from grade one would avoid this difficult transition is too good to be true. We are therefore not making any conclusions regarding the impact of English instruction in a utopian version of reality where all policies are perfectly implemented, but rather looking at the school system that we do have. In a nutshell, the Talk Sign campaign aims to have South African Sign Language (SASL) approved as South Africa’s 12 th official language. Classes on request. South African sign language (SASL) is a uni que language and is not linguistically related to spoken languages in South Africa (English or isiZulu, for example). SHOP. ( Log Out /  The South African Sign Language curriculum is based on Unit Standards of which the applicable content for the relevant course is selected, but it is not for credit purposes since universities work on a different level to the SAQA credits. Language and communication are without doubt two of the most important factors in the learning process. Thirteen options were given: South Africa’s 11 official languages, plus Sign Language, and “Other”. respect for all languages used in the country, including South African Sign Language and the languages referred to in the South African Constitution. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Add to cart. Schools and teachers across South Africa rely on SLED to provide good resources, and friendly helpful back up and support in using the resources. The motivation for this study was to gain insight into the situation at the schools where this policy matters most. “Hi. Deaf people have access to upload videos, and vote for the signs they frequently use. First, though, some background. The language is understood by more than half of South Africans. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results. Sign language for the information society: an ICT roadmap for South African Sign Language. SignOnOne. On Friday the Pan South African Language Board, a constitutional body with broad powers to monitor how the state treats different languages, gazetted a draft South African Sign Language Charter. What we can and cannot say Our results are not directly informative for policy decisions regarding the extension of mother-tongue instruction beyond the grade three level. In order to make headway on this important issue, we need to move beyond a discourse fuelled by ideology and emotions towards one informed by rigorous research. Finally, although our study points to the value of the mother tongue as the language of instruction, it may well also be important to strengthen the teaching of English as a subject in the early grades to help to facilitate the transition to English in grade four, as the curriculum and assessment policy statements recommend. SignOnOne. Add to cart. We believe these research findings to be an important starting point from which to take the language debate forward. In a 1953 landmark publication, UNESCO underscored the importance of educating children in their mother-tongue (UNESCO, 1953). Get In Touch! Although this is what government recommends, many parents choose to send their children to straight-for-English schools (i.e. language policy in education would be most appropriate for Africa. Therefore, a “straight-for-English” approach still involves a transition in a child’s language of learning, and children may be less well prepared for such a transition in grade one than in grade four. The official languages of the Republic are Pedi, Sotho, Tswana, Swati, Venḓa, Tsonga, Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa and Zulu. Ayanda Ntukwana signs in South African Sign Language for the video, and subtitles are in English.] Categories learning SASL has never been easier impact of this Language choice on the Do 's and of... 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