Sign language

Content: Sign language, German sign language, Sign language interpreter, Recommendations for you as a teacher.

Sign languages are ‘visual-manual languages’ (Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund e. V., 2020), characterised by both their own grammar and their own vocabulary. With around 300 different sign languages worldwide, they are regarded as fully-fledged, independent languages that differ fundamentally from spoken and written languages. Having developed naturally, they follow their own linguistic rules. Through a combination of hand signs, body posture, facial expressions and mouth shapes, an independent linguistic system emerges that is far more than merely a visual substitute for spoken language.

As individual sign languages have different grammatical structures and vocabularies, ‘International Signs’ are often used in international encounters – a simplified and non-standardised form of communication consisting of various signs, repetitions and paraphrases.

German Sign Language

Whilst every country has its own sign language, at least 200,000 people in Germany use German Sign Language (DGS) (Schweiger, 2022). Firmly enshrined in the Disability Equality Act (BGG) since 2002 and thus recognised as a fully-fledged, independent language, DGS is the mother tongue for the majority of people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

DGS also consists of hand shapes, body and head posture, mouth shape and facial expressions, whereby not only the signs made by the hands but also the positioning of the signs in front of the body are significant. The linguistic structure of DGS follows its own grammatical rules: for example, there are no articles, and sentence structures follow a subject–object–predicate order.

Did you know that there are left- and right-handed sign language users too?! Whilst some signs involve using both hands at the same time, it is usually the dominant hand that is used.

As with spoken language, sign language also has regional variations and dialects, which in Germany can be attributed to the late official recognition of German Sign Language (DGS) and the long-standing lack of cross-regional exchange. At the same time, new signs are constantly emerging to adapt to social and technological changes.

The finger alphabet

As the name suggests, the finger alphabet is an alphabet formed with the fingers, which is used to communicate proper names, foreign words or unfamiliar terms from spoken language. As the symbols are based on the spoken language typical of a particular country, the finger alphabet is not standardised internationally.

Sign language interpreter

Sign language interpreters facilitate barrier-free communication between deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing people by translating spoken language into sign language and vice versa.
They are employed in many different areas of life, such as in education and higher education, at appointments with public authorities, in the healthcare sector, at cultural events or in the workplace (Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund e. V., n.d.). Sign language interpreters facilitate barrier-free communication between deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing people by translating spoken language into sign language and vice versa.

Recommendations for you as a Teacher

For you as a teacher, the first thing to do is to demonstrate an open attitude and communicate transparently when assessing students’ needs. You should assess these needs as early as possible and in a sensitive manner – please refer to the sections on course design, making consultation hours accessible, and respectful collaboration.

The provision of sign language interpreters should be organised through a central point of contact (e.g. the representative for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses). It is also helpful for you, as a lecturer, to be informed about the work of the interpreters. If sign language interpreters are interpreting content in your courses, it is important that you bear the following points in mind: 

• Adjust your speaking rate and slow it down if necessary.
• Structure the programme clearly.
• Schedule sufficient breaks.
• Maintain eye contact.
• The interpreter must stand or sit near you. Ensure that both the interpreter and yourself are clearly visible.

In addition, the venue must be adequately lit and, for digital or hybrid events, the appropriate technical infrastructure must be in place. Detailed guidelines on working with sign language interpreters can be found in the "Leitlinien für Tontechniker – Zusammenarbeit mit gemischten Konferenzdolmetscherteams" (Gebärdensprache und Lautsprache) (PDF in German).