Sign language is the language used by deaf people and people with severe to profound hearing loss.
However, since sign language is a language, there is nothing strange about its use by people who can normally hear.
Sign language is not a gesture of Japanese, but a language in itself.
Therefore, being able to sign is the same as being able to speak English or Chinese.
Not many people understand sign language.
Therefore, let's check together what sign language is all about.
Sign language is a language, not a gesture
Sign language is a language spoken by the deaf and hard of hearing, which means they speak their own language.
Of course, since sign language is a language, they understand what is being said with their eyes, but their brain functions are also active in the language area.
Many people may use finger letters, which are perceived by many as symbols that represent letters like Braille, but they are not like that.
It exists as a separate language to begin with.
Since sign language is a language, it has its own grammar just like Japanese and English.
Let's learn sign language! However, if you do not study grammar as well, it will not be sufficient as a communication tool.
Different countries have different sign languages
The sign language normally used in Japan is called Japanese Sign Language and is only understood in Japan.
Of course, other countries also have their own signs like Japanese Sign Language.
In the United States, there is American Sign Language.
In the case of languages that are used aloud, English is the universal language, but there is also an international sign language called International Sign Language.
Therefore, there are cases where signers cannot communicate with each other even if they use the same sign language.
Also, even Japanese Sign Language has dialects, and different signs may be used in east side of Japan and west side of Japan.
Differences from Gestures and Mime
Since sign language is a language, it can express many different concepts.
With gestures, the only way to express a certain thing is to make a pose that alludes to it.
In sign language, the shape, position, and movement of the hands can express many different things.
In spoken language, sound is a factor.
For example, Japanese is made up of about 20 elements, which are combinations of consonants and vowels.
Sign language is expressed by the shape, position, and movement of the hands instead of sounds.
Onomatopoeia in Sign Language
Onomatopoeia is onomatopoeia or mimetic words.
For example, "wan wan" and "hira hira" are examples of onomatopoeia.
It is often thought that sign language can only express concrete things, but this is not true.
This also shows that sign language is a language.
Sign language and Japanese have different meanings
Sign language is a different language from Japanese.
Therefore, its meaning is also different from that of Japanese.
For example, "maybe" and "perhaps" in English are both "probably" in Japanese.
However, the meaning of "maybe" in English is different from that of "probably" in Japanese.
Thus, if you try to replace every single English word with Japanese, you will find that the meaning of the word is different.
For example, "not bad" is considered to be just acceptable or slightly better than "not bad" by a normal Japanese speaker.
To a Deaf person, on the other hand, "not bad" would be the highest praise.
Thus, some meanings and nuances change, and it is nonsense to translate sign language into Japanese as it is.
The reason why English sentences are translated into Japanese using translation software is because English and Japanese are not equal.
The same thing happens with sign language.
Most schools for the deaf do not teach sign language in Japan
Sign language is not incorporated in most schools for the deaf.
This is because the main focus in schools for the deaf is the acquisition of spoken language.
Therefore, some teachers at schools for the deaf are not able to sign.
Nowadays, sign language is not allowed! There are fewer places like that, but there were some schools that banned sign language.
Learning a spoken language without a clear understanding of the sounds is quite a hurdle, or even almost impossible.
Trying to understand Japanese with only the movements of the mouth and little or no hearing of the sounds that provide clues.
This is already close to bullying.
It is better to be able to understand spoken language, but sign language is also an excellent language.
I would like to communicate a lot using sign language, without being trapped in strange ties from the past.
At schools for the deaf, there are some who cannot sign.
However, the best place to learn sign language is in an environment where there are native signers.
Please refer to "If you want to learn sign language, refer to native speakers" for more information on how to learn sign language.
Services with Sign Language
Not everyone can suddenly learn to speak sign language immediately.
For example, tomorrow you won't suddenly be able to speak English.
For example, even if you do not speak English, there are situations where you need to write a sentence in English.
In such a case, you can use a translator or hire an interpreter if you are going to the destination.
Sign language services such as sign language interpreters are also available, so if you do not have immediate access to sign language, you can use such services to communicate with people who are hard of hearing or deaf.
Please refer to "For services using Japanese Sign Language and sign language interpretation services" for an explanation of services using sign language.
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