Sign Language

Description
This subject covers historical development of sign language and finger spelling. It also covers
vocabulary and sentences in Kenyan Sign Language related to etiquette, family, home, school,
numbers, our body, days of the week, weather, clothes, travel, shopping, occupation, position,
direction, world around us and environment.

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of the subject, the student should be able to:
a) define terms used in sign language;
b) describe the historical development of Sign Language, Signed English (SE), Signed Exact English
(SEE), Finger-Spelling and Kenyan Sign Language;
c) acquire basic vocabulary and sentence patterns in Kenyan Sign Language in greetings, requests,
simple commands and giving information related to the family, home, school, our body, days of the
week, weather, clothes, travel, shopping, occupation and world around us;
d) finger spell-letters, words, sentences;
e) count in Kenyan Sign Language up to 1000;
f) sign fluently.

Content
1. Definition of terms
a) Sign Language
b) Kenyan sign language
c) Signed English (SE)
d) Signed Exact English (SEE)
e) Gestures
f) Oral
g) Oral/aural method
h) Total Communication
i) Bilingualism
2. Historical Development of Sign Language.
a) World overview of origin and development of Sign language, Finger Spelling, SE and SEE
b) Origin and development of Kenyan Sign Language
c) Importance of KSL, SE, SEE and Finger Spelling

3. Basic vocabulary and sentence patterns in Kenyan Sign Language

a) Etiquette and dialogue in Kenyan Sign Language
• Greetings
• Requests
• Farewell
• Words of courtesy
• Attracting attention
• Taking turns
• Asking and answering questions relating to names, weather, school, home and family
• Deaf culture and sign variations
b) Home
• Naming and describing objects found in the home according to colour, size, length, use.
• Naming and describing domestic animals.
• Asking and answering questions THIS/THAT WHAT + non-manual features
- THESE/THOSE WHAT + non-manual features
- HOW + non-manual features
- WHY + non-manual features
• Singular/Plural Forms
• Use of imperatives e.g. BEN BOTTLE MARY GIVE + non-manual features
c) School
• Naming-objects/things and buildings in the school compound
• Naming people in the school and their work.
• Asking and answering
- What is this/that question
- What are these/those questions in Kenyan Sign Language
• Giving and responding to simple commands/requests using “SHOW” and “PLEASE” in Kenyan
• Sign Language “DOOR CLOSE” (close the door)
 • Asking and answering “WHO” questions + present continuous tense and simple past tense.
• Asking and answering questions using “Where” and appropriate “prepositions”.
d) Family
• Naming members of the nuclear and extended family
• Asking and answering questions with “WHO” and “WHAT” “HOW MANY as in MOTHER NAME
- WHAT + non-manual features
• Personal and possessive pronouns.
• Story–telling
• Related idiomatic expressions
• Describing members of the family according age, gender and roles.
e) Our Body
• Naming parts of the body
• Asking and answering questions with “WHAT”
• Giving and responding to simple commands such as “Show me your ……”
• Use of possessive and personal pronouns
• Singular/plural forms
f) Days of the week, the weather, time, months of the year
• Naming days of the week and months of the year
• Describing different weather conditions
• Asking and answering questions about the weather using present, past and future tenses.
• Asking and answering WHEN – questions + past and FUTURE tenses.
• Use of adverbs of time such as
- Yesterday
- Next month
g) Clothes
• Naming and describing clothes
• Describing people according to clothes they are wearing
• Asking and answering questions relating to clothes and wear
• Describing how clothes are made and mended
• Choosing clothes and shoes to wear
• Singular and plural forms
• Possessive pronouns
• Use of “AND” and “OR”
 • Use of adjectives such as
- Colours
- Size
- Value
h) Travel
• Naming different means of transport
- Air transport
- Land transport
- Water transport
• Asking and answering questions related to travel
• Use of tenses
• Poems
i) Shopping
• Naming things found in shops, kiosks, supermarkets and open air markets
• Asking/answering questions related to shopping
• Giving and responding to requests and commands related to
- shopping
- Tenses
- Pronouns
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Verbs
j) Occupation
• Use of WHO in definitions such as a person who grows food for us is called a “farmer”.
• Name and describe people according to their occupations
• Asking and answering questions related to occupation
• Poems.
k) The World around us/environment
• Naming and describing things, people and animals in our environment
• Asking and answering questions about things in the environment
• Poems
l) Position & Direction
• Use of “WHERE” + appropriate prepositions
 - SPOON WHERE// + non- manual expressions
- CARPENTER/HAMMER KEEP WHERE// + non- manual features
m) Signing names of administrative units and national anthem
• Towns
• Districts
• Provinces
• Countries
• National anthem

4. Fingerspelling
a) Hints for expressive and receptive fingerspelling
b) Alphabet
c) Fingerspelling of words and words in sentences

5. Numbers
a) Counting up to 1,000
b) Asking and answering questions using “HOW – MANY”
c) Giving and responding to requests, and simple commands.
d) Use of “less than” and “more than”
e) Practical signs using numbers

6. Composition of Sign Language

a) Manual features
b) Non-manual features
c) Pre-manual Skills
d) Elements of a sign and their relationships:
• Handshapes,
• Place of articulation
• Movement
• Orientation
 Historical Development of Sign Language.

The aim of this unit is to enable you acquire the understanding of the Historical development
of Sign Language and Sign Systems used by the hearing-impaired learners.
This unit is divided into two sections:
Section 1: Terms and concepts used in Sign Language.
Section 2: Historical Development of Sign Language and Sign Systems used by the hearing-
impaired learners.
1.Terms and concepts used in sign language.
There are several terms and concepts used in Sign Language are:
• Kenyan Sign Language
• Oralism
• Signed English (SE)
• Signing Exact English (SEE)
• Bilingualism
• Total Communication.

Kenyan sign language

Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) is a language used by the hearing impaired in Kenya. It can be
defined as a visual-gestural language used by deaf persons in Kenya. It is a language that uses
manual symbols to represent ideas and concepts.

Oralism
Oralism is a method of training or educating learners with hearing impairment through
speech and speech reading.
There are three approaches in Oralism. These are:
• Oral approach.
• Oral/Aural approach.
• Auditory -Verbal approach.
Oral Approach
Oral Approach is the use of spoken language and lip-reading to communicate with the
hearing impaired. The emphasis here is laid on the acquisition and use of spoken language
and lipreading skills.
Oral/Aural Approach
Oral/Aural Approach is the use of speech, lip-reading and amplification to communicate with
the hearing impaired. The emphasis here is on maximum utilization of the residual hearing
using amplification from hearing aids.
Auditory Verbal approach
Auditory-Verbal Approach is an approach designed to train a learner to use hearing through a
hearing aid or cochlea implant for the purpose of understanding and producing speech.

Signed English.
Signed English a system of manual communication which presents vocabulary drawn from
English word order. It uses two kinds of gesturers or signs: sign words and sign markers.
Each sign stands for an English word. These sign words are used in the same order as words
in an English sentence. Signed English uses fourteen markers. The sign markers are used
when you wish to show that you are talking about more than one thing, show that something
happened in the past, or show the possessive. In signed English you use either a sign word
alone or a sign word and one sign marker to represent a given English word. The suffixes in
English therefore are often dropped enabling the signer to speak easily while signing and to
keep pace with spoken English.
Signing Exact English (SEE)
This is a system of manual communication that strives to be an exact representation of
English vocabulary and grammar. It is based upon signs drawn from sign language, for
example KSL and expanded with words, affixes, tense markings and endings to give a clear
and complete visual representation of English for educational purpose.
Bilingualism
Bilingualism is the use of two languages for the purpose of Education.
There are two basic models in Bilingual Education.
These are:
• Transitional model,
• Maintenance model.
Transition model
The Transitional Model refers to programmes of Bilingual Education that incorporate the use
to Mother Tongue or Language of the catchment area e.g KSL in lower classes with a view of
bridging the gap between home and school. Mother tongue is later dropped at a certain level
as a language of instruction and another language introduced.
Maintenance Model
The maintenance model is often associated with programmes that promote the use of two
languages at the same time. The Mother Tongue e.g KSL occupies a more important position
in the curriculum than the official language of instruction because the weaker language i.e
mother tongue (which has low prestige outside school) must be supported.
What is Bilingualism in the Education of the Hearing Impaired?
Bilingualism in the education of the Hearing Impaired is an approach in which two languages
are used alternatively for communication across the curriculum. It is also referred to as Sign
Bilingualism. Under this approach, emphasis is laid on understanding content through the use
of sign language which is then noted down in a written language such as English, Kiswahili
etc. For example concepts in a science lesson can be explained in KSL and written down in
English.

Total communication.
The term Total Communication describes an approach using residual hearing, speech,
signing, finger spelling and any other mode of communication suited to the individual learner
in a given situation so as to provide unlimited opportunity to develop language.
The components of Total Communication.
Natural signs, eye contact, speech reading, Sign systems, Bliss symbols Finger spelling
,Cued speech w r i t i n g / r e a d i n g / Braille Pointing, Pictograms, Sign language,
Amplification, Spoken language, Pantomime Mimicry Figure: 1.1 .Components of Total
Communication It is important to note that Total Communication is a Philisophy and not a
language. Sign Systems Lets us now look at these components:

Fingerspelling
Fingerspelling or manual alphabet is a representation of letters of the alphabet using the
fingers. It is a signing system in which each letter of the alphabet is represented by its own
sign.
There are two types of manual alphabets
• One handed manual alphabet.
• Two handed manual alphabets.
The two-handed system is used in England, Australia and New Zealand while the one-
handed system is used in Kenya, United Sates, Ireland, Singapore, the Philippines among
others. In South Africa both one- and two-handed alphabets are used.
Insert image of one handed manual alphabet
Sign language.
Sign Language is a language that uses manual symbols to represent ideas and concepts. The
term is generally used to describe the language used by people with hearing impairment in
which both manual and non manual signs as well as finger spelling are employed. Because it
is culturally and environmentally based, every country has its own sign language, for
example Kenyan Sign Language, American Sign Language and Irish sign language are used
in Kenya, America and Ireland respectively. As is the case in spoken language, Sign
Language differs from one region to another.
Mimicry
Mimicry is the use of facial expressions and body language to convey meaning. For example
we can express our emotions and feelings by wearing different faces such as smiling to
indicate pleasure, frowning to show displeasure, or wearing a long face when gloomy.
Body Language
Body Language is a term for communication that uses movements or gestures instead of or in
addition to sounds, verbal language or other communication. It also incorporates the use of
facial expressions. How can you understand body language? In our daily lives we encounter
many forms of body language gestures. Here are a few examples: • One body language signal
is when a person crosses his or her arms across the chest. This can indicate that a person is
putting up an unconscious barrier between themselves and others. It may also indicate that a
person is feeling cold. When the overall situation is amicable, it can mean that a person is
thinking deeply about what is being discussed. But in a serious or confrontational situation, it
can mean that a person is expressing opposition. This is especially so if a person is running
away from the speaker.
Speech Reading/Lip Reading
Speech reading often called lip-reading is the ability to perceive speech by: Watching the
movements of a speaker’s mouth and by observing all other visual clues including facial
expressions and gestures. When communicating with a hearing-impaired learner who
depends on speech/ lip reading. There are rules you should observe.
Rules of speech reading.
• Maintain eye contact when talking to the learner.
• Always face the source of light.
• Do not talk while the face is turned away.
• Speak more deliberately and slower than usual.
• Keep your face at the same level with the learner.
• Do not be more than two metres away from the learner.
• Do not cover your mouth while speaking.
• Speak naturally without exaggerating lip movement.

Eye Contact
Eye contact is one of the most important features of communication, especially during sign
language communication. For example, in a conversation with another signer, maintaining
eye contact keeps the listeners attention. Looking away may indicate a pause. Eye contact is
very important in speech/lip reading.
Pantomime
A pantomime is a sequence of events described through the use of gestures, body language
and facial expressions without speech or signs. For example, a person drawing water from a
well Pantomimes instil, in the learners with hearing impairment aspect of sequencing.
Reading/Writing/Braille
Hearing impaired learners who are literate can communicate through reading and writing.
You can communicate with them through letters, e-mail, mobile (SMS). In a classroom
situation you can communicate with the hearing-impaired learner by writing down what you
want to communicate and he will respond to you through writing. There are some learners
with hearing impairment who also have visual problems. For such learners you can use the
tactile approach and braille to communicate with them. Cued Speech What is Cued speech?
Cued speech is an oral method which uses a set of hand cues with speech. The hand cues are
used near the mouth to overcome the problem of lip reading, where some sounds are identical
or are impossible to see. When lip reading many words look alike on the lips i.e they have the
same lip shape and lip movement. For example, “dip” and “tip” look alike on the lips. In
order to clarify meaning. you can cue in the person you are talking to by finger spelling the
first letter in each syllable as you pronounce the word simultaneously. Pointing
Pointing in sign language is used for reference and placement. For example if you are
communicating in KSL about a third person who is with you, you will refer to the person by
first pointing at him then expressing the communication. You can also show the position of a
person or object by pointing.
Natural Signs
Natural signs are the handshapes and movements we use in everyday life to communicate.
Examples of natural signs include the following BYE, EAT and RUN

2: Historical Development of Sign Language and Sign Systems used by the Hearing-
Impaired Learners
In this section we will discuss Historical Development of Sign Language and Sign Systems
used by the hearing-impaired learners under the following topics:
• Origin and spread of Sign Language.
• Origin and spread of Kenyan Sign Language.
• Origin of Sign Systems used by Hearing Impaired learners

Origin and spread of Sign Language

When did the use of Sign Language begin?
From earlier recorded history, 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 l’Epee 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 l’Epee 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 deaf children should be taught through speech as
opposed to sign language, a declaration that retarded the development of sign language in
schools.
 Origin and Spread of Kenyan Sign Language (KSL)
How did Kenyan Sign Language emerge and spread?
You have seen how Sign Language originated and developed across the world. Let us now
look at the origin and spread of Kenyan Sign Language. As you may rightly guess, 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 the 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 contexts. 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. 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 Kenyan 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 centres), there has been an increase of
Kenyan Sign Language vocabulary through sign invention. The signs spread through inter-
school transfers, sports and games, and also through rural-urban migration. Today the Kenyan
Sign Language is recognised and is officially used as a language of instruction in the
educational 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 Sign Systems used by Hearing Impaired Learners

What is a Sign System?
This is a system in which signs are made on the hands while English language is orally
spoken simultaneously. Which are the Sign Systems used by the Hearing Impaired? I hope
you mentioned the following: • Signing Exact English (SEE) • Signed English (SE) • Sign
Supported English (SSE, fingerspelling.
origin of Sign Systems
In the mid 20th century, some educators of the Hearing Impaired came up with an idea of
making English visible by representing the spoken word in sign form. This gave rise to Sign
Systems. One such educator was Richard Paget. He was the first to develop such a system.
He called it the Systematic Sign Language and published an account of it in 1951. Paget first
proposed that a sign represents an English word and that signs be ordered in the same way
that English words are ordered. About a decade after the formal publication or a description
of the Systematic Sign Language another educator, David Antony began work with the
Hearing Impaired in Michigan with the same ideas and goals. Antony devised a system called
Seeing Essential English (SEE-I), which seeks to represent the sound, spelling and meaning
of parts of English words, more specifically, word roots, prefixes and suffixes. Disagreements
concerning the rules of the system resulted in a second sign system named Signing Exact
English (SEE-II). This system was developed by Gerilee Gustason, Pfetzig and Zawalkov in
1972. SEE-II was best characterised as an attempt to limit SEE I, in order to prevent the
system from becoming so distant from American Sign Language (ASL) that it was rendered
unintelligible to ASL signers. In 1983 Harry Bornstein and Karen Saulnear developed another
system, Signed English (SE), specifically for use by and with pre-school and elementary level
hearing impaired children. In this system, gestures or signs are used to represent the meaning
of words most frequently used by and with pre-school children. It is important to note
gestures do not represent sounds or syllables, nor do they represent English spelling. Origin
of Fingerspelling As you learnt earlier in this unit, the manual alphabet that we use to
fingerspell in Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) consists of 26 different handshapes that
correspond to letters of the English alphabet. The handshapes 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 the prayer, he could indicate his
prayer intent by making the corresponding handshape. Use of the handshapes to form whole
words and messages evolved, allowing monks to communicate without violating their oath of
silence. The concept of a handshape 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 the 1995 and 60s, the Rochester Method of educating deaf students required
both teachers and students to speak English 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 fingerspelled 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 Kenyan Sign Language and Sign Systems used by Hearing Impaired
Learners.
Why is KSL important to Hearing Impaired Learners?
In academics if a Hearing-Impaired learner has a strong foundation in Kenyan sign language,
his/her ability to develop English literacy skills improves. It is possible for hearing impaired
learners to be literate in both KSL and English through the Bilingual approach. It has been
established that mastery in a language and specifically in KSL yields many benefits.
One benefit for KSL mastery is that the child is instilled with a sense of cultural identity
which enables him to bond with other Hearing-Impaired children. This then leads to greater
self esteem and a curiosity of the world both of which will enrich him academically and
socially. KSL also expands professional opportunities for the Hearing Impaired. In the past
Hearing-Impaired people could only hope to enter skilled or semi-skilled trades such as
masonry, tailoring, carpentry, metal work etc. With the ability to understand more information
through instruction in Kenyan Sign Language, hearing impaired people are now able to
embark into professional jobs such as computer science, accountancy or teaching at colleges
or university level just to mention a few. Another important use of KSL is the formation and
preservation of social groups among the hearing impaired. Kenyan Sign Language is the
mother tongue for the hearing-Impaired people in Kenya. Competence in KSL as a first
language facilitates the acquisition of a second language whether signed or spoken (written).
Importance of Sign Systems.
What is the importance of Sign Systems to the Learners with hearing impairment?
• Sign systems help the Hearing Impaired to understand English grammar.
• Sign systems bridge the gap between the spoken word, signs and the written word.
• They also help increase awareness of the sounds of spoken language.
• Sign systems are aids to language development and supplement speech.
• A sign system like finger-spelling plays a supplementary role to the Learners with hearing
impairment.
• 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.

Unit 2: Composition of a Sign

In this unit you are going to analyse the elements of a sign as well as discuss the Pre-Manual
skills, Manual skills and non-Manual features. This unit intends to provide you with an
understanding of the sign formation process, and the use of Pre-Manual/Manual skills and
Non-Manual features.

The specific learning outcome of the unit are to:

1. discuss the Pre-Manual skills, Manual skills, and non-Manual features.
2.demonstrate an understanding of the Elements of a sign.
1: Pre-manual, Non-Manual and Manual Skills
Pre-Manual skills
You know that in the teaching of written language children have to acquire pre literacy skills
before they can begin to read and write. The pre-literacy skills focus on pre-reading and pre-
writing skills which give the children the pre-requisite 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 pre-requisite skills which they must first acquire.
These pre-requisite 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
How can children acquire Pre-Manual Skills?
The following are some of the activities you can do with pre-school children to help them
acquire pre-manual skills.
• Keeping rhythm in group activities
• Tracking movements from left to right
• Scribbling in the air on the floor, chalkboard and in books.
• Sequencing objects from left to right.
• Watching and repeating different shapes & movement.
• Discriminating shapes.
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:
• Receptive Manual Skills
• Expressive Manual Skills
What are Receptive Manual Skills?
Receptive Manual skills 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.
What are 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.
What are non-manual features or signals?
Non-manual features are features used to accompany signs
They include:
• Facial expressions
• Eyebrow movements
• Head movements
• Body movements
• Lip movements
• Eye movements.
2. Elements of a Sign and their Relationship to Meaning.

Welcome to section 2 of unit 2. In this section you will learn elements of a sign and their
relationship to meaning. A sign in Sign Language is equivalent to a word in spoken or written
language.
A sign consists of four main elements (parameters)

What are the Elements of a sign?

The following are the elements that make up a sign:

• Handshape

• Place of articulation (location)

• Orientation

• Movement.

Handshape

There are different handshapes in Kenyan Sign Language. Here are some of them:

• Extended index finger

• Open palm

• Claw hand

• “A” handshape

• “C”handshape

• Clenched fist.

Place of articulation (location)

This is the location of the handshape 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 (eyes or nose) 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 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 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 handshapes. In movement we consider the following
characteristics:

• Direction of the movement

• Speed of the movement

• Frequency of the movement.

Direction of Movement

When you were signing you moved your handshape and in so doing you realized the
following movements:

• Up/Down movement

• Left/right movement
• Diagonal movement

• Forward/backward movement

• Simultaneous movement in different direction

• Circular movements

• Zig-zag movement.

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 of handshapes. 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
handshape. Others are made by repeating the movement of the same handshape.

Elements of a Sign and their Relationship to Meaning

What is the relationship between elements of a sign and meaning? You have just learnt about
the elements that make up a sign. These elements have to combine in a specific sequence in
order to form a meaningful sign

Insert figure 2.3 in page 46 elementary ksl

Unit 3: Finger spelling

This unit intends to explain the importance of finger-spelling. It will also provide you with
expressive and receptive skills in finger-spelling for effective communication with learners
with hearing impairment.

Expected learning outcomes are to:

i) Discuss the hints for expressive and receptive fingerspelling.

(ii) Fingerspell words and words in sentences.

1: Hints for Expressive and Receptive Fingerspelling.

In this section we are going to discuss hints for expressive and receptive fingerspelling.

What are the hints for expressive finger-spelling?

In order to fingerspell and read fingerspelt letters properly, you should observe the
following:

• Relax

• Let the hand be steady.

• Let the palm face the audience at a slight angle with the arm held in a comfortable natural
manner • The hand should not be far from the mouth to make it difficult to read both hand
and lip movements simultaneously.

• Do not block the mouth with your hand since it is important to see the lip movement of the
signer. • Avoid looking at the hand.

• Do not jerk, bounce or push the hand forward as you fingerspell.

• Make each letter clearly, distinctly and with a slight pause between words.

• Do not drop hands between words.

• Establish and maintain rhythm.

Hints for receptive finger spelling.

• 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 fingerspelt word
at the same speed severally.

Reasons for fingerspelling.

Any time you are signing you will find yourself fingerspelling some words for one reason or
another. Some of the reasons for fingerspelling include:

• To introduce a spoken word which has no sign equivalent.

• To explain a regional sign that may not be familiar.

• To accompany a new concept e.g computer ‘mouse.’

• To produce some idioms in code switching.

• To produce euphemism (e.g s-e-x, g-a-y).

• To use as part of core vocabulary.

• For proper nouns.

• To introduce a sign which is used for the rest of the discourse e.g “budget”.

• For convenience and time saving

Exercise.

Finger spell the following words.

1. Bag

2. Our

3. Tap

4. Saw

5. Mail

6. Deaf

7. Trace

8. Zebra

9. Avoid

10. World

How do we finger-spell double letters?

There are two ways in which you can fingerspell double letters:
(a) Repeating the sign twice in succession. e.g. Fingerspell the name “Betty” as b+ e +t +t +
y

(b) Gliding the double-letter sideways briefly and sharply in a natural way e.g fingerspell the
name “Betty” as “b + e + tt + y”.

Exercise 2

Fingerspell the following sentences.

1. T-h-e c-a-r w-e-n-t o-f-f t-h-e r-o-a-d.

2. T-h-a-t i-s i-m-p-o-ss-i-b-l-e.

3. I g-o t-o s-c-h-oo-l e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y.

Fingerspelling words in a sentence

When finger spelling sentences, sign each letter clearly and distinctly with a slight pause
between words. This pause is shown by holding the last letter of a word for a moment before
beginning the first letters of the next word. Your hand should not drop between words. Let us
practice finger spelling the following sentences

Exercise 3

1. She is sick

2. This book is mine.

3. We are at the zoo.

4. That example is good.

5. The girl was quiet.

Etiquette and Dialogue in Kenya Sign Language

In this section you are going to learn how to interact with a hearing impaired learner through
Kenyan Sign Language. This will assist you acquire, social signs such as “greetings”, “thank
you”, “welcome”, “sorry”, “excuse”, “true” and “please”. Let us start by finding out what we
mean by Etiquette.

What is Etiquette in Kenyan Sign Language?

Etiquette is the concept of using appropriate language and skills during a dialogue. In our
every day life we use certain words to establish and maintain relationships. Such words and
actions include greetings and apology to polite language, words that help us excuse ourselves
or bid goodbye. Here are some important features to be observed during a dialogue in Kenyan
Sign Language.

• Maintaining good eye-contact

• Signing to others with respect even when their views differ from yours.

• Careful selection of signs to use in order not to hurt the feelings of others

. • Turn taking-i.e giving others an opportunity to sign back during a discussion.

What are some of the main signs that are used to establish and maintain relationships?

INTRODUCTION TO DEAF CULTURE

What is Deaf Culture?

The term “Deaf Culture” is commonly used in the deaf community. Deaf
culture is used to describe the unique characteristics found among the
population of deaf and hard of hearing people. It’s reflected in art, literature,
social environments and much more.

Deaf Culture is the set of art, behavior, tradition, value, social environment
and shared institutions of communities that they are influenced by deafness
(a person has limited ability to hear and understand the sound) and they use
Sign Language as the means of communication.

Deaf culture is recognized under Article 30, Paragraph 4 of the United

Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states
that: “Persons with disabilities shall be entitled, on an equal basis with
others, to recognition and support of their specific cultural and linguistic
identity, including sign languages and deaf culture.”

One of the most dominant cultural patterns in the Deaf culture is

collectivism. Deaf people consider themselves members of a group that
includes all Deaf people. They perceive themselves as a close-knit and
interconnected group. Deaf people greatly enjoy being in the company of
other Deaf people and actively seek ways to do this. When Deaf people first
meet, the initial goal is to find out where the other person is from and to
identify the Deaf friends they both have in common.

A person’s physical appearance is noted and remembered because it is the

landscape for all signed communication. Sometimes a person’s name may not
come up until the end of the conversation. Closely associated with
collectivism is the importance of open communication. Having secrets or
withholding information work against an interconnected collective.
The behaviors associated with cultural values are deeply rooted. We do not
consciously think about the rules involved when making introductions or
how to say goodbye when we leave. As children we saw these behaviors
repeated often and have long since fully incorporated them into our cultural
repertoire. It is only when we are placed in a culture that uses different rules
that we realize there is another possible way to accomplish the same task.
For example, when a Deaf person leaves a gathering of other Deaf people,
the process is quite lengthy.

In Deaf culture one approaches each group to say goodbye, which often
results in further conversation. The entire process may take more than an
hour to accomplish. This behavior may seem unusual; however, if we
remember that Deaf culture highly values being interconnected with all of
its members, the behavior makes a great deal of sense.

Perspectives on Deaf Culture

Deafness is caused by the loss of hearing, which is a medical condition.
Yet, people who are deaf have created all of the above.

This has led to the argument: Is deafness pathological or cultural? If

deafness is cultural, is it a disability? This is an interesting topic and one
that is discussed regularly in the deaf community.

History of Deaf Culture

History of the deaf is also called Deaf history. The history of deaf
people has been written in hearing perceptions of deaf people, in fact,
those who come from the deaf community often have lack of a hearing
problem. It makes them have to communicate in a different way. People
should understand that the inability to hear does not mean they are not
intelligent.

Deaf Culture was first truly recognized in 1965. The idea that Deaf
people had a culture of their own was first written in the Dictionary of
American Sign Language by William Stokoe, Carl Croneberg, and
Dorothy Casterline.

This was a huge step for Deaf people. the medical industry and those
involved in Deaf education only saw Deaf people in terms of their
hearing loss. The thought of Deaf people being a part of their own
culture was unheard of at that time.

Nonetheless, Deaf culture is exactly what Carol Padden defines as a

culture: a set of learned behaviors of a group of people that share a
language, values, rules for behavior, and traditions.
Language and culture go hand-in-hand.Without language, it’s
impossible to learn the culture. Without culture, language has nothing
to refer to.

Deaf Culture Facts

Here are some interesting facts about deaf culture. It is a set of learning
behaviors. They have own history, tradition, and culture.

Deaf are very direct when they are communicating. Technology has
changed the culture of the deaf.

When deaf people are talking they are looking at the face, not hands.
Facial expression is very important for communication in sign language.

Values of Deaf Culture

Values depend upon culture in which individual lives and in the behavior,
deaf people have different values than the hearing people.
The culture allows physical touch that means back-slapping, touching
more casually to understand each other while the hearing community is
much more verbal and uncomfortable with touch.
The main values of deaf people are the following:
Rules of behavior:
 • Eye contact – When deaf people communicating they
maintain eye contact, breaking the stare means as rude or
uninterested, it leaves a bad impression. They learn how and when
to stare at the people’s faces.
• Attention – Many ways to get the attention of a deaf person
like; flickering the lights, waving the hand and their peripheral view,
blinking light, and hitting the floor or surface that would allow them
to feel vibrations.
• Facial Expressions – Facial expression included in the
grammar of KSL, facial expression using movements of eyes, face,
and head.
• Leave-taking – They take a long time to say goodbye after
gathering or events. They do this because they value the company
and interact with other deaf people.
• Labels
What Deaf people call themselves is something that also needs to be
taken into consideration.

In hearing culture, the terms used to describe deaf people have to do

with their hearing loss. The term “hard of hearing” or "Hearing
impairment” is better than “deaf” in hearing culture. Hard of Hearing
people are generally regarded as being easier to communicate with and
fit in better with hearing people.
Deaf people, on the other hand, are seen as being difficult to
communicate with and that they may not even speak. The term “hearing-
impaired” has been used to be “politically correct” to identify them both,
but the more accepted term now to refer to everyone with a hearing loss
is the “deaf and hard of hearing” community.
In Deaf culture, though, the terms are quite the opposite. There is one
label for people who are part of Deaf culture, and that is “Deaf” with a
capital D.
In Deaf Culture, Deaf people highly value their deafness. This label has
nothing to do with hearing loss. Regardless of how much better your
hearing is than the next guy, you’re still all “deaf.” Using the term
“hard of hearing” can be seen very negatively… like you’re saying
you’re better than everyone else (because that’s the one-up in hearing
culture).

You will also see both the terms “deaf” and “Deaf” used. They are
referred to as “little d” and “big D.” “Little d” deaf refers to people who
have lost their hearing. “Big D” Deaf refers to people who are involved
in Deaf culture and share the values, behaviors, and language of that
culture. Just because you are deaf, doesn’t mean you are Deaf. And
in some cases, just because you are Deaf doesn’t mean you are deaf
(as is the case for some hearing children of Deaf parents known as
CODAs or “Children of Deaf Adults”).

The term “hearing-impaired” is seen even more negatively because

that says there is something wrong with being Deaf (which is the
complete opposite of what Deaf people believe!)Most hearing people
believe that deafness is a handicap. But, au contraire! It indeed, is
not. Deaf people can do everything except hear.
In Deaf culture, deafness is not considered a handicap. The only real
handicap of deafness is when deaf children are deprived of true
communication–SL.

Common terms used within the Deaf community:

Deaf culture has labels for identifying its members. These
labels reflect both cultural values and beliefs.

Deaf - This term refers to members of the Deaf community who

share common values, norms, traditions, language, and
behaviors. Deaf people do not perceive themselves as having
lost something (i.e., hearing) and do not think of themselves as
handicapped, impaired, or disabled. They celebrate and cherish
their culture because it gives them the unique privilege of
sharing a common history and language. Deaf people are
considered a linguistic minority within the hearing culture. They
have their own culture and at the same time live and work
within the dominant hearing culture.

Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafened - Within the Deaf culture

these words refer to a person’s audiological status. Notice
lower case “d’” is used. People who describe themselves as
“hard of hearing” or “deafened” do not see themselves as
members of the Deaf culture. Some may know sign language
but their primary language is English.

Hearing Impaired - This term often is used by the media and

society in general to refer to people with a hearing loss. A more
acceptable generic phrase is “deaf and hard of hearing” to refer
to all people with a hearing loss. Within the Deaf culture, the
term “hearing impaired” often is seen as offensive. It suggests
that Deaf people are “broken” or “inferior” because they do not
hear.

Controversies Related to Deaf Culture

Studies show that every nine out of ten deaf infants are born to
hearing parents. Most of them choose cochlear implant surgery
28as soon as they are able to medically. This they believe
helps the child with speech development.

But the deaf culture believes that mainstream hearing people

put too much stress on spoken words. According to Deaf
culture, Kenyan Sign Language is a complete language, even
though they don’t produce any sound or have written form.
Audism – Also called as autist by some people, considering
oneself superior based on the ability to hear.

Oralism – advocating or using the oral method to teach the

deaf student about how to speak.

Some activists maintain that Audism and Oralism degrade

American Sign Language. It interferes with the ability of a deaf
person to develop speech and listening skills.

Don’t just focus on the ears of a person, there is more to the

person than whether they can hear or not.

Deaf Culture vs Hearing Culture

Deaf culture and hearing culture both are different because
deaf people use sign language and move the body to express
their opinion.
Hearing behaviors are limited and less body is used to express
own thought. In hearing culture communicating with each may
be done through spoken language but in the Deaf culture, it is
done through sign language.
Deaf culture Hearing culture

When people are talking to Eye contact is not

each other it is necessary to necessary while talking to
look at each other. each other

Imagine more pictures than People think more words

words than pictures

Pointing is necessary as it
helps more in understanding Pointing is rude
something

Touching is allowed to express Touching is not allowed in

own feeling and thoughts hearing culture

Can’t talk with a mouth full

Can talk with a mouth full of
of food because considered
food
this as rude

L ong goodbye/long Short goodbye/Short

introduction introduction