Our world is diverse. It cannot be said that there are people who are exactly alike, both externally and internally. Thus, another universe, which has its own properties, is also inhabited by those who are usually called deaf-mute people. Their perception of the environment is many times different from how a person who does not have such physical disabilities understands reality.

But it is important to note that the sign language of the deaf and dumb has the same versatility and colorfulness as that of a healthy person. The dictionary contains more than 2,000 gestures. And gesture signs are entire words, so showing and learning some of them will not be difficult.

Nonverbal sign language

Before getting into the dictionary of sign language, it would be appropriate to note that one of the misconceptions about it is that it depends on the verbal language that we use every day (sound and written) or that it allegedly originated from the latter, and even that the language of the deaf was founded by a hearing person. Moreover, it is generally accepted incorrectly that gestures of a silent language are accepted as fingerprinting of letters. That is, letters are depicted with hands. But that's not true.

In this language, dactylology is used to pronounce place names, specific terms and proper names. It is very easy to get acquainted with its basics since there is an established alphabet. And you will be able to easily communicate with a deaf-mute person by spelling out the word using gestures. Sign language for the deaf in Russian dactylology has 33 dactyl signs.

Sign language lessons

More detailed information about the language of the deaf and mute can be found in the book by G.L. Zaitseva. "Gesture speech" Here is a more detailed look at the most common gestures.

If you are asking the question: “Do I, a healthy person, need to know such a language?”, the answer is simple - sometimes there is not a lot of knowledge, sometimes it is not in demand. But perhaps one day, thanks to them, you will be able to help, for example, a lost deaf-mute.

There are many languages ​​in the world, but sign language occupies a special place among them. In order to communicate with deaf and mute people, the first sign language, called Amslen, was developed in the 18th century. Subsequently, closer to the 20th century, it had many branches and interpretations. In the middle of the 20th century, to standardize the language of the deaf and dumb, an international sign language was developed - Zhestuno, which is still relevant. It is mainly based on gestures that the speaker shows with his hands, with the help of facial expressions and through various turns of the body.

In our country, Zhestuno is not popular. If in European countries there are 300 sign language interpreters per hundred deaf-mute people, then we have only 3. In 2012, amendments were introduced to the bill “On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities” regarding sign language. The language received official status, special educational institutions were created for the training and retraining of interested people, teachers, and people with disabilities. This had a positive effect on the percentage of people willing to learn Gestuno.

• Local deaf communities provide special free classes that anyone can sign up for. In a few months you will learn the basic aspects of Gestuno and, of course, try out the acquired knowledge in practice.
• Educational sites - institutes and colleges - often include the subject “sign language” in their programs. This applies to a greater extent to social and linguistic specialties. So if you are still a student or planning to become one, then you have the opportunity to get acquainted with this subject for free.
• In the event that you cannot find free courses, there are specialized paid classes at research institutes, methodological centers, and specialized schools for the deaf and mute.

Structure of teaching the language of the deaf and mute

Let's take a closer look at what these special courses are and what you will receive upon completion of the training.

Note that there are 3 levels of Gestuno mastery, which include the following skills:

• Level 1 is a basic course for beginners, which covers basic lexical norms and practices live communication.
• Level 2 is a course for those who are already familiar with the basics. It is designed for initial acquaintance with translation skills from Gestuno.
• Level 3 – includes the improvement of linguistic skills and in-depth training in simultaneous and consecutive translation.

Training at levels lasts 3 months and consists of 44–50 academic hours. At the end of the course you will receive a special certificate indicating your level. But do not equate this piece of paper with the certificate of a sign language interpreter. To obtain such a crust you will need to pass a special commission. You can try your hand at this after level 2.

How to learn a deaf-mute language yourself

In addition to the methods listed above, you can learn deaf-mute gestures yourself using the following resources:

• On the Internet you will find websites that will help you learn the language of the deaf. The most popular of them is the “City of Gestures”. You will also find a lot of useful information on social networks, in specialized groups on Zhestuno. In them you will work out both the theoretical part and the practical component with like-minded people.
• Since progress does not stand still, special applications have been created for mobile devices, which are alphabet books and textbooks on sign language. Download the program to your phone and study or review the information you need in your free time.
• Books are a universal option for gaining knowledge in this area. However, this method is only suitable for those who are patient and willing to put extra effort into learning. This is due to the fact that there will be no teacher nearby who can clearly explain everything to you, and, therefore, you will need more time to understand the material.
• Video lessons are a way to learn sign language, close to special courses, but with the caveat that no one will correct you if you make mistakes. The main advantage of videos is their variety and clear, visual explanation of the material.

Where to start learning sign language on your own

Before we figure out where to start, let’s note this feature:

Gesture is confused with letter fingering, that is, drawing individual letters with your hands. Dactylology differs from the gestures of the deaf and dumb in that it is used to say proper names: cities, names of people, geographical names, etc., or to say a word for which a special gesture has not yet been invented. So keep this in mind when you start studying.

So, having chosen one of the options for self-study, find information resources and choose those that will be understandable and interesting.

• To become fluent in sign language, you must first learn the alphabet. Once you feel confident in your fingerprint skills, move on to learning nonverbal sign language. Build your lesson plan based on the difficulty levels described above. So, gradually you will be able to learn the language perfectly.

Don't forget that the most effective and fastest way to learn a language is to communicate in it. So, even if you study alone, you still need to find someone to talk to. This way you can learn to express thoughts correctly and understand what a like-minded person is thinking about.

Learning Gestuno on your own is difficult, but after a while you will achieve visible results. The main thing is not to abandon learning and reinforce theoretical knowledge with practice. Sign language is no more difficult than a foreign language, so gain strength and patience and you will soon get the desired result.

How to communicate with a person in the language of the deaf?

Sign language

First, one of the major misconceptions about sign languages ​​is the idea that they depend on or are derived from verbal languages ​​(audio and written) and that these languages ​​were invented by hearing people. This is wrong. Secondly, fingerprinting of letters is often mistaken for sign languages ​​- that is, when letters are “depicted” with hands.

The difference between dactylology and sign language, which is used by deaf people to communicate with each other, is that dactylology is used mainly to pronounce proper names, geographical names or specific terms, that is, each word is “showed” by letters by hand. At the same time, gesture signs represent entire words and in total there are more than 2000 gestures in the dictionary of the deaf and dumb. Showing some of them will not be difficult.

For example:

You can study sign language in more detail using the famous book by G. L. Zaitseva “Sign speech. Dactylology".

It’s easier to get acquainted with the basics of dactylology - there is an established alphabet, and by spelling the word with gestures, you can communicate with a deaf person. In Russian dactylology there are 33 dactyl signs, each of which corresponds to the outline of the corresponding letter.

Russian dactylic alphabet from the website deafnet.ru:

Photo by: deafnet.ru

Note that a deaf or hard of hearing person will most likely understand what exactly you want to tell him without sign language, because for the most part they read lips very well.

Few people have encountered the problem of communicating with deaf people. Even fewer people understand what such speech is based on. One of the misconceptions is that deaf sign language was invented only by hearing people, and that it depends on ordinary speech. Actually this is not true. The second misconception is that sign languages ​​include fingerprinting of letters, that is, drawing letters with hands.

Dactylology shows words one letter at a time, while sign signs show them as a whole. There are more than 2000 such gesture words in dictionaries for the deaf. Some of them are quickly remembered and easily depicted.

The concept of "sign language"

The sign language of the deaf is an independent language that arose naturally or was created artificially. It consists of a combination of gestures that are made with the hands and are complemented by facial expressions, body position, and lip movements. It is most often used for the purpose of communication among deaf or hard of hearing people.

How did sign languages ​​originate?

Most of us are inclined to believe that deaf sign language actually originated among hearing people. They used gestures to communicate silently. Be that as it may, people with speech and hearing impairments use it.

An interesting fact is that only 1.5% of people in the world are completely deaf. The largest number of people with hearing impairments is found in Brazil, among the Urubu tribe. There is one deaf child for every 75 children born. This is the reason why all Urubu representatives are familiar with sign language.

At all times, the question has been about how to learn the sign language of the deaf and dumb. Moreover, each region has its own. The problem of the emergence of a common language over large territories began to be considered in the mid-18th century. At this time, educational centers designed for children with hearing problems began to appear in France and Germany.

The teachers' task was to teach children the written form of their native language. For the explanations, gestures used among the deaf and dumb were taken as a basis. On their basis, a gestural interpretation of French and German gradually emerged. That is, sign language is largely artificially created. Anyone can understand and use this language.

Teaching the language of the mutes in the past

Each country has its own sign language for the deaf. This is due to the fact that the gestures taken as a basis could be interpreted differently in different states. For example, in the USA, teachers from France were invited to create their own school for the deaf. It was the teacher Laurent Clerc who developed this trend in America in the 18th century. But Great Britain did not adopt a ready-made language, adopting only the methods of deaf pedagogy. This is precisely the reason why American for the deaf is similar to French, but cannot have anything in common with English.

In Russia, things were even more complicated. The first school for the deaf appeared here at the very beginning of the 19th century. In Pavlovsk, the knowledge and practice of French teachers was used. And half a century later, an educational institution was opened in Moscow, which adopted the experience of German specialists. The struggle between these two schools can be traced in the country today.

Sign language is not a verbal tracing. At the same time, its structure and history were not studied by anyone for a long time. Only in the second half of the last century did scientists appear who proved that the language for the deaf is a full-fledged linguistic system. And it has its own morphological and syntactic features.

Gesture communication

In order to understand a silent language, the gestures of which vary depending on the state, you need to decide where it will be needed. In particular, Russian dactylology has 33 dactyl signs. A book by G. L. Zaitseva entitled “Sign speech. Dactylology" is suitable for studying the sign language of the deaf and dumb in Russia. Learning words will take time and require a lot of practice.

For example, here are some descriptions of gestures and their meanings:

• hands raised to chin level and bent at the elbows, connected by the fingertips, mean the word “home”;
• circular rotations simultaneously with both hands in the hip area mean “hello”;
• the bend of the fingers of one hand, raised to chest level and bent at the elbow, means “goodbye”;
• the right hand folded into a fist, which touches the forehead, means “thank you”;
• a handshake at chest level means "peace";
• smooth movements of two parallel palms looking at each other from left to right should be understood as an apology;
• touching the edge of the lips with three fingers and moving the hand to the side means “love.”

To understand all the gestures, it is better to read specialized literature or watch video tutorials. However, even here you should understand which language is best to learn.

Tongue gesturing

The problem of understanding among deaf people around the world became very acute only in the last century. In 1951, after the emergence of the World Federation of the Deaf, it was decided to create a universal silent language, the gestures of which would be understandable to participants in all countries.

Work on this issue bore fruit only in 1973 in the form of the first dictionary of simplified sign language. Two years later, international sign language was adopted. To create it, the languages ​​of England, America, Italy, and Russia were used. At the same time, the methods of communication among representatives of the African and Asian continents were not taken into account at all.

This has led to the fact that in addition to the official one, there is also an informal sign language in the world.

Dactyl alphabet

Gestures can show not only words, but also individual letters. This is not exactly the sign language of the deaf and dumb. Words consist of individual letter gestures, which makes communication difficult and takes longer. Using the dactylic alphabet, which is what this method is called, common nouns, scientific terms, prepositions, and the like are designated.

This alphabet has its own differences in different sign languages. It is quite easy to study it, since it consists, as already mentioned, of 33 dactylic signs. Each of them corresponds to the image of the corresponding letter. To understand Russian speech, you should study the corresponding dactyl alphabet.

This post has been brewing for a little over six months. And finally, I got around to finishing it and summing it up.

There are more than 13 million deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. The birth of a child with hearing impairment in a family is a difficult test both for parents and for the child himself, who needs special learning tools and, most importantly, communication with peers and family. Fortunately, the Russian Society of the Deaf is actively working on this front. Thanks to the activities of its branches, people with hearing impairments unite and communicate with each other without feeling excluded from the social process.
There are also problems: a shortage of educational institutions that accept people with hearing impairments, a shortage of sign language interpreters and teaching aids that allow them to master sign language.

The idea of ​​learning Russian sign language and helping as a sign language interpreter came to me a long time ago. But from then to this day I have never been able to find time. The materials have already been found, all the necessary information has been obtained, but there is still no time. Well, okay, let's start small - with the initial educational program, so to speak.

Russian sign language is an independent linguistic unit that is used for communication by people with hearing impairments.
Sign language does not consist only of a static figure shown by the hands - it also contains a dynamic component (the hands move in a certain way and are in a certain position relative to the face) and a facial component (the facial expression of the speaker illustrates the gesture). Also, when speaking in sign language, it is customary to “pronounce” words with your lips.
In addition to this, when communicating with people with hearing impairments, you should be extremely attentive to your posture and involuntary hand gestures - they can be misinterpreted.
The basis of sign language is the dactyl (finger) alphabet. Each letter of the Russian language corresponds to a certain gesture (see picture).

Knowledge of this alphabet will help you initially overcome the “language barrier” between you and a person with hearing impairment. But fingering (spelling) is rarely used by deaf people in everyday speech. Its main purpose is to pronounce proper names, as well as terms for which their own gesture has not yet been formed.
For most words in Russian sign language, there is a gesture that denotes the entire word. At the same time, I would like to note that almost all gestures are intuitive and very logical. For example:



“Write” - we seem to take a pen and write on the palm of our hand. “Count” - we begin to bend our fingers. “Grandfather” looks a lot like a beard, doesn’t it? Sometimes in gestures for complex concepts you are simply amazed at how precisely the essence of the subject is captured.
The structure of sign language is not at all complex. The word order corresponds to ordinary sentences in the Russian language. For prepositions and conjunctions of one letter, their dactyl gesture (a letter from the alphabet) is used. Verbs are neither conjugated nor inflected. To indicate time, it is enough to give a marker word (Yesterday, Tomorrow, 2 days ago) or put the “was” gesture in front of the verb.
Like any other language, Russian sign language is very living, it changes all the time and varies significantly from region to region. Manuals and educational materials are updated at a snail's pace. Therefore, the recent publication of an ABC book for children with hearing impairments was a real event.
The basic gestures with which you can communicate with deaf people are quite basic:




Forgive me for the handicraft execution, I literally made the sign “on my knees” based on materials from a 1980 textbook. I note that the word “I” is often shown with the letter “I” from the alphabet.
But the main difficulty is not even in the basics of gestures, but in learning to “read” them from the hands. Already at first I had to deal with the fact that gestures can be complex - they consist of several positions of the hand, following each other. And out of habit, it’s damn hard to separate the end of one gesture and the beginning of another. Therefore, learning to sign, in my opinion, will take no less time than learning any foreign language, and maybe more.
The materials on studying sign language that I managed to find on the Internet are quite scarce. Nevertheless:
1. Textbook "Studying Gesture" 1980 edition
2. Dictionary of gestures, approximately the same age as the textbook
3. Letter knowledge training - they show you a gesture, you enter the letter. Entered incorrectly - the face becomes upset.
5. A relatively new video tutorial on Russian sign language. Archived in a five-part multi-volume archive. The password for the archives (apparently set by the author of the manual) is wonderful - Balrog. Attention: the manual does not open on 64-bit Windows =(
Piece 1
Piece 2
Piece 3
Piece 4
Piece 5
6. Translated review literature about the meaning of gestures and facial expressions

All materials were re-uploaded to Yandex for safety and also duplicated on the hard drive. On the Internet you never know whether you will be able to find this or that book again.
Well, in conclusion, I want to say one more thing. I often see people with hearing impairments in the subway and on the street, in cafes. These are cheerful, beaming people, completely ordinary, just having different ways of communicating. Deafness does not prevent them from being happy - from having friends, a favorite job and a family. They can even sing on the horn and dance - yes, yes, people with hearing impairments still hear music, perceiving its wave vibrations.
But at the same time, I can’t help but think that by simply mastering a couple of gestures, society can make their life much easier and more convenient. I’ll think, if I do take up the study of sign language and it won’t irritate my friends too much, I will gradually publish simple phrases in sign language for everyday use - so that they can be studied and applied if necessary.