English as a Lingua Franca in International Deaf Communities

The word lingua in the term lingua franca has an immediate verbal connotation, therefore, it may be asked, how can English as a lingua franca find a place in the lives of profoundly deaf or severely hearing-impaired individuals? Non-verbal language in the form of Sign Language is the natural mode of communication for people who perceive the world through a visual lens, and who are partially or totally deprived of acoustic stimuli. Yet English plays an increas-ingly important role in International Deaf Communities as a second language among signers in English-speaking coun-tries or as a third language among signers elsewhere. This paper aims to inform hearing readers a little about a silent world where a knowledge of written English (rather than spoken) is a key to wider access to global communication and where understanding the complexities of our modern world can be further enhanced through interpreting and translation to and from English.