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.

English as a Lingua Franca in International Deaf Communities

KELLETT, CYNTHIA JANE MARY
2014-01-01

Abstract

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.
2014
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11368/2808530
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact