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. To joy, Russian Society Glukhikh 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: shortage educational institutions, where people with hearing impairments are accepted for training, there is a shortage of sign language interpreters and teaching aids, allowing you 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 complicated. 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. Benefits and educational materials They update 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 sign language, 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 about it, if I still take up studying sign language and it won’t irritate my friends too much, I’ll gradually publish simple phrases on a sign for everyday use - so that they can be studied and applied if necessary.
There are many languages in the world, but sign language occupies a special place among them. In order to communicate with deaf and dumb 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, the bill “On social protection disabled people" amendments were introduced regarding sign language. The language received official status, special educational institutions for training and retraining of interested people, teachers, 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 – basic course for beginners, where they examine basic lexical norms and practice 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 interpretation.
Training at levels lasts 3 months and consists of 44–50 academic teaching 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”. Also a lot useful information you will find in in 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 free time Learn or repeat the information you need.
- 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 mute 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.
Do not forget that effective and quick way learning a language means communicating 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 one, so gain strength, patience and soon you will receive.
- desired result
- Hearing people acquire knowledge of language with the help of a pair of eyes and a pair of ears. early age. Remember that many of your deaf and mute friends have never heard spoken words, which a hearing person takes for granted. Never assume that if a deaf-mute person does not write as well as he or she does, that means he or she is less intelligent than you. Know that when you communicate using sign language, you are also far from perfect.
- If you are learning a sign, don't assume that a deaf person should be ready to step away and start helping you learn the language and hone your skills at a moment's notice. If you want to meet a specific deaf person, be polite. Say hello if the situation allows it, but do not get involved in the person’s personal circumstances.
- There are a huge number of sign communication systems, such as Sign Supported Speech (SSS), Seeing Essential English (SEE) and Signing Exact English (SEE2). They were created by people outside the culture in which they are used, that is, by hearing people for the deaf and dumb. Is not natural languages for complete and effective communication.
- Deaf and mute people value their personal space no less than hearing people. If you are learning signs, please do not stare at deaf families or groups of people in restaurants or other public places. Even if you look at the use of language with admiration, it is still very unnerving.
- Never invent signs yourself. ASL is a universally recognized language, not a mimicry game. If you don't know a symbol, show it spelled out and ask a deaf person to translate it for you. These gestures were invented by the deaf community, and it would be very strange if a hearing person started creating gestures.
- No dictionary in any language is exhaustive. For example, one of the links gives you only one translation of the word "abbreviate", a sign for shortening. And this common sign has another translation - “to thicken” (two hands folded in the shape of the letter C at chest level are clenched into fists). Remember that many different signs can coincide with one English word, and vice versa.
How a dictionary works and how to use it
A short sign dictionary will help you, dear reader, master the vocabulary of sign speech. This is a small dictionary with about 200 gestures. Why were these particular gestures selected? Such questions inevitably arise, especially when the volume of the dictionary is small. Our dictionary was created in this way. Since the dictionary is intended primarily for teachers of the deaf, teachers and educators from schools for the deaf participated in determining the composition of the dictionary. For several years, the author offered students of the Moscow State University of Philology, working in boarding schools for the deaf, a list of gestures - “candidates” for the dictionary. And he turned to them with a request: to leave on the list only the most necessary gestures for a teacher and educator, and cross out the rest. But you can add to the list if required. All gestures to which more than 50% of expert teachers objected were excluded from the initial list. Conversely, the dictionary included gestures suggested by experts if more than half of them thought it was appropriate.
The gestures included in the dictionary are mainly used in both Russian sign speech and calque sign speech. They are grouped by topic. Of course, the attribution of many gestures to one topic or another is largely arbitrary. The author here followed the tradition of compiling thematic dictionaries, and also sought to place in each group gestures that denote objects, actions, and signs, so that it would be more convenient to talk on a given topic. At the same time, gestures have continuous numbering. If you, the reader, need to remember, for example, how the gesture INTERFERE is performed, but you don’t know what it is thematic group, you have to do this. At the end of the dictionary, all gestures (naturally, their verbal designations) are arranged in alphabetical order, and the ordinal index of the INTERFERE gesture will make it easy to find it in the dictionary.
Legend in the drawings will help to more accurately understand and reproduce the structure of the gesture.
Wishing you success in learning the vocabulary of sign speech, the author expects from you, dear reader, suggestions for improving a short sign dictionary.
Legend
GREETINGS INTRODUCTION
1. Hello 2. Goodbye
3. Thank you 4. Sorry (those)
GREETINGS INTRODUCTION
5. Name 6. Profession
7. Specialty 8. Who
GREETINGS INTRODUCTION
9. What 10. Where
11. When 12. Where
GREETINGS INTRODUCTION
13. Where 14. Why
15. Why 16. Whose
17. Man 18. Man
19. Woman 20. Child
21. Family 22. Father
23. Mother 24. Son
25. Daughter 26. Grandmother
27. Grandfather 28. Brother
29. Sister 30. Live
31. Work 32. Respect
33. Take care 34. Help
35. Interfere 36. Friendship
37. Young 38. Old
HOUSE APARTMENT
39. City 40. Village
41. Street 42. House
HOUSE APARTMENT
43. Apartment 44. Room
45. Window 46. Kitchen, cooking
HOUSE APARTMENT
47. Lavatory 48. Table
49. Chair 50. Wardrobe
HOUSE APARTMENT
51. Bed 52. TV
53. VCR 54. Do
HOUSE APARTMENT
55. Watch 56. Wash
57. Invite 58. Light
HOUSE APARTMENT
59. Cozy 60. New
61. Clean 62. Dirty
63. School 64. Class
65. Bedroom 66. Dining room
67. Director 68. Teacher
69. Educator 70. Teach
71. Study 72. Computer
73. Meeting 74. Deaf
75. Hearing impaired 76. Dactylology
77. Sign language 78. Lead
79. Instruct 80. Execute
81. Praise 82. Scold
83. Punish 84. Check
85. Agree 86. Strict
87. Kind 88. Honest
89. Lesson 90. Headphones
91. Book 92. Notebook
93. Pencils 94. Telling
95.Speak 96.Hear
101. Know 102. Don’t know
103. Understand 104. Don’t understand
105. Repeat 106. Remember
107. Remember 108. Forget
109. Think 110. I can, I can
111. I can’t 112. Make a mistake
113. Good 114. Bad
115. Attentively 116. Correct
117. Ashamed 118. Angry, angry
119. Rude 120. Polite
121. Student
122. Diligent
ON A REST
123. Rest 124. Forest
125. River 126. Sea
ON A REST
127. Water 128. Sun
129. Moon 130. Rain
ON A REST
131. Snow 133. Day
132. Morning 134. Evening
ON A REST
135. Night 136. Summer
137. Autumn 138. Spring
ON A REST
139. Winter 140. Excursion, museum
141. Theater 142. Cinema
ON A REST
143. Stadium 144. Physical education
145. Competition 146. Participate
ON A REST
147. Win 148. Lose
149. Play 150. Walk
ON A REST
151. Dance 152. Want
153. Don't want 154. Love
ON A REST
155. Rejoice 156. Wait
157. Deceive 158. Cheerful
ON A REST
159. Agile 160. Strong
161. Weak 162. Easy
ON A REST
163. Difficult 164. Calm
165. White 166. Red
ON A REST
167. Black 168. Green
OUR COUNTRY
169. Homeland
170. State 171. Moscow
OUR COUNTRY
172. People 173. Revolution
174. Party 175. President
OUR COUNTRY
176. Struggle 177. Constitution
178. Elections, choose 179. Deputy
OUR COUNTRY
180. Chairman 181. Government
182. Translator 183. Glasnost
OUR COUNTRY
184. Democracy 185. War
186. World 187. Army
OUR COUNTRY
188. Disarmament
189. Treaty 190. Space
OUR COUNTRY
191. Protect 192. Politics
WHAT DO THESE GESTURES MEAN?
193, 194. Sign name (person's name in sign language)
195. Master of his craft 196. Master of his craft (option)
WHAT DO THESE GESTURES MEAN?
197. It doesn’t concern me 198. Make mistakes
199. Don’t catch me (at home, at work) 200. Amazing,
stunning
201. Same, identical 202. Calm down after
any disturbances
203. Exhausted 204. That's it
GESTURES OF SPOKEN SIGN LANGUAGE
205. Lose sight, forget 206. “Cats are scratching at the heart”
207. Don’t be afraid to say 208. Wait a little
something in the eyes
Index of gestures in alphabetical order
| army | do | ||
| grandmother | democracy | ||
| day | |||
| white | deputy | ||
| struggle | village | ||
| Brother | director | ||
| polite | Kind | ||
| agreement | |||
| right | rain | ||
| funny | house | ||
| spring | Goodbye | ||
| evening | daughter | ||
| video recorder | friendship | ||
| attentively | think | ||
| water | |||
| war | wait | ||
| teacher | woman | ||
| recall | sign language | ||
| elections, choose | live | ||
| fulfill | |||
| where is publicity deaf talk city state rude dirty walk dactylology grandpa | take care | ||
| forget | |||
| For what | |||
| protect | |||
| Hello | |||
| green | |||
| winter | |||
| angry, angry | |||
| know | |||
| play | |||
| excuse me (those) | |||
| Name |
| pencil | deceive | ||||
| apartment | window | ||||
| movie | autumn | ||||
| Class | rest | ||||
| book | father | ||||
| When | where | ||||
| room | make a mistake | ||||
| computer constitution space red bed who goes where kitchen, cook | |||||
| the consignment | |||||
| translator | |||||
| write | |||||
| Badly | |||||
| win | |||||
| repeat | |||||
| policy | |||||
| remember | |||||
| easily | to help | ||||
| forest | understand | ||||
| summer | entrust | ||||
| deft | Why | ||||
| moon | government | ||||
| be in love | chairman | ||||
| invite the president to check lose profession | |||||
| mother | |||||
| interfere | |||||
| world | |||||
| I can, I can | |||||
| young sea Moscow man wash | |||||
| work | |||||
| rejoice | |||||
| disarmament | |||||
| tell | |||||
| child revolution river draw Motherland scold | |||||
| punish | |||||
| people | |||||
| headphones | |||||
| dont know | |||||
| I can not | lead | ||||
| don't understand don't want a new night | |||||
| light | |||||
| family | |||||
| sister strong hearing impaired weak hear watch snow meeting agree sun competition bedroom thank you specialty calm stadium diligent old table dining room strict chair ashamed count son dance theater TV notebook difficult | restroom | ||||
| respect | |||||
| Street | |||||
| lesson | |||||
| morning | |||||
| participate | |||||
| teacher | |||||
| learn | |||||
| student | |||||
| study | |||||
| cosy | |||||
| physical education praise good want | |||||
| whose man is black honest clean read that closet school excursion museum | |||||
Target audience: the course is for a wide range of people who want to learn Russian Language from scratch.
Course length: 72 hours.
Purpose: for self-development and initial practice of communicating with the deaf.
Course “Russian Sign Language. Started." 80 hours
Target audience: course for teaching staff, teaching deaf people in secondary vocational and higher education organizations. Supplemented with lectures on psychological characteristics deaf.
Course volume: 80 hours.
Purpose: for initial practice of communicating with the deaf within educational process.
Course “Sign language for parents. Family format." 40 hours
Target audience: course for parents of deaf children studying in their final year of school.
Course volume: 40 hours.
Purpose: to restore psychological balance in families and prepare deaf high school students to work in colleges with sign language interpreters.
Sign language course for parents of deaf high school students in a family format.
Main! - one place on the course is provided for three people at once - a family: the father, mother or other relatives of a deaf child and for the child himself.
The course developed at the institute is aimed at quickly learning sign language.
By completing this course, you will significantly improve the quality of your communication with your child and your ability to help him with his studies, and, at the same time, learn sign language.
The course includes a lecture on the basics of the psychology of deafness (for parents only), which is given by the candidate psychological sciences, professional sign language interpreter, chairman of the Academic Council of the Institute.
The number of places in the group is limited - only 10. That is, 10 families.
The course volume is 40 academic hours.
The sign language course is equipped with multimedia support - that is, the gestures included in the educational vocabulary are filmed, which relieves students of the need to take notes on lectures. Now there is no need for this: each family is given a sign language textbook, a reference book “Short words: prepositions, particles, conjunctions” and a mobile application “Russian-sign explanatory dictionary”.
Therefore, this course will be useful not only for beginners to learn sign language, but also for deaf people for whom RSL is their native language: they will be able to see live connection sign language with hearing language.
The course volume is 72 academic hours.
This course provides the very beginnings of Russian sign language: the basic vocabulary and the beginnings of linguistics of Russian Sign Language. For the first time, gestures, as lexical units, are given not as a mirror image of Russian words, but as independent concepts, what they essentially are, and a variable translation of these into Russian is offered for these concepts.
The course includes lectures on the basics of the psychology of deafness, given by a candidate of psychological sciences, a professional sign language interpreter, chairman of the Academic Council of the institute Kuzmin Vyacheslav Vyacheslavovich.
Therefore, this course will be useful not only for beginners in learning sign language, but also for teachers of secondary and higher education. vocational education working with deaf people in inclusive groups.
The course volume is 80 academic hours.
For the first time, a sign language course is equipped with full multimedia support - that is, all gestures included in the educational vocabulary are captured on video, which saves students from the need to take notes on lectures and record gestures shown by the teacher (each note turned into Stirlitz encryption), which is inevitable led to distortions and made it difficult to memorize the material being studied. Now there is no need for this: each student is given a set of 3 books - a textbook, workbook and a dictionary. Let's talk more about this set of teaching aids.
