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Travis Rolan Jones November 12, 2001
"Gestuno"
The need to communicate is universal. For those within the
deaf community, the need to communicate in sign is universal. Just as
there are languages in the world, there are thousands upon thousands of
different signed languages, each with its own "accent" and "dialect."
Every different sign language is a reflection of its past, the culture in
which it expanded, and the mores of its society (Grunberg 1). So what do
you do when you try to gather together people of the deaf communities from
all four corners of the globe? You devise an international sign language
that all are capable of learning and understanding.
As early as
1951, at a gathering of the World Congress of the World Federation of the
Deaf, the idea of "unifying" the sign languages was being discussed
(handspeak.com). They realized that having hundreds of interpreters at
every event just wasn't feasible. So around 1973 a committee was given the
task to devise and standardize a system of international gestures. The
Commission on Unification of Signs of the World Federation of the deaf
then issued a book of almost 1500 signs, chosen or invented by them and
they called the new basic international vocabulary "Gestuno." The name is
Italian and roughly translated means "oneness of sign languages" (Moody
1)
Within the World Federation of the Deaf, their official
languages, English and French, are still used for documentation and
correspondence. Yet in general assemblies and within the bureau, Gestuno
is still used. It is still not known though, if everyone fully understands
the language. Inside the bureau, Gestuno is far more defined. Members with
a broad cultural understanding have been able to communicate many concrete
principles as well as abstract ideas. Gestuno is still used at the World
Games for the Deaf and at the DEAF WAY Conference and Festival in
Washington, D.C., but other than that, its use is very limited (Grunberg
2).
Like "Esperante," the idea of unifying sign language
hasn't been as prolific as the Commission first intended. There just are
not that many people that have been willing to learn the new language. And
with the highly developed translating devices of today and the skilled
hands of international translators, who would really want to take the time
to learn a language no one else knows (Moody 81)?
Within the last
few years in Europe, a lingua franca has developed. A sort of "creole sign
language" that some have begun calling an international sign language.
Whether it will ever catch on or not is unknown but is something to watch
(deaflibrary.org).
A native language Gestuno is not. But it
is a barrier breaking vocabulary that allows a select few to bridge an
international language gap. It is still used today in specific gatherings
for the deaf community where needed, yet these events are few in number.
Yet the need to bridge that international barrier has aroused a sort of
lingua franca rooted deep in the trade industry of modern Europe. Maybe
this next generation of signers will develop this language further and
international communication will be easier (deaflibrary.org). As for the
Gestuno thing, they said Esperante would work too.
Bibliography
Gallaudet Encyclopedia of Deaf People and Deafness. Vol 3. New York,
New York: McGraw-Hill Company, Inc. 1987. pgs.
344-346.
Grunberg, Karen. (June 03, 2001). For Hearing People Only.
Kenika. Retrieved 5, Nov.
2001: <http://www.karenika.com/book/hearing_only.html>.
International
Sign. www.handspeak.com. Retrieved 8, Oct.
2001: <http://www.deafworldweb.org/sl/isl/info.html>
"International"
Sign Language? Deaf Library. About ASL. Retrieved 5, Nov.
2001: <http://www.deaflibrary.org/asl.html>
Moody,
B. Gallaudet Encyclopedia of Deaf People and Deafness. Vol 1. New York,
New York: McGraw-Hill Company, Inc. 1987. pgs. 81-82.
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