Indian Sign Language [ ISL]: A complete language in its own right. It is not very difficult to learn. It is not only for the deaf. It has various applications and benefits. Everybody can learn to sign...try it!
Scroll down for more information on ISL and our classes.
Silent Eloquence: Beginners' course in ISL.
We conduct classes in ISL with the help of our interpreter and deaf users and advocates of ISL for those who're looking for
a) Basic conversational ISL skills.
b) Understanding ways the Deaf and Hearing people can communicate.
c) An understanding of deafness and related issues
d) Exploring how ISL can be used to break barriers in the personal, educational, vocational and social spheres
e) New friends among the deaf
f) Exploring ISL benefits and solutions for people with other disabilities
Silent Eloquence Nov 2009 - Mar 2010
The ISL team at our 3 month weekend workshop consisted of Aqil Hajee, Atiya Hajee and Mohammed Shafique. The deaf and hearing students enjoyed their interaction at the workshop
The response was amazing. Experienced teachers of Autistic children enjoyed learning ISL with a view to make communication with their students easier and more fun. There are adults and children in the group, some with deaf relatives. We'll put up their comments too from time to time.
Disclaimer: Our course aims at popularising ISL - imparting basic ISL skills to the hearing and hearing impaired to encourage mainstreaming of the deaf - and exploring different applications and benefits of signing. It is not an 'ISL instructor/ interpreter' course.
Some interesting facts!
ISL has not been recognised as an official language in India. Yet millions of deaf and hearing people sign and understand each other around the world!
There is no institute in Pune which teaches ISL formally . There are no fully qualified interpreters or instructors in Pune. Yet, very recently, there was THIS article in the TOI !!!
We have, in our team, the only ISL interpreter in Pune who's completed two of three levels of training at the Ali Yavar Jung Institute. The need of the hour is more awareness about ISL.
We all sign...we may not understand the discipline of sign as a definite language, but we do what we have to in order to be understood. We sign when we meet someone who doesn't speak the same languages as us. We sign across sound proof glass. We sign when we don't want someone to hear what is being communicated. We sign when we're talking on the phone..even though the other person cannot see us gesticulating. In a country like ours where Cricket is almost a religion, we understand and wait for every sign from the Umpire.
Indian Sign Language is not about miming or gesticulation or dance mudras. It has a definite grammar and syntac.
All along we've marginalised those who cannot speak due to deafness or other conditions. People in India have always prefered speech therapy over ISL. Why teach the deaf to speak? Because it is easier. For whom? Those who can hear.
Speech therapy is wonderful. Lip reading is great too. But Signing is natural. Two deaf people left alone will take their hearing aids off and sign. Visit any school for the deaf and watch the children revert to signing the moment the 'hearing' teacher steps out of the class.
Here is a fantastic link to explain. We'd like you to read most if not all of it.
Why must we all learn to sign?
Why do some of us learn German? Or Japanese? To converse with those who speak those languages. Why then isn't it necessary to learn to converse with the deaf? They are not less intelligent than us. They just don't always speak the same language as we do.
There is a need to educate and employ the deaf...mainstream them in every sense of the word. Wouldn't it be lovely to see deaf kids playing with hearing kids in a park and having no trouble communicating?
It happens in most developed countries, why not ours?
Who MUST learn to sign? [we believe everybody should]
* People who work with children who have learning or speech related issues with or without deafness.
* Teachers of the deaf.
* Teachers in inclusive schools
* People in the service industry, armed forces, legal, medical, entertainment fields...
* Those looking for careers as interpreters for the deaf.
* Deaf instructors.
* Those who'd like to be friends with the deaf.
* Most importantly - Parents and family of the deaf.