The first device to transmit American Sign Language (ASL) by phone is being developed by researchers in America.
Engineers at the University of Washington are currently testing the tool, which uses video technology to transmit the signs. The field test is aimed at seeing how people use the technology in their everyday lives, with the aim of putting it into general use. Called MobileASL, the technology compresses video signals and increases image quality around the face and hands to make calls easier and quicker.
So far the results have been positive:
Most study participants say texting or e-mail is currently their preferred method for distance communication. Their experiences with the MobileASL phone are, in general, positive.
“It is good for fast communication,” said Tong Song, a Chinese national who is studying at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. “Texting sometimes is very slow, because you send the message and you’re not sure that the person is going to get it right away. If you’re using this kind of phone then you’re either able to get in touch with the person or not right away, and you can save a lot of time.” (Source: Science Daily)
A larger field study will be conducted this winter, so it’s definitely a development worth keeping in mind.
American Sign Language (ASL) has been given a boost from an unlikely source – the International Space Station.
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson delivered the space station’s first address to the deaf community – a six-minute video for deaf children. The video aims to give children a glimpse of what life is like as an astronaut, with Caldwell Dyson also discussing what inspired her to learn sign language.
“Long time ago, when I was a young university student, I met a girl who’s deaf; she’s same as me, a sprinter on the track team,” Caldwell Dyson said in ASL, according to a NASA translation. “So she taught me how to sign.”
In a separate interview, she also said:
“Ultimately, this isn’t really about me learning or knowing ASL,” Caldwell Dyson said. “This story should be an avenue for deaf students from children in kindergarten to college undergraduates to doctoral candidates to see themselves belonging to this amazing thing called NASA and participating in scientific research and space exploration.” (Source: MSNBC)
To watch Caldwell Dyson’s video from space, click here.
There is debate in colleges across America about the status of American Sign Language, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
Whilst some view it is a foreign language, and thus available for college credit, others argue that an indigenous language cannot by definition be ‘foreign’. ASL has origins in Old French Sign Language, and was developed at the American School for the Deaf in Connecticut. Because of its origins, it is noticeably different to sign languages of other English-speaking countries such as Britain, where British Sign Language is used. According to a study by the Modern Language Association it is the fourth most studied language at colleges other than English.
Some educators argue that as it doesn’t have the written or cultural components of a language like Spanish or French, ASL cannot be considered for credit. However:
Timothy Reagan, an education professor at Central Connecticut State University, said American Sign Language has a rich tradition of poetry, history and culture that shouldn’t be dismissed.
“One of the worst things you can do to a human being is to say, ‘Your language doesn’t count,’” he said.
For potential ASL students across the nation, as well as language commentators, this debate is sure to be watched closely.
