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Thai Sign Language
Introduction to Thai Sign Language
In Thailand, Thai Sign Language (TSL) is used by deaf Thais. It is unique to Thailand as is spoken Thai. Deaf children learn signing only through interaction with other deaf people in their community or through school for the deaf. Learning from these two sources can cause confusions to deaf children as the sign language taught and originated by hearing teachers is technically different from their native mother language, "the Thai Sign Language of the Deaf Thai culture." Moreover, there are two methods of teaching communication to deaf children; teach sign language as the first language and the language of the majority hearing culture, that is, reading and writing, as the second; another approach is a bi-lingual one. Without good role models for learning sign language and without equal access to the full curricular content of education, these children represent an enormous waste of Thailand human resources as of today.Thailand represents one of the most progressive developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region in programs and opportunities for deaf children. The Royal Thai Government presently issues National Developmental Quality of Life of Person with Disabilities plan (year 2002-2008); part of it is to provide policies and directions to support the educational rights of deaf Thais. An active organization for deaf Thais is the National Association of the Deaf in Thailand (NADT), formed in 1983. One of their outstanding activities is the research in TSL to compile signs in TSL from all the deaf groups in Thailand and collated them into groups in accordance with linguistic principles. As a result, "the Thai Sign Language Dictionary, Book One" was published in 1986. It was approved for use within the existing school system. Prior to that, Sethsatian school for the deaf has published "Signing Exact Thai & English Book one" in 1979, as a tool in teaching sign language using total communication approach.
Structure of Thai Sign Language (TSL)
Native Thai Sign language used by deaf Thais has a very long history of its establishment, as well as the spoken Thai language, which has been developed over 700 years ago. Modern TSL, like all languages, has evolved, borrowed, and adapted features from both external and internal influences. TSL is a language as unique to Thailand as is spoken Thai. It is also distinct and different from the spoken Thai language in both grammar and in syntax. These distinctions reflect the cultural textures of deaf Thais and their communities that use TSL as a communication medium and cultural transfer from one generation to the next one. Signing in TSL system can be differentiated into 5 categories as follows:Pantomimic signs are the signing of hand-shape, hand orientations, and hand movements simultaneously to convey meanings of that signing.
Imitative signs are similar to Pantomimic signs. However, by using the imitative signs, the signers intend to convey particular meanings instead of the overall meanings. For example, the signer pronounces the signing of hand holding steering wheel of the car to convey the meaning of both "car" and "car driving."
Metonymic signs are similar to Imitative signs but how the sign was presented is the result of reference. For example, the sign of saluting refers to "soldier."
Indicative signs are represented by point the finger to the reference object in which that object does not need its presence at that moment of signing. For example, to represent themselves, the signers just simply point their index finger toward their chest.
Initialized signs are done by initialize hand-shape corresponding to the first letter of the word in a spoken/written language. It is invented in such a way for deaf people to remind the listeners of a word in a spoken/written language.