New Zealand Sign Language

From Open Encyclopedia

{{language |name=New Zealand Sign Language |nativename=NZSL |familycolor=Sign |states=New Zealand |fam1=BANZSL |iso2=sgn-NZ |iso3=nzs}}

New Zealand Sign Language, or NZSL, is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand.

New Zealand Sign Language has its roots in British Sign Language (BSL), and may be technically considered a dialect of British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language (BANZSL).

It uses the same two-handed manual alphabet as British Sign Language and Auslan, or Australian Sign Language.

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New Zealand Sign Language in action

Interpreters are sometimes used at public performances, such as the Classical Sparks and Starry Nights events held in Christchurch, to communicate to people who cannot hear what the Masters of Ceremonies are talking about.

Interpreters cannot translate every single word people speak, so some of the words are missed out or abbreviated to cope with the speed. Not every word has a sign, so there is a need for fingerspelling. Also, some of the words are fingerspelt to avoid confusion - June and July, for example. Fingerspelling is also required when a sign is not understood by the deaf person. The reader will however, concentrate on the facial expression and lip read the word while using peripheral vision to read the fingers.

The structure of "sentences" is different in NZSL from English. For example, a person would say "you name what" in NZSL but "what's your name" in English.

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Official language status

NZSL is expected to soon become the third official language of New Zealand, joining English and Maori. A New Zealand Sign Language Bill is currently in the process of being passed as an Act of Parliament. At the first reading, on June 22 2004, it was supported by all political parties. It was referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee which reported back to the House on 18 July 2005, but will not be considered until later in the year because of the general election in September.

The use of NZSL as a valid medium of instruction has not always been an accepted view by the Government, the Association of Teachers of the Deaf, and many parents. However, in light of much research into its validity as a language and much advocacy by deaf adults, parents of deaf children (both hearing and deaf) and educationalists, NZSL has since become — in tandem with English — part of the bilingual/bicultural approach used in public schools (including Kelston Deaf Education Centre and Van Asch Deaf Education Centre) since 1994.

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Dialects

Differences in lexicon in New Zealand Sign Language have largely developed through the student communities surrounding four schools for the deaf in New Zealand: