Sign Language FAQ

The workers at Mikomax use Polish Sign Language (PJM). It is distinct from spoken Polish and has a fascinating history. PJM is of particular interest to Haworth because our team in Lodz, Poland includes several dozen PJM speakers. Mikomax has included Deaf workers for over thirty years.

PJM seems to use ‘a distinctive one-handed manual alphabet based on’ Old French Sign Language (VLSF) – an enigmatic language prevalent in the deaf community of 18th century Paris. Though scant records of it now remain, VLSF formed the roots of modern French Sign Language, which influenced many other sign languages across the world – including the American, Brazilian and Russian Sign Languages.

Polish Sign Language is not only linked to Old and modern forms of French Sign Language; it seems the language is also related to the Russian and German Sign Languages. This is partly due to common links to the French and partly due to the time of partitions, when Poland disappeared from the map for over a hundred years.

While researching, I encountered the verbs ‘speak’, ‘use’, and ‘sign’ to describe communicating in sign language. The verb chosen appears to depend on the person or the community – but note that there is an ongoing discussion about this, and each verb has implications.

For some in the Deaf community, using the verb ‘speak’ affirms that sign languages are not ‘different’ from oral languages – a perception that has caused exclusion and harm in the past.

I found, anecdotally, a preference for ‘speak’ from writers on online forums. I found a mix of other preferences used by various relevant sources:

-        In her book Sign Language in Indo-Pakistan, the Professor of Sign Language at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK, Ulrike Zeshan, uses the word ‘speakers’ to describe people communicating in sign language.

-        The Singapore Association for the Deaf often writes ‘use’ or ‘users’. Their FAQ is a great resource for Singapore Sign Language.

-        SignHealth, a UK charity, writes ‘people who use British Sign Language’.

Following Zeshan and the Singapore and UK organisations, I generally favoured ‘use’ or ‘speak’ in this article.

No – there is not one universal sign language. Just as with spoken languages, sign languages are generally not mutually intelligible or universal, though there are often shared roots. And just like spoken languages, sign languages are usually tied to a nation or community.

To oversimplify: just as speakers of German and Chinese can’t understand each other, so speakers of German Sign Language and Chinese Sign Language will not understand each other. (The reality is a little more complicated – see next question for more details.)

Writer’s note: this question regards usage in English.

You’ll find a good resource with this answer from SignHealth, the deaf health charity in the UK. SignHealth uses a capital D to refer to people who have been deaf their entire lives. In that link, they also explain their use of ‘hard of hearing’ and ‘hearing impaired’ – it is worth a read. Elsewhere, SignHealth writes: ‘“Deaf” with an uppercase “D” is used to indicate that SignHealth’s focus will continue to be to work with Deaf people who use British Sign Language and it signals our respect for Deaf people and Deaf culture’.

The Singapore Association for the Deaf generally uses a capital D; an example can be found on their Deaf Culture and Community page.

Following the above two examples, I generally use a capital D in this article (originally written in English; other languages may have different approaches).

Sign language is not universal. Even sign languages with shared roots are generally not mutually intelligible. And even within one sign language group, there may be multiple systems or dialects. Just as with spoken languages, there are often regional differences in sign languages.

There are shared roots between many sign languages of the world; for example, Polish Sign Language and American Sign Language are not mutually intelligible, but both appear to be linked in some respect to French Sign Language. And Old French Sign Language, though scant records of it remain, appears to have intriguing links to many sign languages used today.

Below you’ll find a bird’s eye view of sign languages across the world, organised alphabetically by region. This is by no means extensive; I aimed to cover the countries where most of our readers are located. (You may find Nicaragua to be a slight exception to that rule – but as you’ll see, there’s good reason for its inclusion.)

There are many other fascinating sign languages – what is most common in your area?

Writer’s note: The above is intended to serve as a resource for hearing people interested in learning more about the Deaf experience. It’s important to note that I am not Deaf, and the above is not shared from the point of view of an expert. This information was compiled while doing research for a two-part series on our Deaf members at the Mikomax headquarters. The primary angle focuses on the team in Lodz, speakers of Polish Sign Language; that perspective is highlighted (and may differ from the Deaf experience elsewhere). While researching, I found fascinating stories and immensely helpful resources – especially SignHealth, the Singapore Association for the Deaf, and Ulrike Zeshan. I hope you will find this information and these resources useful as well.

There are undoubtedly gaps in the information above; my hope is that this becomes an evolving resource. Please let me know if you find information that is inaccurate; if you’re curious about questions that aren’t asked here; or if you have additional knowledge resources that readers may find helpful.