Deaf language alphabet. Mute sign language of the deaf and dumb

07.12.2023

There are many languages in the world, but sign language occupies a special place among them. In order to communicate with deaf and dumb people, the first sign language, called Amslen, was developed in the 18th century. Subsequently, closer to the 20th century, it had many branches and interpretations. In the middle of the 20th century, to standardize the language of the deaf and dumb, an international sign language was developed - Zhestuno, which is still relevant. It is mainly based on gestures that the speaker shows with his hands, with the help of facial expressions and through various turns of the body.

In our country, Zhestuno is not popular. If in European countries there are 300 sign language interpreters per hundred deaf-mute people, then we have only 3. In 2012, amendments were introduced to the bill “On Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities” regarding sign language. The language received official status, special educational institutions were created for the training and retraining of interested people, teachers, and people with disabilities. This had a positive effect on the percentage of people willing to learn Gestuno.

Local deaf communities provide special free classes that anyone can sign up for. In a few months you will learn the basic aspects of Gestuno and, of course, try out the acquired knowledge in practice.
Educational sites – institutes and colleges – often include the subject “sign language” in their programs. This applies to a greater extent to social and linguistic specialties. So if you are still a student or planning to become one, then you have the opportunity to get acquainted with this subject for free.
In the event that you cannot find free courses, there are specialized paid classes at research institutes, methodological centers, and specialized schools for the deaf and mute.

Structure of teaching the language of the deaf and mute

Let's take a closer look at what these special courses are and what you will receive upon completion of the training.

Note that there are 3 levels of Gestuno mastery, which include the following skills:

Level 1 is a basic course for beginners, which covers basic lexical norms and practices live communication.
Level 2 is a course for those who are already familiar with the basics. It is designed for initial acquaintance with translation skills from Gestuno.
Level 3 – includes the improvement of linguistic skills and in-depth training in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation.

Training at levels lasts 3 months and consists of 44–50 academic hours. At the end of the course you will receive a special certificate indicating your level. But do not equate this piece of paper with the certificate of a sign language interpreter. To obtain such a crust you will need to pass a special commission. You can try your hand at this after level 2.

How to learn a deaf-mute language yourself

In addition to the methods listed above, you can learn deaf-mute gestures yourself using the following resources:

On the Internet you will find websites that will help you learn the language of the deaf. The most popular of them is the “City of Gestures”. You will also find a lot of useful information on social networks, in specialized groups on Zhestuno. In them you will work out both the theoretical part and the practical component with like-minded people.
Since progress does not stand still, special applications have been created for mobile devices, which are alphabet books and textbooks on sign language. Download the program to your phone and study or review the information you need in your free time.
Books are a universal option for gaining knowledge in this area. However, this method is only suitable for those who are patient and willing to put extra effort into learning. This is due to the fact that there will be no teacher nearby who can clearly explain everything to you, and, therefore, you will need more time to understand the material.
Video lessons are a way to learn sign language, close to special courses, but with the caveat that no one will correct you if you make mistakes. The main advantage of videos is their variety and clear, visual explanation of the material.

Where to start learning sign language on your own

Before we figure out where to start, let’s note this feature:

Gesture is confused with letter fingering, that is, drawing individual letters with your hands. Dactylology differs from the gestures of the deaf and dumb in that it is used to say proper names: cities, names of people, geographical names, etc., or to say a word for which a special gesture has not yet been invented. So keep this in mind when you start studying.

So, having chosen one of the options for self-study, find information resources and choose those that will be understandable and interesting.

To become fluent in sign language, you must first learn the alphabet. Once you feel confident in your fingerprint skills, move on to learning nonverbal sign language. Build your lesson plan based on the difficulty levels described above. So, gradually you will be able to learn the language perfectly.

Don't forget that the most effective and fastest way to learn a language is to communicate in it. So, even if you study alone, you still need to find someone to talk to. This way you can learn to express thoughts correctly and understand what a like-minded person is thinking about.

Learning Gestuno on your own is difficult, but after a while you will achieve visible results. The main thing is not to abandon learning and reinforce theoretical knowledge with practice. Sign language is no more difficult than a foreign language, so gain strength and patience and you will soon get the desired result.

In our classes we spent more and more time on the history of the creation of writing. But this time I wanted something different, more unusual and modern. So the idea came to mind to tell children about other languages. There are already plans:

Sign language;
- the language of spies;
- programming languages;
- Braille code.

Gestuno is the language of people with hearing impairments.

Deaf people communicate using gestures - quick hand movements accompanied by an animated facial expression. These gestures, like any other language, need to be learned. They quickly convey information to the interlocutor. Where hearing people need many words, for example: “Shall we cross the bridge?”, deaf people only need one gesture.
This capability is also used where hearing is impossible: underwater for divers or in space for astronauts working outside the spacecraft.
International alphabet of signs. Each language has its own system for designating letters or sounds.

Sign languages of the deaf vary from country to country. There are television programs in which the text is “translated” for the deaf. Then in the corner of the screen you can see the announcer silently gesturing, i.e. speaks sign language.
There are more than 13 million deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. The birth of a child with hearing impairment in a family is a difficult test both for parents and for the child himself, who needs special learning tools and, most importantly, communication with peers and family. Fortunately, the Russian Society of the Deaf is actively working on this front. Thanks to the activities of its branches, people with hearing impairments unite and communicate with each other without feeling excluded from the social process.

There are also problems: a shortage of educational institutions that accept people with hearing impairments, a shortage of sign language interpreters and teaching aids that allow them to master sign language.
Russian sign language is an independent linguistic unit that is used for communication by people with hearing impairments.

Sign language does not consist only of a static figure shown by the hands - it also contains a dynamic component (the hands move in a certain way and are in a certain position relative to the face) and a facial component (the facial expression of the speaker illustrates the gesture). Also, when speaking in sign language, it is customary to “pronounce” words with your lips.

In addition to this, when communicating with people with hearing impairments, you should be extremely attentive to your posture and involuntary hand gestures - they can be misinterpreted.
The basis of sign language is the dactyl (finger) alphabet. Each letter of the Russian language corresponds to a specific gesture (see picture).

For most words in Russian sign language, there is a gesture that denotes the entire word. At the same time, I would like to note that almost all gestures are intuitive and very logical. For example:

“Write” - we seem to take a pen and write on the palm of our hand. “Count” - we begin to bend our fingers. “Grandfather” looks a lot like a beard, doesn’t it? Sometimes in gestures for complex concepts you are simply amazed at how precisely the essence of the subject is captured.

The structure of sign language is not at all complex. The word order corresponds to ordinary Russian sentences. For prepositions and conjunctions of one letter, their dactyl gesture (a letter from the alphabet) is used. Verbs are neither conjugated nor inflected. To indicate time, it is enough to give a marker word (Yesterday, Tomorrow, 2 days ago) or put the “was” gesture in front of the verb.

Like any other language, Russian sign language is very living, it changes all the time and varies significantly from region to region. Manuals and educational materials are updated at a snail's pace. Therefore, the recent publication of an ABC book for children with hearing impairments was a real event.

The basic gestures with which you can communicate with deaf people are quite basic:

The main difficulty is not even in mastering gestures, but in learning to “read” them from your hands. Gestures can be complex - they consist of several positions of the hand, following each other. And out of habit, it is difficult to separate the end of one gesture and the beginning of another. Therefore, learning to sign takes no less time than learning any foreign language, and maybe more.

We often see people with hearing impairments in the subway and on the street, in cafes. These are cheerful, beaming people, completely ordinary, just having different ways of communicating. Deafness does not prevent them from being happy - from having friends, a favorite job and a family. They can even sing and dance - yes, yes, people with hearing impairments can still hear music,

This post has been brewing for a little over six months. And finally, I got around to finishing it and summing it up.

There are more than 13 million deaf and hard of hearing people in Russia. The birth of a child with hearing impairment in a family is a difficult test both for parents and for the child himself, who needs special learning tools and, most importantly, communication with peers and family. Fortunately, the Russian Society of the Deaf is actively working on this front. Thanks to the activities of its branches, people with hearing impairments unite and communicate with each other without feeling excluded from the social process.
There are also problems: a shortage of educational institutions that accept people with hearing impairments, a shortage of sign language interpreters and teaching aids that allow them to master sign language.

The idea of learning Russian sign language and helping as a sign language interpreter came to me a long time ago. But from then to this day I have never been able to find time. The materials have already been found, all the necessary information has been obtained, but there is still no time. Well, okay, let's start small - with the initial educational program, so to speak.

Russian sign language is an independent linguistic unit that is used for communication by people with hearing impairments.
Sign language does not consist only of a static figure shown by the hands - it also contains a dynamic component (the hands move in a certain way and are in a certain position relative to the face) and a facial component (the facial expression of the speaker illustrates the gesture). Also, when speaking in sign language, it is customary to “pronounce” words with your lips.
In addition to this, when communicating with people with hearing impairments, you should be extremely attentive to your posture and involuntary hand gestures - they can be misinterpreted.
The basis of sign language is the dactyl (finger) alphabet. Each letter of the Russian language corresponds to a certain gesture (see picture).

Knowledge of this alphabet will help you initially overcome the “language barrier” between you and a person with hearing impairment. But fingering (spelling) is rarely used by deaf people in everyday speech. Its main purpose is to pronounce proper names, as well as terms for which their own gesture has not yet been formed.
For most words in Russian sign language, there is a gesture that denotes the entire word. At the same time, I would like to note that almost all gestures are intuitive and very logical. For example:

“Write” - we seem to take a pen and write on the palm of our hand. “Count” - we begin to bend our fingers. “Grandfather” looks a lot like a beard, doesn’t it? Sometimes in gestures for complex concepts you are simply amazed at how precisely the essence of the subject is captured.
The structure of sign language is not at all complex. The word order corresponds to ordinary sentences in the Russian language. For prepositions and conjunctions of one letter, their dactyl gesture (a letter from the alphabet) is used. Verbs are neither conjugated nor inflected. To indicate time, it is enough to give a marker word (Yesterday, Tomorrow, 2 days ago) or put the “was” gesture in front of the verb.
Like any other language, Russian sign language is very living, it changes all the time and varies significantly from region to region. Manuals and educational materials are updated at a snail's pace. Therefore, the recent publication of an ABC book for children with hearing impairments was a real event.
The basic gestures with which you can communicate with deaf people are quite basic:

Forgive me for the handicraft execution, I literally made the sign “on my knees” based on materials from a 1980 textbook. I note that the word “I” is often shown with the letter “I” from the alphabet.
But the main difficulty is not even in the basics of gestures, but in learning to “read” them from the hands. Already at first I had to deal with the fact that gestures can be complex - they consist of several positions of the hand, following each other. And out of habit, it’s damn hard to separate the end of one gesture and the beginning of another. Therefore, learning to sign, in my opinion, will take no less time than learning any foreign language, and maybe more.
The materials on studying sign language that I managed to find on the Internet are quite scarce. Nevertheless:
1. Textbook "Studying Gesture" 1980 edition
2. Dictionary of gestures, approximately the same age as the textbook
3. Letter knowledge training - they show you a gesture, you enter the letter. Entered incorrectly - the face becomes upset.
5. A relatively new video tutorial on Russian sign language. Archived in a five-part multi-volume archive. The password for the archives (apparently set by the author of the manual) is wonderful - Balrog. Attention: the manual does not open on 64-bit Windows =(
Piece 1
Piece 2
Piece 3
Piece 4
Piece 5
6. Translated review literature about the meaning of gestures and facial expressions

All materials were re-uploaded to Yandex for safety and also duplicated on the hard drive. On the Internet you never know whether you will be able to find this or that book again.
Well, in conclusion, I want to say one more thing. I often see people with hearing impairments in the subway and on the street, in cafes. These are cheerful, beaming people, completely ordinary, just having different ways of communicating. Deafness does not prevent them from being happy - from having friends, a favorite job and a family. They can even sing on the horn and dance - yes, yes, people with hearing impairments still hear music, perceiving its wave vibrations.
But at the same time, I can’t help but think that by simply mastering a couple of gestures, society can make their life much easier and more convenient. I’ll think, if I do take up the study of sign language and it won’t irritate my friends too much, I will gradually publish simple phrases in sign language for everyday use - so that they can be studied and applied if necessary.

Few realize the power they have in their hands. There are times when your own hands can save or literally betray, and all this happens without your conscious participation. Of course, if you don't know how hand language works.

A person who speaks the language of nonverbal communication has a lot of advantages over his counterpart, and is able to hear not only what the interlocutor is saying, but also understand what he is thinking about, or what he is not talking about. But let's talk about everything in order.

Today, many symbols shown by hands have international registration, and are equally understandable to New Zealand Maori and African Maasai. Why did this happen?

Why do soldiers put their hand to their head to greet someone, or to praise a person we raise our thumb up, and to insult someone we raise our middle finger? The answers to these questions came to us from the past. Let's look at the stories behind some of these gestures in more detail.

Thumbs up. Shows that everything is fine and you are doing well. This movement came to us from antiquity. The Roman public, during gladiatorial fights, in this way signaled that for the diligence and diligence shown by the defeated slave during the battle, his life could be saved. A downturned thumb did not bode well for a loser warrior. Since those times, it has been the custom: the thumb points to the sky - you are on top, to the ground - you are a bit of a loser;
The military greeting when addressing a superior or raising a flag, by raising an open palm to the head, was borrowed from medieval knights. In those ancient times, in order to show the purity of their thoughts, warriors, when meeting, raised their visors, thereby demonstrating the friendliness of their plans. Another version of the origin of this sign is associated with earlier periods of human history. In ancient times, subjects, in order to show that only the sun was higher than their ruler, when meeting the autocrat, covered their eyes with their hands, thereby demonstrating submission. Over time, the form of the gesture has changed slightly, but the content has remained unchanged. People in uniform show their respect and commitment to their superiors or state symbol by raising their hand to their head;
An outstretched hand when meeting, or a handshake. The origin of this greeting is explained quite simply. In ancient times, an outstretched hand, without a weapon, symbolized your peaceful plans and respect;
Raised middle finger. There are at least two explanations for the appearance of this obscene gesture. According to one version, the ancient Greeks showed this symbol to those with whom they would like to carry out actions, the meaning of which reflects what we mean by demonstrating this gesture today. Another option goes back to the beginning of the 15th century, when during the Franco-English Battle of Agincourt, French soldiers cut off the middle fingers of captured English archers so that they could not shoot at them in the future. Naturally, those of the English who could not be caught by the vile French showed them their middle fingers from a safe distance, thereby showing their disdain and courage. Why didn't the French just kill the prisoners? The question remains open;
The so-called goat. A symbol that distinguishes true “metalheads” from the people around them. One version says that the sign originated among the ancient Vikings, and symbolized the Scandinavian rune, which protects its owner from the evil eye. According to another version, this is the “fingering” of Soviet prisoners who, in order not to go to work, simply cut their tendons, and the hand took this shape spontaneously. Today, this symbol of cool says that the person demonstrating it is a principled “legalist”, and he will not collect popcorn scattered in the cinema;
The well-known American OK. There may be differences in this gesture depending on the part of the world you are in. For some nations, it symbolizes that your affairs are in perfect order, for others it means that you are “complete zero,” and for some it demonstrates problems with the large intestine. According to one of the most plausible versions, this sign was borrowed from the non-verbal language of the Native American inhabitants - Indians, who thus showed their fellow tribesmen that there were no problems.

Some hand gestures and their meaning

Each gesture has its own interesting and multifaceted history, however, it’s time to talk about their meaning and the practical use of this knowledge in everyday life.

Open palm

In most cultures, an open hand is associated with honesty. Therefore, if you want to make people believe that you are telling the truth, it is not recommended to present your arguments with your hands clenched into fists.

At such moments, it is better to open your palms to show that you are not hiding anything.

On the other hand, be alert when someone is telling you important things with their hands in their pockets or behind their back. Hidden palms do not make sentences more believable, even if they are true. With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that your interlocutor is lying or hiding some important information from you.

Palm up and down position

The way you use your hands when communicating with others can significantly affect how they perceive your words and you. Ask a simple question with your palms up, and people will think you're asking for a favor.

On the one hand, they will not be bothered by your request, but on the other hand, they will not feel threatened or pressured by you. If you ask this question with your palms facing down, it will more likely resemble a requirement that must be fulfilled.

It can not only set the tone for any business or political meeting, but also influence its results. When two equal interlocutors shake hands, their palms remain vertical.

But if one person's palm is facing upward when shaking hands, this can be perceived as a symbolic surrender, and signify the superiority of the other person.

When talking, your interlocutor holds his hands behind his back and makes meaningless movements with them - he is not interested in you, you should stop the meaningless conversation, or move on to another topic.

What is the meaning of finger gestures

No less revelations can be gleaned from the position of the fingers on our hands. Let's give a few examples.

There is a fine line between a hand gesture and a finger gesture, but we will talk about those cases in which the movement of the fingers is an independent signal.

Some finger gestures are unintentional, and by their position you can unmistakably read what emotional state a person is in, or his attitude towards the topic of conversation.

finger on mouth - they are lying to you;
during a conversation, the index finger involuntarily points towards the other person - a clear sign of dominance;
index finger up - you should be wary of such a person, since the gesture is often used by parents in relation to a careless child;
fingers straight and pressed tightly together - the person has made a firm decision to achieve his goal and does not care about sentiment;
fingers squeeze the wrist or palm of the other hand - the interlocutor is furious, trying to restrain his emotions;
fingers clenched into a fist from time to time - a clear sign of a hidden threat.

What about the deaf and dumb?

Many gestures unconsciously used in communication are reflected in the alphabet for the deaf and dumb.

Sign languages of the deaf are independent languages that consist of combinations of movements of the hands and fingers in combination with facial expressions, position of the mouth, lips and body.

It is a mistake to believe that sign languages for the deaf were invented by hearing people to convey information to those who cannot hear. In fact, these languages develop completely independently.

Moreover, in one country there may be several sign languages that do not grammatically coincide with the verbal languages of that country.

As practice shows, in the absence of the opportunity to use sound language as a means of communication, people instinctively begin to use gestures for this. The main means of communication for this are the hands and fingers.

At the same time, deaf people have many gestures, the meaning of which can be understood by an unprepared person. For example, the word “peace” in the language of the deaf and dumb will look like hands squeezing each other, located in front of the chest, “love” is a palm raised to the lips in the form of an air kiss, and “house” is palms folded in a triangle in the form of a gable roof.

Youth hand gestures and their meaning

Our children also use sign language for their communication, and the variety of these non-verbal signs is constantly enriched by the emergence of new ones. Let's give a few examples of such youth gestures, with the help of which teenagers can easily understand each other, while older people, and even middle-aged people, will remain in the dark.

Time and scientific and technological progress dictate their conditions, and this fully applies to our gestures.

Just recently, a hand folded in the shape of an English L did not mean anything, but today it is a loser, a sign signaling that you are a loser.

An extended middle finger pointing to the side can mean that you are being sent, but at the same time it can be interpreted as an invitation to sex.

With your fingers shaped like a heart, it’s simple: “I love you.” But a “horned goat” with its thumb pointed to the side means simple sympathy.

An English V performed by a teenager with the back of his hand turned towards you can mean two Colas, or serve as the equivalent of the middle finger in the UK. And such a familiar sign as OK, but inverted, and shown at waist level or below, is an open invitation to sex.

Thanks to the specific versatility of using hand language and a few widely spoken English words, you can communicate with a foreigner you meet by chance on a busy street. Of course, you won’t be able to conclude a contract with him for the supply of gas equipment, but you can easily explain how to get to the nearest metro station or stadium.

Differences in the interpretation of habitual gestures in different countries

Don't rush to use your extensive knowledge of sign language when you find yourself abroad. Some common symbols may have opposite meanings in different parts of the world. And again let's look at the examples.

If you are in France, then OK, which is common throughout the world, turns into a big, fat zero. And in Turkey, with such a gesture you will signal that your interlocutor is gay - not a very pleasant statement in a country where the majority of people are Muslims;
Raising your thumb and extending your index finger means a loser in the sign language of teenagers, and in China this symbol represents the number eight;
A thumbs up in Europe and America says: “Everything is cool,” and in Iran, Afghanistan and Greece this obscene gesture will be read: “I..., you..., and all your relatives...”, well, you get the idea;
The crossed index and middle fingers protect Europeans from the evil eye, and in Vietnam this figure represents the female genital organ;
A finger extended forward stops all over the world and seems to say: “Wait,” and in Greece it literally translates as “Eat shit.”

If, as the proverb states, silence is golden, then continuing the association, in some countries, the absence of gestures is a diamond.

The gestures and their interpretation that you have become familiar with are not limited to the examples given. The purpose of our article is to popularize, interest and guide. Perhaps our theses will help solve small life problems. Or maybe not small.

There is some more information about the most popular gestures in the following video.

How to learn sign language? This question has worried people for a long time, because there have been deaf and dumb people at all times.

It is more difficult for such people to adapt to society and to lead a full life. In the old days, in many European countries, people with hearing and speech impairments were not considered normal. They were sent to psychiatric hospitals for compulsory treatment. Society treated them negatively.

Before answering the question “how to learn sign language?”, let’s consider how the situation has changed over time and learn the background to the emergence of deaf pedagogy and dactylology.

Bonet system

Fortunately for the deaf and dumb, there were also positive-minded people who felt sorry for them and wanted to help. Such a person was, for example, the priest Juan Pablo Bonet. He lived at the beginning of the 17th century. One day, Bonet was hired as an assistant to a wealthy family, the head of which was an important official. This gentleman's son suffered from deafness; no one could teach him writing or arithmetic.

Soon the priest created his own training system for this boy. He came up with a special symbol for each letter in the alphabet. The question of how to learn sign language did not even arise with this deaf-mute boy; Bonet began to work with the child with enthusiasm and great enthusiasm.

Very soon the boy learned the entire alphabet. After this, rumors about the Bonet system spread throughout Spain. The priest published a book in which he described his method in detail.

School of Michel Charles de Lepeux

Michel Charles de Lepeux became famous for organizing and opening the world's first school for educating deaf and mute people. He took the book of Juan Bonet as the basis for his method. By the way, in Paris at that time there already existed a semblance of sign language in Old French. However, Michel de Lepe adapted this similarity into modern French, and communication between deaf-mutes began to consist of more than just individual words. Now people could communicate for real, build a smooth and coherent “speech”.

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet School

Thomas Gallaudet, after visiting the de Leppe school, returned to the States and opened his own educational institution. The method was borrowed from a French colleague. At Thomas Gallaudet's school there were real "lectures" on how to learn sign language, adapted into English.

And again this method enjoyed great success and popularity.

Oralists opposed such a system of education. According to their beliefs, such a technique separates deaf people from the hearing community, and there is actually no benefit from it.

Alexander Graham Bell and his school of oralists

Here they taught writing and reading using a completely different system. Each speech sound (depending on the position of the lips) was marked with a written symbol. Initially, this method was supposed to be used to correct diction. But in the process, Bell taught the deaf and dumb in the same way.

The first deaf pedagogical schools in Russia

In 1806, the first school of deaf pedagogy was opened in Pavlovsk (near St. Petersburg). They taught here according to the French system.

In 1860, such a school opened in Moscow. In the capital, the German method was used as the basis for teaching how to learn sign language for deaf and dumb people.

Gradually, researchers and scientists began to appear in our country who were interested in such a training system.

Lev Semenovich Vygotsky

At first, he did not particularly believe in the benefits of sign language; he considered it very limited. But some time later, in one of his works, he called sign language extremely complex and diverse. The scientist considered it richly developed and recognized its undeniable benefits for deaf and mute people.

Rachel Boskis and Natalia Morozova

We studied Vygotsky's works. In their work on speech development, they concluded that the grammar of simple Russian and sign language is different.

It was mistakenly believed that deaf people cannot learn sign language on their own, and also learn verbal speech at the same time.

Victor Ivanovich Fleury

He was a teacher and worked as a school director in St. Petersburg. He conducted a deep analysis of “deaf-mute speech” and came to the conclusion that sign language, Russian, can be learned by every person with hearing or speech impairment. In addition, he noticed that in certain companies and societies of the deaf, sign language has its own characteristics, differences and subtle patterns inherent specifically to that society. Just as in “our” (verbal speech) there is jargon and specific words, so in “silent speech” this is also present.

He wrote the book "Deaf and Mute". In this work, the teacher collected all the gestures and signs known to him.

There were other people who contributed to Russian education of the deaf: I. A. Sokolyansky, L. V. Shcherba, A. Ya. Udal.

So how do you learn silent sign language?

Let's look at this question in more detail. Below are step-by-step instructions.

Introduction to dactylology

First you need to get acquainted with dactylology. This is the name of a special form of speech. Dactylology includes the fingerprint alphabet. In it, each letter of the alphabet has its own designation - a sign made of fingers. These signs are called dactylems.

Many people are deeply mistaken that sign language and the dactyl alphabet are one and the same thing. There is a difference: dactylems convey words letter by letter, while sign language conveys whole words.

There is also manoral speech. With this form of communication, words are read from the lips, gestures only emphasize hard and soft, deaf and voiced consonants.

Finger placement technique

When learning the fingerprint alphabet, you should not rush. You need to remember well and practice the technique of placing your fingers. At first your hand will get tired. But after two or three workouts, your fingers will begin to get used to it and bend better.

Fingering speed

Having perfected the technique of forming dactyls, we move on to the speed of placing fingers. In deaf pedagogy, proper names, surnames, and geographical names are shown letter by letter.

The fingerprint alphabet can be found in the form of a picture or use a more visual video tutorial. By the way, sign language and dactylology are different in each country. Unfortunately, there is no single language for the deaf and dumb.

Practice

Having mastered all the dactylems, you should practice. Learn basic words, names or titles. Videos, films can help with this, there is even a special application for Android.

Counting and numbers

Once you have a little practice, you should master counting. It is advisable to immediately learn to show at least the simplest numbers. This will greatly advance the study of sign language.

Sequence of study

Let's move on to sign language itself. It contains about 2000 different symbols. How to quickly learn sign language with such a volume of signs? In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems.

You should start learning gestures with simple words “hello”, “goodbye”, “sorry”, “thank you”. You should learn them gradually, without chasing quantity. It is better to learn a small number of gestures in one training session.

And the last recommendation. If you are seriously thinking about learning the language of the deaf, it may be worth looking for such courses in your city. They are not widespread, but you can still find them. Such courses are good because here you can get practice in live communication, hone your skills and language proficiency.