Sign Language

Deepening the comprehension of "Japan Sign Language" on deaf people's culture in language class In sign language, deaf peoples were used to understand and capable of using it naturally since they were young, like german, france languages and others, language study lesson was adopted by university. On Kansai university institute (on Nishinomiya city) newly established faculty of social welfare by starting the class on april. As planned to be the second language which will be taught for 2 years, aiming to expand students' vision on social welfare. Kansai university's part-time lecturer Maegawa Kazumi (33 years old) had the class' light turned off and on. Old peoples would comprehend it as "notice" or "please pay attention" signal. And the students crowd are stopped and they started facing to the front of the class. The class intended just for sign language. The students are focusing on group discussion while each making program which will be published later. First year student Makishima Hanano (19 years old) said fascinatingly, "Same hand movement but as the facial expression changes, the meaning will be different as well. A different finding compared to Japanese language". Sign language's vocabulary adopted from Japanese language's word order, so Japanese language correspondings on sign language are similar, many people with normal or half-deaf making in depth study on sign language's short course class. In the other hand, when the deaf people's time inheriting Japan sign language, word order, grammar and correspondings between Japanese languagae and sign language are different thing. Due the first year, approximately 90 peoples aspired to attend the class. Growing under deaf's both parents, and in fact a deaf like Maegawa is in charge on practical skills, sign language's interpretation part-time lecturer Taira Eishi (32 years old) in charge of lecture's transcript. "When calling a deaf person you can hit a desk or a padding. This won't be considered as impoliteness" as in the manner of speaking. Proposing the indtroduction of Japan sign language on school affair, semiinstructor Matsuoka Katsunao (45) speaks about "Straight language, deaf peoples brought up a recognition of culture, tends to the variety of learning". While Maegawa said "I think from now sign language can be substitution of Japanese language. The work to reach understanding of culture of deaf peoples welfare would involve lots of people's role". On Shikoku university (Kagawaken-prefecture on the island of Shikoku) was established the same one about 10 years ago, adopting Japan sign language as lesson. And this year Japan College of Social Work (on Tokyo municipal) will be introducing the same. National Disabled people Rehabilitation Center Institute's professor Ichida Yasuhiro (knowledge of sign language) stated, "Making Japan's sign language as mother language for five to six thousand people with hearing disability in this country. But not making sign language as one way toward social welfare, instead, to look it as an equal as other language, that is, a change we should welcome".