TITLE:
A Study on the Difficulty of Communication through Sign Language in Non-English Speaking Countries
AUTHORS:
Siyoung Bae
KEYWORDS:
Sign Language, Hearing-Impaired, The Deaf, ASL, Arabic Sign Language, Sign Language Interpreter
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.10,
October
27,
2023
ABSTRACT: Sign language is a visual language that
conveys intentions through physical signals, including movements as like hands
and eyes, based on existing spoken languages. Communication in sign
language generally involves combinations of shapes drawn with fingers or arms,
their position and movement, and facial expressions (Padden, 1990). As hearing-impaired people grow and
with increased availability of receiving education, many also learn sign
languages in addition to spoken languages (Lucas, &
Valli 1992). In these cases, lip shapes or sounds can be
used to supplement communication, but sign language remains the primary
language for most hearing-impaired people, with spoken languages playing a
secondary role. Sign language is a distinct language and should not be confused
with non-verbal communication systems such as body language. A common misconception
is that sign language is a universal language (Lillo, 2010). For
example, signals used in sports games or specific organizations are not
considered sign language. To clarify this distinction and improve conditions
for hearing impaired people, some countries designate sign language as an
official language, allowing them to access more diverse and abundant
information. This misconception arises from the prejudice that sign language is
no different from body language, and many people who hold this belief overlook
the fact that body language vary depending
on region and culture. Therefore, in search of limitations of sign
language in communicating by English-language based technical terms, this study
will explore the ability of spoken language and sign language customers to
express the problem through analyzing the electronics product put into two
groups for after service and their disadvantages through communication duration
with customer agents as well as success frequency of solving the problem in
quantitative data.