When visual-gestural communication becomes a language
Rosalia Cavalieri
Generally we tend to think about language as being limited only to spoken language, assuming that the essence of this species-specific faculty is the articulate voice. Despite the fact that human language, under normal conditions, takes shape as different spoken languages, the spoken language is not the only way in which you can embody the language instinct. For at least fifty years scientific evidence has proven the existence of visualgestural languages created and used by deaf people and by hearing signers. Languages in all respects, which are as rich and complex as any spoken language, and which exploit the visual-gestural modality. With the aid of autobiographical accounts written by deaf people, this essay tries to explain why sign language is the primary language for the deaf and at the same time an essential vehicle for their social integration.
Keywords
Deafness, Language, Sign language, Visual-gestural communication, Language acquisition, Autobiographical
accounts
