Sign languages are visual means of communication using a combination of hand movements, facial expression, body language and lip reading. It is the primary mode of language for many in the Deaf community, and is also used by many others with a hearing loss or other difficulties with verbal communication.
There are many sign languages, and most countries have their own, unrelated to the primary spoken language of the country. The main sign language used in the UK is called British Sign Language (BSL) for example, while the USA has its own separate sign language called American Sign Language (ASL), which is more closely related to the French sign language (Langue des Signes Française, or LSF) than to BSL!
As BSL is independent of the spoken language, it has its own grammatical structure and syntax. The main structure used is known as a ‘Topic-Comment structure’ – this means that the topic of the sentence is stated first, and the rest of the sentence is explained afterwards.
To put this more academically, English has a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, like so:
I (subject) + read (verb) + a book (object)
But BSL has an Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) structure, which it shares with languages such as Japanese, and many of the languages of the Amazon basin! It looks like this:
Book (object) + me (subject) + read (verb)
To enable a better understanding of BSL as a distinct language, a literal transcription of our staff members’ signed translation is below:
Exhibition name what?
Beauty and Beast. Love what? Insects.
“People exploit (use) decide values what? People defend things love”
Writer who? American Wendell Berry, born 1934.
Wendell work what?
Philosopher
Farmer
Activist
People think about insects what?
Fascination, fear, disgust, delight – Which?
Many people think different about insects. Some maybe personal, feel have maybe good, bad from films, book, stories growing up.
World no insects awful, why? Insects gone mean what? No people!
Many insects not bad for people.
But important why? Insects help world all see now.
Insect’s help keep world working. Help ecosystem why? Insects feed world.
But:- insect danger there. Recent news say animals world around, all decline. News read look shock P-E-S-T-I-C-I-D-E (pesticide) means lots insects, flowers visit then die. Insect job important, many people (not-see).
Exhibition here bring-together hundreds insects (put-in-case), see scientist work, artist work, explore, wonder, look-after insects wow. Welcome:- find beauty inside beast, fall love with insects.
Exhibition prepared means insect killed? No. Insects (put-in-case) (long-time-ago) V-I-C-T-O-R-I-A-N era collected. Use objects old from Manchester Museum.