Language in Sign: An International Perspective on Sign Language

The emergence of international interest in the sign language of deaf people reflects a significant advancement in understanding minority groups. Historically, the reliance of sign language on the hands and body led to its dismissal as merely a basic gestural system, deemed suitable only for individuals with disabilities. The possibility of sign language being systematic and complex had rarely been explored.

In the United States, growing awareness and human rights legislation enabled deaf individuals to actively participate in community decisions. This involvement brought their language to the attention of linguists, sparking academic interest and study. A pivotal moment occurred in 1981 in Bristol, UK, during the Second International Symposium of Sign Language Research. The symposium showcased studies from eight countries, examining sign language through traditional frameworks: as a feature of child development, a marker of community identity, and a psychological process. These studies have deepened our understanding of deaf people, their role in society, and the evolving education of deaf children.

Based on the Second International Symposium of Sign Language Research of 1981, Language in Sign (originally published in 1983 and now featuring a new preface by the authors) remains a valuable resource for researchers and educators, offering a uniquely international perspective on the research of the time.

Jim Kyle is a renowned academic and researcher in Deaf Studies, with a distinguished career dedicated to advancing the understanding of deaf communities and sign language linguistics. He is currently secretary at the Deaf Studies Trust, UK.

Bencie Woll is Honorary Professor at University College London, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences. She has been involved in research on sign language for nearly 40 years. Her research and teaching interests embrace a wide range of topics related to sign language, including the linguistics of British Sign Language (BSL) and other sign languages, the history and sociolinguistics of BSL and the Deaf community, the development of BSL in young children, sign language and the brain, including developmental and acquired sign language impairments, and end-to-end machine translation between BSL and English.