Valencian Sign Language
Encyclopedia
Valencian Sign Language is a sign language
used by deaf people in the Valencian Community
, Spain
. Some linguists consider LSV, Spanish Sign Language
(LSE) and Catalan Sign Language
(LSC) as variants related to a language group, while others believe it is a dialect
of the latter. The vocabulary of LSV is 72% similar to that of LSE, so some linguists maintain that the former is unique enough to have its own grammar, as is the case with Catalan Sign Language (LSC). Organisations like FESORD, which work with the hearing-impaired in Valencia have not yet expressed their views on this matter but they do refer to LSV as
Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana (Sign Language of the Community of Valencia). Valencia (which is the first Spanish autonomous community to support the use of sign-language in the Statute of Autonomy), does not mention specifically which sign language is to be used officially. The use of LSV in Valencia has, however, diminished and is restricted to administrative communications and occasional usage in the media.
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
used by deaf people in the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Some linguists consider LSV, Spanish Sign Language
Spanish Sign language
Spanish Sign Language is a sign language used mainly by deaf people in Spain and the people who live with them.There are small differences throughout Spain with no difficulties in intercommunication, except in Catalonia and in Valencia...
(LSE) and Catalan Sign Language
Catalan Sign Language
Catalan Sign Language is a sign language used by 18,000 signers in Catalonia. About 50% intelligibility by users of Spanish Sign Language.Since 1994, it has an official status thanks to a law to promote and diffuse the language promulgated by Generalitat de Catalunya...
(LSC) as variants related to a language group, while others believe it is a dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the latter. The vocabulary of LSV is 72% similar to that of LSE, so some linguists maintain that the former is unique enough to have its own grammar, as is the case with Catalan Sign Language (LSC). Organisations like FESORD, which work with the hearing-impaired in Valencia have not yet expressed their views on this matter but they do refer to LSV as
Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana (Sign Language of the Community of Valencia). Valencia (which is the first Spanish autonomous community to support the use of sign-language in the Statute of Autonomy), does not mention specifically which sign language is to be used officially. The use of LSV in Valencia has, however, diminished and is restricted to administrative communications and occasional usage in the media.
Learning LSV
- "¡A Signar!", Interactive CD-ROM http://www.fesord.org/materiales_frmVenta.asp?id=103. FESORD. València 1999. ISBN 84-605-9699-0.
External links
- FESORD CV (Federació de Persones Sordes de la Comunitat Valenciana)
- Information about sign languages on Spain, from Promotora Española de Lingüística (PROEL).