2014/05/22 by Timothy Reagan · 1 citation
Psychology · Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Hearing Impairment and Communication #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies #Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism
paper · doi:10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1417
openalex publication_date 2014/05/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
Abstract Language policy efforts related to sign languages have been concentrated on a number of concerns: efforts to achieve official recognition of sign languages, the provision of bilingual education programs for deaf students, and the teaching of sign languages to hearing individuals as foreign languages. There has been considerable controversy related to beliefs and attitudes about the nature of sign languages and as to whether they count as “real” languages. Also relevant in considerations about the role of sign languages, both socially and educationally, are the related issues of linguicism and language rights—both, topics on which there are extensive bodies of literature. This entry will discuss the legal and constitutional status of sign languages and then explore the nature, role, and purposes of language policy with respect to sign languages, with a focus on the impact of ideological beliefs on linguistic judgments and policies.