A conference on the linguistics of Russian sign language was held in Moscow
This year the Moscow city organization of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf (MGO VOG) is 110 years old. In connection with these events and the remark of the Day of the Deaf, the IGO VOG is using various activities throughout September, covering all spheres of life of deaf Muscovites: sports, culture, education, science. So, on September 8, the Moscow scientific and practical conference on the linguistics of Russian sign language and visual modes of languages, the problems of sign language translation and the education of the deaf was held at the Meshchansky Territorial Service Center.
More than 60 specialists took part in the conference: teachers, translators, graduate students and masters dealing with the linguistics of Russian Sign Language (RSL). RSL has its own linguistic system, vocabulary and grammar: it is a separate language spoken by deaf people. Just like any other language, it reveals its subtleties, is constantly changing, and it is always important for experts to exchange experience and expand their research developments.
A special place is occupied by RSL translators – they act as intermediaries between the worlds of the deaf and the hearing. Before the scientific part of the conference, a letter of rewarding Moscow translators of RSL was passed: Alexander Bochkov, chairman of the MHO VOG, presented them with gratitude and memorable gifts. “We translators will always use the bridge between the world of the deaf and the hearing. Thank you!” — noted Vyacheslav Ershov, translator of RSL.
Scientific conference covering three sections: education, features of translation and linguistics of visual languages. The educational section was opened by a master student of the Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU) Anna Zhadan. “Since I have been deaf since childhood, RSL is my biggest and most important love. Basically, I shared my experience of getting an education, I will tell you how an interpreter will help me, why it is important and what is most important in working with an interpreter,” Anna commented. Informatics teacher of the College of Small Business No. 4 (KMB No. 4) Anna Mironova shared her experience in teaching computer science to deaf students, showed selected tasks and methods of surgery. Physics teacher KMB No. 4 Tatyana Subbotina made a report on the difficulties of preparing students for the Championships of professional skills.
“In the education of deaf children, an integrated approach is important, the joint work of both teachers and parents,” Svetlana Efremova, a deaf teacher and defectologist, was involved in her speech. Using concrete examples, she showed how it is possible to teach children in a playful way, explain why it is useful to discover new information together with the child, how to practice correctly in order to have a healthy speech. Diana Rosnach, teacher-defectologist at School No. 937 turned the audience’s attention to the peculiarities of the education of deaf and hard of hearing children in inclusive schools. “Now there is a test at school when a tutor-accompanying person with disabilities is not allowed to take exams,” Diana added. This report was completed by Lyudmila Zhadan, head of the Moscow Association of Deaf Universities, about the Club of Russian Language Lovers at the MHO VOG.
The second block was devoted to the problems of translation of RSL. From September 1 this year, a new professional standard for translators is expected. Alexey Kharlamenkov spoke in detail about him. What are the levels of qualification in the new professional standard, how these levels are assessed, how they pass exams and admit a qualification degree – Alexey’s report was specially devoted to these issues. In addition, he reminded the listeners of the translator’s code of ethics. Maxim Larionov, head of the security service of OOOI VOG, returned to this topic: he showed a video about RSL advertising translators, spoke about the professional standards of translators. And together with Alexey Kharlamenkov he answered in detail all the questions of the conference listeners. The final speech in this block was a report on the ethics of the RSL translator Evelina Gorshkova. There are visually many students and teachers of the Moscow State Linguistic University among the audience who are mastering the profession of an interpreter, so this narrow-profile block was especially useful.
The third part was devoted to the linguistics of visual languages. Varvara Kharitonova, Junior Researcher at the SCoDis Center at MSLU, Maxim Isaev, MSLU undergraduate, Yaroslava Leshkova, MSLU MSLU, shared their research on how RSL – a visual language – is a gathering of people, spoke about its modality, about new approaches to the use of sign languages . For the first time, a hypothesis was put forward that the Russian sign language is not a language “in itself”, but is part of the Russian language, considering the problem of using visual modes in the mass media (media). The conference was completed by Vasily Shmelev, lecturer at the FAYA Institute of Foreign Languages. Maurice Thorez, PhD student, Moscow State Linguistic University, report “Terms in Russian Sign Language in the Discourse of Law”. “If Russian sign language is a single language for all deaf people of different categories (hard of hearing, late-deaf, deaf, deaf-blind), then in the waiting question of the place of calque sign speech as a perceiving mode of communication of the Russian state language,” Vasily’s attention processing. The expert also emphasized that it is necessary to supplement part of the legislation on the topic of RSL translators, strictly strict, clear speech in public educational institutions with specific examples from the life of deaf people.
The conference was fruitful, in between sessions the participants communicated, asked and answered questions, shared developments and exchanged experience. “I believe that this conference will become her work and tradition. Today we all received very useful and interesting information, new knowledge and knowledge that will help us in our future work. Until we meet again! — recommendation Alexander Bochkov closed the conference.