BSL dictionary
and
Physics terminology for
Deaf people
Tuesday 23rd November 2010
1
Overview of talk
1. Colin’s experiences as a Deaf Physicist
2. Process of producing science signs online
3. Activity – develop new Physics signs
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„
Dr. Audrey Cameron – University of Edinburgh
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Science Advisor for the Science Signs Project
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Dr Colin Dunlop – Durham University
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Senior Research Associate
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Gary Quinn – Heriot Watt University
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Linguistic Advisor for the Science Signs Project
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Colin’s experiences as a Deaf Physicist
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Colin’s experiences as a Deaf Physicist
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Born profoundly deaf
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Oral schools for the deaf – rely on lipreading teachers
3 A’Levels – Physics, Chemistry & Maths
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Durham University:
1978-1981 – BSc Physics Hons
Couldn’t follow the lectures
Some support – one to one tutorial, copies of lecture notes and
other student’s notes
1981-1986 – PhD Physics
Wrote notes during viva
Key people
1986 – now – Research on Adaptive Optics (Department of
Physics– Centre for Advanced Instrumentation)
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Scottish Sensory Centre –
University of Edinburgh
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BSL Glossary of Curriculum Terms website
„
The SSC is funded by the Scottish Government
to provide a service for teachers of Deaf pupils,
teachers of VI pupils and teachers of Deafblind
pupils in Scotland, as well as other associated
professionals.
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Rachel O’Neill – administrator of project
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Why did we develop new signs?
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To increase access to science education for deaf
pupils and teachers in Scotland.
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To break the barrier of access to their SQA
examinations - signed in BSL
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Development of maths and science signs
2004
„ Maths pilot by Dr Brennan and G Hughes
2007
„ Funding from Scottish Government
„ Team developed 250 signs with definitions and
uploaded to website
„ Biology, Chemistry & Physics (Intermediate level
– 11-14 years old)
2008
„ Evaluation with pupils, participants and teachers
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Development of maths and science signs
2010
„ Funding from Scottish Qualification Authority
„ Team developed 450 signs for Chemistry and
Biology
„ Standard Grade level – 14 – 16 years old
Early 2011
„ Funding for creating definitions for the 450 signs
developed in 2010
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Development of maths and science signs
How did we let students and teachers know about
the new signs?
Launch of BSL glossary website on January 2008
„ Through Scottish Sensory Centre’s contacts
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Conferences and talks
Chemistry Shows in Science Festivals and
schools
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Other science vocabulary sources
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Dundee school website - science signs
Wolverhampton university website science and technology signs
Cath Smith books – line drawings
American site: Lang et al (2006)
No BSL definitions
Method not published
Deaf people’s involvement
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Our principles
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We didn’t want to use initialised signs
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E.g. Dundee site: EXOTHERMIC &
ENDOTHERMIC
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Deaf children’s bad experiences with initialised
signs across the curriculum
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Assembling the team
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Tania Allen (BSc Zoology): a freelance trainer
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John Brownlie (BSc in Physics): a multimedia specialist
working with a Deaf organisation
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Dr Audrey Cameron (PhD in Chemistry): a teacher of
hearing children
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John Denerley (Dip.SW): owner of a wildlife park, Deaf
from a Deaf family
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Dr Colin Dunlop (PhD in Physics): a Physics
researcher
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Gerry Hughes (BSc in Mathematics): involved in the
mathematics project and a teacher of deaf children
Continue >
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Assembling the team
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Dr Mark Fox (PhD in Chemistry): a chemistry researcher
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Mary Frances Dolan (BSc in Chemistry): a teacher of
deaf children
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Claire Leiper (BA in Biology and English): a freelance
trainer
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Gary Quinn (MA in Linguistics): linguistics advisor for
the project
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Rob Rattray (BSc …….): a teacher of deaf children
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Derek Rodger (BSc in Chemistry, MEd deaf education):
a teacher of deaf children
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Janet Wardle-Peck (BSc Agriculture and Environmental
Science): a teacher of deaf children
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Assembling the team
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Eileen Burns (Teacher of Deaf Children and Physics
teacher).
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Rachel O’Neill’s previous experience with CD Rom
Project Maths and IT (Microbooks)
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Deaf from before the age of 8
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Method of work
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First stage: Collecting English science terms
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Second stage: Checked existing science signs
(Dundee and Wolverhampton)
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Third stage: Subject group discussed which to
keep
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Fourth stage: Subject group discussed if they
had another sign. Creation of new sign if
needed.
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Method of work
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Fifth stage: Creation of draft signs on internet
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Sixth stage: Making definitions in BSL
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Seventh stage: Signs and definitions on
internet to check
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Eighth stage: Translation of definition to
English
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The Chemistry group: lab videos
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Examples of experiments
QuickTime™ and a
DV - PAL decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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Issues that arose about language
planning
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Natural and Prosodic Morphologies :
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CHEMICAL-CHANGE, CHEMICAL-REACTION,
ENDOTHERMIC, EXOTHERMIC, NON-REVERSIBLE,
PHYSICAL-CHANGE, PRODUCT, REACTANT,
REVERSIBLE.
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QuickTime™ and a
DV - PAL decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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Natural and Prosodic Morphologies and
others
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CHEMICAL-CHANGE, CHEMICAL-REACTION
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NON-REVERSIBLE
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PHYSICAL-CHANGE
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REVERSIBLE
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EXOTHERMIC, ENDOTHERMIC
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REACTANT, PRODUCT
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Issues that arose about language
planning
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Natural and Prosodic Morphologies:
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CHEMICAL-CHANGE, CHEMICAL-REACTION,
ENDOTHERMIC, EXOTHERMIC, NONREVERSIBLE, PHYSICAL-CHANGE, PRODUCT,
REACTANT, REVERSIBLE.
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MASS, WEIGHT, DENSITY.
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QuickTime™ and a
DV - PAL decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
23
Degree of Iconicity
between form and meaning
Density
Mass
Weight
Density = Mass / Volume
(Measure in Newton)
Weight = Mass x Gravity
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Deaf children’s comments
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Good and useful website - all in BSL
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Need more science terms
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Would like subtitles for the scientific terms
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More images
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More examples and lab movies
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Too many signs to learn
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Some definitions need more explanation
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Need explanation for some signs
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References
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Edinburgh University Scottish Sensory Centre science and
maths website:
http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/bsl/list.html
Wolverhampton University Science Signs website:
http://www.sciencesigns.ac.uk/home_glossary.asp
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NTID USA Science and Maths Signs website:
http://www.rit.edu/ntid/msse/pages/lexicon/
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References
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Brennan, M. (1992) The visual world of BSL in Dictionary of
BSL / English (ed. Brien,D.) London: Faber & Faber.
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Lang, H., Huppa, M., Monte, D., Brown, S., Babb, I. &
Scheifele, P. (2006) A Study of Technical Signs in Science:
Implications for Lexical Database Development. Journal of
Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 2007 12(1):65-79.
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Quinn, G. (2010) Schoolisation: an account of the origins of
regional variation in British Sign Language. Sign Language
Studies Journal 2010 10(4).
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Smith, C. & Ingle, C. (2008) Let’s Sign Science. Cambridge:
Widgit.
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Activity: develop new signs
„ In
groups – develop 2 new signs
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Physics terms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
,,,,,,
…..
;;;;;
‘’’’’’
‘’’’’’
;;;;;;
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Any questions?
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Our contacts
Dr Audrey Cameron
[email protected]
Dr Colin Dunlop
[email protected]
Gary Quinn
[email protected]
Rachel O’Neill
[email protected]
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