In China, the deaf do not have a single language (7 photos)

It would seem logical – there is one language and a corresponding sign language. But there is an official Chinese language that is understandable to everyone… and there is no single sign language. And sometimes the deaf cannot agree with each other!





A whole country of deaf

According to statistics, there are 28 million deaf people in China. And Australia itself has 27 million people, and there are so many deaf people in China. And it often happens that a person passes exams well, moves to another city, being deaf… and does not understand anything.



Jackie Chan sings and shows in sign language to popularize the standard language. But no way!

In China, there are many dialects of Chinese itself, but in school classes they teach a common language, so it is possible to understand each other with an accent. And in special schools they teach more about the natural sciences than the differences in sign languages. And in those places where the Chinese have more or less unified in oral speech, the differences in sign language have only become more pronounced.

I can't hear you and I don't understand you





China created the world's first VIDEO DICTIONARY so that the deaf could learn. But... they still didn't

The government is aware of the problem and is trying to publish standardized textbooks of Chinese sign language. But the problem was that the standard signs are not as intuitive and "concept-like" as those that the deaf themselves came up with intuitively. And no one wants to speak the official language. Linguists were able to divide Chinese sign language into two varieties.



Very cute, a coffee shop with a sign telling you how to ask for coffee

The northern variant, centered in Beijing, is more influenced by the sounds of spoken Mandarin. And the southern variant, from the regions surrounding Shanghai, includes more visual cues. Here's one that'll blow your mind: There's a word called "active" (sounds like jiji). In Beijing Sign Language, this word would be shown with the sign for "chicken," because chicken is fast and sounds similar in standard Mandarin. They rely on sound. In Shanghai Sign Language, this concept is expressed with the sign for "heartfelt," which is expressed by two flames on the chest. Because what is a flame? It conveys sincere zeal. Here they rely on gestures.



And these are different gestures within one country

And how can this be brought to a common understanding?! They are trying to promote a standardized sign language on TV, accompanying programs and reports on various events with sign language translation. They are also trying to introduce a standardized language in special schools for the deaf, to comb everything under the same comb. But everyone calls it cumbersome, ill-conceived, people do not speak like that in reality. That is why they forget standard gestures as soon as they leave school.



Nurses learn sign language in courses

Surveys have shown that in the regions, people prefer not to even watch programs with sign language translation, since they get about the same amount of information from them as from a picture. And they simply do not understand any complex concepts. Less than 30% of deaf Chinese surveyed in 2021 said they understood "most or all" of the sign language translation of TV news. Almost 40% said they understood only a small part or nothing at all.



A child at a desk in a special school

So, you were born deaf, you're already in a bad way, and then it turns out that in addition to the troubles from birth, you also have to overcome a bunch of obstacles that other countries don't even know about.