I am very interested in learning languages and sign languages. I watch the sign language in the safety instructions on Singapore airlines and can follow fasten your seat belt and plane taking off with a diagonal movement. When I looked at the languages, I learned that American and British sign languages are different. Oh, dear. However, I just had some good news for language learners, general knowledge - for quizzes, who knows?
Makaton - what is it?
Makaton - an easy sign language system - first I had heard of it in 2019 from a BBC website.
Makaton is a simplified sign language for those with learning difficulties, so they can communicate with family friends, and teachers. The idea is to learn to make a new sign for only one word every day.
Makaton can also be used to communicate by people who cannot speak because of a throat operation, or a stroke. it is easier and quicker to learn than sign language, using simple signs per word instead of spelling out words.
Sign For Fish
I already learned from a website the signs for giraffe and fish. The sign for a fish is your right hand held horizontal, palm facing you, thumb up to show the fin.
The first words taught are useful everyday words. So, the sign for fish would be useful for eating fish, as well as seeing fish in an aquarium or pond.
Very good. This and sign language should be on Duolingo and the O level syllabus. In fact, I would like a general languages paper at GCSE and O level and the Bac, like general science. I would have pupils learn the letters of four languages (eg Greek - useful for modern and ancient Greek and maths, Hebrew like Latin which is the basis for Romance languages, Hebrew is the basis for Cyrillic and Greek and Esperanto, Cyrillic used by the Russians and Bulgarians, Esperanto) and 100 words in 12 languages. All as practical as possible, 100 words in modern daily use and any specialist words.
One would be a sign language, English sign language, American sign language or Makaton.
For A level or second level Bac, or college course for linguists, translators and communicators, I would have a polyglot paper for 12 languages.
My 12 language options would be one from the American continent, American or Spanish as spoken in Mexico or a S American country or Brazilian Portuguese, One from Europe, British English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or German:
1 English
(British or American), International English (vocal from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, S Africa, USA Canada, Australia, New Zealand); all over the internet, on holiday, old Hollywood films, used by pilots
2 Asian Chinese or similar
Chinese (Mandarin) or Cantonese or Taiwanese or one of the dialects, or Japanese (same symbols) a General Asian languages paper,
3 Spanish Or Similar to Spanish
Spanish or Italian or Portuguese.
German, Dutch or Swedish or Norwegian or Danish - German common surnames such as Kleinman means small man, eine kleine nachtmusik, a little night music or evensong
5 Indian Continent Language
Urdu or Hindi or Tamil or Sansrkrit.
6 Cyrillic Base Language
Cyrillic or Russian or Bulgarian or all three.
7 Greek
Ancient or modern, including mathematical signs alpha beta gamma fi psy omega (for angles), omicron, pi circumference etc
8 Latin
Latin including plant names, on Roman gravestones, some religious services, prayer books, hymns.
Hebrew (used in religious services) or Arabic (classical or modern) or Aramaic (language of Jesus, still used on Jewish wedding certificates), or Samaritan language spoken today.
If you can recognize that Hebrew and Arabic are written right to left, your can recognize the word kosher on a packet of matzoh (crackers) in the kosher section of a supermarket or many products sold worldwide with a Hebrew translation. Look for three Hebrew letters. The word kosher is written backwards, riht to left, and looks like rshc or kosher backwards. The letters are without the vowels, like text language. the c is back to front. The SH letter looks like a W. The r is back to front. Simple.
Cyrillic, used in Russia, devised by two Bulgarian priests, uses Hebrew letters.
10 Asian Language
Korean, Thai or Vietnamese - fiendishly difficult, but at least we know the words karaoke
11 Sign Language or Braille
A sign language, American or English or Makaton. Or Braille.
All too difficult? I gave up and tried the easiest language, Esperanto.
12 Esperanto or Devised Language
I would like to see Esperanto. I would also like to see Ido (updated Esperanto, made even simpler without the diacritics or dots to show that c is ch). Interlingua is even easier, specifically choosing words common to several languages instead of creating new words from a root. ideally I would like to see a general paper on all three recently invented languages.
You can probably read the Esperanto on this monument to the man who designed it. Authoro is author. De is of. La is the. Internacia is international. Lingvo is language.
Hof, incidentally, is German for court, courtyard, yard, farm, halo. I think of the hof as the hat or halo drawn on a map around a home.
13 Free language
Instead of one of the above, or in addition, a minority, ancient or modern - your mother tongue or any other, from native American to Icelandic to Swahili to Maori to Gaelic, Welsh, Yiddish, or an old language such as ancient Greek or Latin or ancient Egyptian symbols language.
A four year course with three terms a year, or a summer holiday crash course, or one week crash course all day for twelve weeks in a long summer holiday This would suit students, teachers and academics, and drop-outs and those who cannot afford the time or money for a long course. Just as the British council promotes English, each country could be asked to provide scholarships or books and resources. The course would be useful to potential tour guides, and the hospitality industry hotels and restaurants. the students could work on translating government documents into other languages.
Of course, the place to learn a language is at school in that country.
Even just a visit will help teach you languages.
Useful Language Learning Websites
Multi Languages
duolingo.com
Chinese
https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php
Makaton
https://singinghands.co.uk/about/what-is-makaton/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makaton
Explains how the system was developed in a school for the deaf where children had additional challenges.
Useful Translation websites
https://www.interglot.com/dictionary
Useful Travel Websites
visitbritain.com
visittheusa.co.uk
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. teacher of English and other languages. Please share links to your favourite posts.
Makaton - what is it?
Makaton - an easy sign language system - first I had heard of it in 2019 from a BBC website.
Makaton is a simplified sign language for those with learning difficulties, so they can communicate with family friends, and teachers. The idea is to learn to make a new sign for only one word every day.
Makaton can also be used to communicate by people who cannot speak because of a throat operation, or a stroke. it is easier and quicker to learn than sign language, using simple signs per word instead of spelling out words.
Sign For Fish
I already learned from a website the signs for giraffe and fish. The sign for a fish is your right hand held horizontal, palm facing you, thumb up to show the fin.
The first words taught are useful everyday words. So, the sign for fish would be useful for eating fish, as well as seeing fish in an aquarium or pond.
Very good. This and sign language should be on Duolingo and the O level syllabus. In fact, I would like a general languages paper at GCSE and O level and the Bac, like general science. I would have pupils learn the letters of four languages (eg Greek - useful for modern and ancient Greek and maths, Hebrew like Latin which is the basis for Romance languages, Hebrew is the basis for Cyrillic and Greek and Esperanto, Cyrillic used by the Russians and Bulgarians, Esperanto) and 100 words in 12 languages. All as practical as possible, 100 words in modern daily use and any specialist words.
One would be a sign language, English sign language, American sign language or Makaton.
For A level or second level Bac, or college course for linguists, translators and communicators, I would have a polyglot paper for 12 languages.
My 12 language options would be one from the American continent, American or Spanish as spoken in Mexico or a S American country or Brazilian Portuguese, One from Europe, British English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or German:
1 English
(British or American), International English (vocal from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, S Africa, USA Canada, Australia, New Zealand); all over the internet, on holiday, old Hollywood films, used by pilots
Chinesasy from Wikipedia.
2 Asian Chinese or similar
Chinese (Mandarin) or Cantonese or Taiwanese or one of the dialects, or Japanese (same symbols) a General Asian languages paper,
3 Spanish Or Similar to Spanish
Spanish or Italian or Portuguese.
German flag.
4 German or Similar to GermanGerman, Dutch or Swedish or Norwegian or Danish - German common surnames such as Kleinman means small man, eine kleine nachtmusik, a little night music or evensong
5 Indian Continent Language
Urdu or Hindi or Tamil or Sansrkrit.
6 Cyrillic Base Language
Cyrillic or Russian or Bulgarian or all three.
7 Greek
Ancient or modern, including mathematical signs alpha beta gamma fi psy omega (for angles), omicron, pi circumference etc
8 Latin
Latin including plant names, on Roman gravestones, some religious services, prayer books, hymns.
Israel flag.
9 Hebrew, Arabic or SimilarHebrew (used in religious services) or Arabic (classical or modern) or Aramaic (language of Jesus, still used on Jewish wedding certificates), or Samaritan language spoken today.
If you can recognize that Hebrew and Arabic are written right to left, your can recognize the word kosher on a packet of matzoh (crackers) in the kosher section of a supermarket or many products sold worldwide with a Hebrew translation. Look for three Hebrew letters. The word kosher is written backwards, riht to left, and looks like rshc or kosher backwards. The letters are without the vowels, like text language. the c is back to front. The SH letter looks like a W. The r is back to front. Simple.
Cyrillic, used in Russia, devised by two Bulgarian priests, uses Hebrew letters.
10 Asian Language
Korean, Thai or Vietnamese - fiendishly difficult, but at least we know the words karaoke
11 Sign Language or Braille
A sign language, American or English or Makaton. Or Braille.
All too difficult? I gave up and tried the easiest language, Esperanto.
12 Esperanto or Devised Language
I would like to see Esperanto. I would also like to see Ido (updated Esperanto, made even simpler without the diacritics or dots to show that c is ch). Interlingua is even easier, specifically choosing words common to several languages instead of creating new words from a root. ideally I would like to see a general paper on all three recently invented languages.
You can probably read the Esperanto on this monument to the man who designed it. Authoro is author. De is of. La is the. Internacia is international. Lingvo is language.
Hof, incidentally, is German for court, courtyard, yard, farm, halo. I think of the hof as the hat or halo drawn on a map around a home.
13 Free language
Instead of one of the above, or in addition, a minority, ancient or modern - your mother tongue or any other, from native American to Icelandic to Swahili to Maori to Gaelic, Welsh, Yiddish, or an old language such as ancient Greek or Latin or ancient Egyptian symbols language.
A four year course with three terms a year, or a summer holiday crash course, or one week crash course all day for twelve weeks in a long summer holiday This would suit students, teachers and academics, and drop-outs and those who cannot afford the time or money for a long course. Just as the British council promotes English, each country could be asked to provide scholarships or books and resources. The course would be useful to potential tour guides, and the hospitality industry hotels and restaurants. the students could work on translating government documents into other languages.
Of course, the place to learn a language is at school in that country.
Even just a visit will help teach you languages.
Useful Language Learning Websites
Multi Languages
duolingo.com
Chinese
https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php
Makaton
https://singinghands.co.uk/about/what-is-makaton/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makaton
Explains how the system was developed in a school for the deaf where children had additional challenges.
Useful Translation websites
https://www.interglot.com/dictionary
Useful Travel Websites
visitbritain.com
visittheusa.co.uk
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. teacher of English and other languages. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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