GUIDE NOTEBOOK

INTRODUCTORYOF

LANGUAGE
OF SIGNS
ARGENTINA

Paula Giancatarino
Designer in Visual Communication. UNLP.
 Giancatarino, María Paula
Introductory Dictionary of Argentine Sign Language. - 1st ed. -
Buenos Aires: XXX, 2012.
180 p. ; 29.7x21 cm.
ISBN XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Design and Layout: Paula Giancatarino

Deposit made as indicated by Law 11.723

LISTENERS
Matilde Elsa Fernandez
Elementary teacher specialized in Special Education
Hearing Disability. Coordinator of LSA Courses in:
Judicial Power, Culture Directorate of the Municipality of
La Plata, Crisoles Cultural Center, UNLP.
Paula A. Vazquez.
Designer in Visual Communication, UNLP.
Agustina Forte

DEAF
Deaf-Mute Association of La Plata
Fernanda Guajardo
Julio Lopérfido
Laura Bianchi
Silvia Czypusak
 INDEX

Prologue 09
Integration 11
In Space 13
Alphabet 15
Configurations 16
The days of the week 18
Once a... 19
- Personal Pronouns 20
Characters 21
The Family 23
Marital Status 26
The Months 29
Seasons of the Year 32
Numbers 34
Common Words of the Deaf Community 40
- Institutions / Businesses / Services 48
Colors 54
Clothing 58
Foods / Drinks 66
The body 68
Body Activities 74
- Salud / Enfermedad 81
Deficiencies / Disability 88
Sexuality and Reproduction 90
Hygiene 92
The House 94
Actions and Tasks 104
Household Items 108
Animals 113
Nature 121
Free Time / Holidays 123
- Communities / Religion 127
Politics 131
Economy 135
History 141
Geography 143
Argentinian Geography 150
Technology 156
Norms and Society 159
Jobs 160
Trades / Professions 163
Sport 170
 PROLOGUE

The creation of this guide arises during the development of my thesis work for my degree in
Design in Visual Communication (UNLP), in the year 2007. For 2 years we worked together with the
Deaf-Mute Association of La Plata in the preparation of a Dictionary that could contribute to the cure-
sign language classes held at the institution, and in this way collaborate with the integration between
deaf and hearing people.
The ultimate goal of this work is to promote Argentine Sign Language in hearing environments.
entities, in order to cooperate towards the inclusion of the deaf community within society.
In the year 1885, the National Institute for the Deaf and Mutes conceived the teaching of oral language as the
unique objective. This fact was historically relevant in the social exclusion of the deaf, discarding the
Sign Language as a mode of communication. From this moment on, it began to disappear pro-
increasingly the presence of trained deaf people in different trades and professions. They remained
excluded and unable to use sign language.
As time went by, deaf people began to communicate with each other using a
small gestural code that grew to constitute the Argentine Sign Language. This gen-
greater distance from the listeners and exclusion from the right to obtain instruction and education in a
language accessible to their sensory possibilities. This is how entire generations of deaf people who-
functional illiterates and with very low expectations of social, family, and educational performance.
All these circumstances make the exclusion of the deaf a reality. The lack of integration exists and
It has its beginnings in that medicine interprets hearing loss as a disease, and the alternati-
the proposals (headphones, rehabilitation) relate to the idea of healing the deaf by turning them into
listener. Thus, the deaf person, during their childhood, grows up in a sound environment when their universe is visual, which
it does not allow him to identify with his own culture.
Currently, this situation has changed. There are various studies that not only rescue the
Sign language but they have found in it elements of great interest for studies in the area
from cognitive science and in language theories. On the other hand, schools have started in the
last few years to adopt the bilingual training program for their students. The motto is to learn the
Sign Language as the first language, and the majority oral and/or written language as secondary.
Sign Language is a natural language, it is the language of the Argentine Deaf Community and it is not universal.
That is to say, each country has its own sign language that is acquired with effort and transmitted.
from generation to generation from adults to children. The most relevant feature is the use of a channel
alternative transmission, instead of the auditory-phonetic channel used by spoken languages, uses the
visuo-gestural channel.
In sign language, the whole body is used; generally, what 'catches the attention' the most is the movement.
movement of the hands, but there are many elements in this language that are present throughout the
the speaker's body, from small movements of the eyes or eyebrows to broader movements of
torso turn or head drop that, far from being purely expressive, have grammatical implications
in the language.
It is important to systematize the teaching and dissemination of Sign Language, with the aim of contributing to
a communication and a more fluid interaction between the deaf community and its environment. On the other hand, this
Language is an excellent educational tool for teachers of the deaf and teachers in general. With-
contributes, then, in a decisive way to the social integration of these people. In addition, it constitutes
an extraordinary personal experience, as it involves approaching ways of visual thinking
non-verbal cues and the use of the body for communicative purposes. Hence, it is highly recommended
as a complement to various professions.

Paula Giancatarino, October 2012.

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 9

The Argentine deaf community constitutes a linguistic minority whose natural language is not Spanish and
whose modality is neither auditory nor oral, but manual and gestural.
For years, the education of the hearing impaired was approached from an oral perspective, not having in
it tells its own language. It was thought that Sign Language was a set of gestures with the hands and
the face, concrete and without articulation.
In our country, in the year 1988, schools began to rethink the methodological approach and
they began to use Sign Language as a resource. It is there that the Special Education Directorate sees
the need to address concerns and research the natural language of the deaf community, seeking
new methodological approaches.
From that moment on, Argentine Sign Language is incorporated as an official language, developing
a bilingual approach to education. At the same time, the deaf instructor assumes a predominant role within the
educational system.
Sign Language grows within this community, developing as a natural language. It trans-
passed down from generation to generation through a process of socialization that occurs even within the
the same associations of deaf people, generally among peers.
It has a grammatical organization that follows principles from other languages but, however, presents
unique structuring patterns for each language. It is not international and its character re-
regional, it causes differences in the signs.
Argentinian Sign Language is not a manual representation of Spanish, but rather consists of a
independent structure. Argentine Sign Language is therefore a natural language that possesses all
the properties that linguists describe for human languages, a grammatical structure so
complex like that of any spoken language, and the same structural organization as any other
"language" (Massone and Machado, 1991).
Learning the language of the deaf community puts us in the place of the other, allowing us to collaborate with their in-
inclusion within society.

Matilde Elsa Fernandez

ARGENTINE SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY 11

FIELD OF COMMUNICATION / SPACE - VISUAL

HIS / YOUR / OWN HAPPINESS (opportune situation)

ARGENTINE SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY 13

GUIDELINES / BODY EXPRESSIONS

14
ALPHABET

Dictionary of ARGENTINE SIGN LANGUAGE 15

16
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PRONOUN NOUN

VERB ADJECTIVE

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 17

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY SATURDAY

18
 ONCE PER...

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 19

20
 PERSONAS

BABY CHILDREN

YOUNG ADULT

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 21

OLD MAN

WOMAN / GIRL / CHILD MAN / MALE

NENE / A GIRL / WOMAN / FEMALE

22
 THE FAMILY

FAMILY MOM

DAD

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 23

Son Daughter Brother Sister

SON / DAUGHTER BROTHER

Nephew Niece

Uncle Aunt

NEPHEW UNCLE

First Great Grandfather Grandmother

FIRST GRANDFATHER / GRANDMOTHER

24
THE FAMILY

Grandson Granddaughter
brother-in-law Sister-in-law

GRANDCHILD / S brother-in-law

Godfather Godmother Godson Goddaughter

Godfather / Godmother GODSON

TWINS TWINS

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 25

Boyfriend Girlfriend

SINGLE NEPHEW

JOINED MARRIED

26
MARITAL STATUS

Divorced

Widower Widow

Lover WIDOWER

COUPLE

Argentinian Sign Language Dictionary 27