SOCIOLINGUISTICS

“MULTILINGUALISM AND SIGN LANGUAGE”

Lecturer : Ayu Indari, S.Pd.I, M.Hum

Complied by: Group 7

Cahya ayu trisna (0304171012)

Dinda Fadilla Pane (0304171010)

Wahyu Widia Sari (0304173179)

Class: PBI-1/6th Semester

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

THE STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA

2020
 PREFACE

First of all, thanks to Allah SWT because of the help of Allah, writers finished writing

the paper entitled “Language and Culture” timely.

The purpose in writing this paper is to fulfill the assignment that given by Mrs. Ayu
Indari, S.Pd.I, M.Hum as the lecturer who always teaches me and gives much knowledge.
And as our lecturer and all those who have helped the preparation of this paper. This paper is
not a paper that is perfect because it has many shortcomings, both in terms of content as well
as systematic and technical writing.

Therefore, we welcome any suggestions and constructive criticism for the perfection
of this paper. Any shortcomings and errors are coming from the authors personally, and all
the absolute truth comes from God Almighty. Finally, we hope this paper can provide
benefits to authors and readers.

Group 7
 TABLE OF CONTENT

PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………….

TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………...

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………...

1.1 Background of Study………………………………………………………

1.2 Problem of Study………………………………………………………….
1.3 Objectives of Study.......................................................................................

CHAPTER II : DISSCUSION………………………………………………………

2.1 Multilingualism………………………………………..
2.2 Sign Language…………………………………………….

CHAPTER III : CLOSING…………………………………………………………..

3.1 Conclusion………………………………………………………………….
3.2 Suggestion………………………………………………………………….

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

This paper we explain multilingualism and language contact has likely been common
throughout much of humanhistory, and today most people in the world are multilingual. In
tribal hunter-gatherer societies,multilingualism was common, as tribes must communicate
with neighboring peoples and there isoften inter-marriage. In present-day areas such as Sub-
Saharan Africa, where there is muchvariation in language over short distances, it is usual for
anyone who has dealings outside theirown town or village to know two or more languages.

When speakers of different languages interact closely, it is typical for their languages
toinfluence each other. Languages normally develop by gradually accumulating
dialectaldifferences until two dialects cease to be mutually understandable, somewhat
analogous to thespecies barrier in biology. Language contact can occur at language borders,
between adstratumlanguages, or as the result of migration, with a “disturbing” language
acting as either a super-stratum or a sub-stratum

Language contact occurs in a variety of phenomena, including language convergence

andborrowing. The most common products are code-switching and mixed languages. Other
hybridlanguages, such as English, do not strictly fit into any of these categories.

And Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the
visual-manual modality to convey meaning. Sign languages are expressed through manual
articulations in combination with non-manual elements. Sign languages are full-fledged
natural languages with their own grammar and lexicon. Sign languages are not universal and
they are not mutually intelligible with each other, although there are also striking similarities
among sign languages.

Linguists consider both spoken and signed communication to be types of natural

language, meaning that both emerged through an abstract, protracted aging process and
evolved over time without meticulous planning. Sign language should not be confused with
body language, a type of nonverbal communication.
1.2 Problem of Study

1.1.1 What is Multilingualism?

1.1.2 What is Sign Language?

1.3 Objectives of Study

1.1.3 To explain Multilingualism

1.1.4 To explain Sign Language
 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

2.1 TOWARDS A DEFINITION OF MULTILINGUALISM

Multilingualism is a complex phenomenon that can be studied from different perspectives

in disciplines such as linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and education. There are
many definitions of multilingualism. For example, Li (2008) defined a multilingual
individual as “anyone who can communicate in more than one language, be it active (through
speaking and writing) or passive (through listening and reading” (p. 4). A well-known
definition of multilingualism is given by the European Commission (2007): “the ability of
societies, institutions, groups and individuals to engage, on a regular basis, with more than on
language in their day-to-day lives” (p. 6). These definitions of multilingualism are relevant
for discussing some of its dimensions: the individual versus social dimension, the proficiency
versus use dimension, and the bilingualism versus multilingualism dimension.

2.1.1 The Individual Versus Social Dimension of Multilingualism

Multilingualism is at the same time an individual and a social phenomenon. It can be

considered as an ability of an individual, or it can refer to the use of languages in society.
Individual and societal multilingualism are not completely separated. It is more likely that the
individuals who live in a multilingual community speak more than one language than for
individuals who live in a monolingual society. Traditionally, there have been more
multilinguals in areas where regional or minority languages are spoken or in border areas.
However, the intense spread of English as a lingua franca and the mobility of the population
to urban areas across nations have resulted in other situations as well. Today, it is possible to
find many individuals who have learned English and live in traditionally monolingual areas.
It is also possible to find many monolingual speakers in big cities in Europe or North
America where there is a very high level of linguistic diversity as a result of immigration,
particularly in contexts in which English is the majority language.

Individual multilingualism is sometimes referred to as plurilingualism. The Council of

Europe (n.d.) website defines plurilingualism as the “repertoire of varieties of language which
many individuals use” so that “some individuals are monolingual and some are plurilingual.
In contrast, multilingualism is understood as “the presence in a geographical area, large o
small, of more than one ‘variety of language’...; in such an area individuals may be
monolingual, speaking only their own variety.” This distinction is the same as the most
widely used distinction between individual and societal multilingualism. However,
plurilingualis was also used by Moore and Gajo (2009) to highlight “the focus on the
individual as the locus and actor of contact” (p. 138) in a holistic view of multilingualism, as
we will see later.

Within individual multilingualism, there can be important differences in the experience of

acquiring and using languages. An individual can acquire the differen languages
simultaneously by being exposed to two or more languages from birth or successively by
being exposed to second or additional languages later in life. These experiences are related to
the different possibilities in the organization o bilingual memory and the distinctions between
compound, coordinate and subordinate multilinguals (see also De Groot, 2011).

At the societal level, there is an important distinction between additive and subtractive
multilingualism. In the case of additive multilingualism, a language is added to the linguistic
repertoire of the speaker while the first language continues to be developed. In contrast,
subtractive multilingualism refers to situations in which a new language is learned and
replaces the first language. Additive multilingualism is more likely to happen when speakers
of a majority language acquire other languages; subtractive multilingualism can often be
found when immigrant schoolchildren are required to shift to the language of the host country
without being given the opportunity to develop their own language. A related issue is the
difference between being multilingual in demographically strong languages with a high status
and weaker languages (Kramsch, 2010).

2.1.2 The Proficiency Versus Use Dimension of Multilingualism

The definitions given above refer to the individual or societal ability to communicate
in more than one language, but the definition of the European Commission also refers to the
use of the languages in everyday life. The focus on ability or use depends on the perspective
of analysis of the broad phenomenon of multilingualism and is also related to the individual
and societal dimension. Scholars interested in individual multilingualism often consider the
level of proficiency in the different languages. As Bassetti and Cook (2011) pointed out,
most definitions cluster in two groups: One considers maximal proficiency to be necessary,
while the other accepts minimal proficiency. Baker (2011) considered that a maximalist
definition requiring native control of two languages is too extreme, but that a minimalist
definition that considers incipient bilingualism with minimal competence to be considered
bilingual is also problematic.

A related issue is the distinction between balanced and unbalanced multilingualism. A

balanced multilingual is equally fluent in two or more languages, and an unbalanced
multilingual has different levels of proficiency in the different languages. Today, the idea of
perfect mastery and perfect balance of two or more languages is no longer considered a
requirement to be bilingual or multilingual (Skutnabb-Kangas & McCarty, 2008).

The use dimension of multilingualism is often considered as the main characteristic

when defining multilingual individuals. For example, Ludi and Py (2009) ¨ referred to “each
individual currently practising two (or more) languages, and able, where necessary, to switch
from one language to the other without major difficulty, is bilingual (or plurilingual)” (p.
158). Grosjean (2010) also highlighted the use of two or more languages in everyday life as
the main characteristic.

A distinction that brings together proficiency and use is that of receptive versus
productive multilingualism. Receptive multilingualism “refers to the constellation in which
interlocutors use their respective mother tongue while speaking to each other” (Zeevaert &
Ten Thije, 2007, p. 1). Receptive multilingualism has a strong tradition in Scandinavia, where
speakers of languages such as Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian use their respective first
languages when communicating with each other because they can understand the languages
used by their interlocutors.

2.1.3 The Bilingualism Versus Multilingualism Dimension

The term multilingualism has gained currency in recent years at the expense of
bilingualism, but the difference between the two terms is not always clear, and different
positions can be found:

 Bilingualism as the generic term. This is the traditional position that reflects the
importance of research involving two languages rather than additional languages.
Bilingualism generally refers to two languages but can include more languages (Cook
& Bassetti, 2011).
 Multilingualism as the generic term. This can be regarded as the mainstrea position
nowadays. Multilingualism is often used to refer to two or more languages (Aronin &
Singleton, 2008). Bilingualism or trilingualism are instances of multilingualism.
 Bilingualism and multilingualism as different terms. Some researchers use the ter
bilingual for users of two languages and multilingual for three or more (De Groot,
 2011). This position is also common among scholars working o third language
acquisition and trilingualism (Kemp, 2009).

In this article we use multilingualism as a generic term including bilingualism.

2.2 SIGN LANGUAGE

Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-
manual modality to convey meaning. Sign languages are expressed through manual
articulations in combination with non-manual elements. Sign languages are full-fledged
natural languages with their own grammar and lexicon.1 Sign languages are not universal and
they are not mutually intelligible with each other,2although there are also striking similarities
among signm languages.

Linguists consider both spoken and signed communication to be types of natural

language, meaning that both emerged through an abstract, protracted aging process and
evolved over time without meticulous planning. Sign language should not be confused with
body language, a type of nonverbal communication.

Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages have developed as handy
means of communication and they form the core of local deaf cultures. Although signing is
used primarily by the deaf and hard of hearing, it is also used by hearing individuals, such as
those unable to physically speak, those who have trouble with spoken language due to a
disability or condition (augmentative and alternative communication), or those with deaf
family members, such as children of deaf adults.

It is unclear how many sign languages currently exist worldwide. Each country
generally has its own native sign language, and some have more than one. The 2013 edition
of Ethnologue lists 137 sign languages.3 Some sign languages have obtained some form of
legal recognition, while others have no status at all.4

1
Sandler, Wendy; & Lillo-Martin, Diane. (2006). Sign Language and Linguistic Universals.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

2
"What is Sign Language?" . Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved
10 March 2018.

3
Lewis, M. Paul; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2013), "Deaf sign language",
Ethnologue: Languages of the World (17th ed.), SIL International, archived from the
original on 2013-11-26, retrieved 2013-12-03

4
Wheatley, Mark & Annika Pabsch (2012). Sign Language Legislation in the European Union -
 Linguists distinguish natural sign languages from other systems that are precursors to
them or derived from them, such as invented manual codes for spoken languages, home sign,
"baby sign", and signs learned by non-human primates.

2.2.1 Communication Systems Similar to Sign Language

There are a number of communication systems that are similar in somerespects to sign
languages, while not having all the characteristics of a full sign language, particularly its
grammatical structure. Many of these are either precursors to natural sign languages or are
derived from them.
2.2.1.1 Manual Codes for Spoken Languages

When Deaf and Hearing people interact, signing systems may be developed that use
signs drawn from a natural sign language but used according to the grammar of the spoken
language. In particular, when people devise one-for-one sign-for-word correspondences
between spoken words (or even morphemes) and signs that represent them, the system that
results is a manual code for a spoken language, rather than a natural sign language. Such
systems may be invented in an attempt to help teach Deaf children the spoken language, and
generally are not used outside an educational context.

2.2.1.2 "Baby sign language" with Hearing Children

Some hearing parent teach signs to young hearing children. Since the muscles in
babies' hands grow and develop quicker than their mouths, signs are seen as a beneficial
option for better communication.[99] Babies can usually produce signs before they can speak.
This reduces the confusion between parents when trying to figure out what their child wants.
When the child begins to speak, signing is usually abandoned, so the child does not progress
to acquiring the grammar of the sign language.

This is in contrast to hearing children who grow up with Deaf parents, who generally
acquire the full sign language natively, the same as Deaf children of Deaf parents.

2.2.1.3 Home Sign

Edition II. European Union of the Deaf.
5. Bauman, Dirksen (2008). Open your eyes: Deaf studies talking. University of Minnesota Press.
ISBN 978-0-8166-4619-7.
 Informal, rudimentary sign systems are sometimes developed within a single family.
For instance, when hearing parents with no sign language skills have a deaf child, the child
may develop a system of signs naturally, unless repressed by the parents. The term for these
mini-languages is home sign (sometimes "kitchen sign").5

Home sign arises due to the absence of any other way to communicate. Within the
span of a single lifetime and without the support or feedback of a community, the child
naturally invents signs to help meet his or her communication needs, and may even develop a
few grammatical rules for combining short sequences of signs. Still, this kind of system is
inadequate for the intellectual development of a child and it comes nowhere near meeting the
standards linguists use to describe a complete language. No type of home sign is recognized
as a full language.6

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

3.1 Conclusion

The term “multilingualism” can refer to either the language use or the competence of
an individual or to the language situation in an entire nation or society. However, at the
individual level it is generally subsumed under “bilingualism.” This may be because, while
there are probably more bilinguals in the world than monolinguals, there are not perceived to
5
Susan Goldin-Meadow (Goldin-Meadow 2003, Van Deusen, Goldin-Meadow & Miller 2001)
has done extensive work on home sign systems. Adam Kendon (1988) published a seminal
study of the homesign system of a deaf Enga woman from the Papua New Guinea
highlands, with special emphasis on iconicity.

6
The one possible exception to this is Rennellese Sign Language, which has the ISO 639-3
code [rsi]. It only ever had one deaf user, and thus appears to have been a home sign
system that was mistakenly-accepted into the ISO 639-3 standard. It has been proposed for
deletion from the standard. ("Change Request Number: 2016-002" (PDF). ISO 639-3. SIL
International. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2016-07-05.)
be so many people who use more than two languages habitually. Thus definitions now tend to
be general (“methodological” in Van Overbeke's sense). A common definition of
“multilingualism” would then be – “the use of more than one language” or “competence in
more than one language.” This allows for further refinement in the actual description to cover
different levels of command or use of the various languages.

Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-
manual modality to convey meaning. Sign languages are expressed through manual
articulations in combination with non-manual elements. Sign languages are full-fledged
natural languages with their own grammar and lexicon.

3.2 Suggestion

The writer need more suggestion for this paper in order to make it more better and useful
for anyone who reads this paper.

REFERENCES

Aronin, L., & Singleton, D. (2008). Multilingualism as a new linguistic dispensation.

International Journal of Multilingualism, 5, 1–16.

Bailey, B. (2012). Heteroglossia. In M. Martin-Jones, A. Blackledge, & A. Creese (Eds.),

The

Routledge handbook of multilingualism (pp. 499–507). London, UK: Routledge.

Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Clevedon, UK:

Multilingual Matters.

Canagarajah, S. (2007). Lingua franca English, multilingual communities, and language

acquisition. Modern Language Journal, 91, 923–939.

Gramley, Stephan. "The History of English: An Introduction," Routledge, 2012, New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociolinguistics_of_sign_languages