This photo has nothing to do with the video, I just thought it looked cute.

This is the fourth in the series of videos on the fundamentals of sign languages. It’s a bit longer, but it deals with a broad topic that has a lot of parts: cultural context. I’ve split it into chapters to make it easier to find your place. The list of time stamps is below the video.

00:00 Introduction

00:30 What is cultural context and how does it influence sign language (using the example of gender-based segregation in Irish Sign Language education)?

02:00 Are there language groups in signed languages?

03:50 How are British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language different?

05:47 What does the name of a sign language tell you?

07:11 How are the spoken language and the signed language of a nation different?

08:52 How old are sign languages?

09:36 Who determines what makes a sign official?

10:51 What’s important when you’re learning a sign language?

14:21 Summing up: The Deaf community takes the lead

Want to support the blog, which is going to be my primary source of income moving forward? I have a Patreon account here, a Liberapay account here, and a PayPal account here.