“Sign languages are the natural, visual-gestural languages of Deaf communities. They are not universal: they vary from country to country and sometimes from region to region. Crucially, they are independent from spoken languages, as shown by the fact that countries sharing the same spoken language—such as England, Ireland and the United States—each have their own national sign language,” said Myriam Vermeerbergen of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven and the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University. “In multilingual countries like South Africa, there are many spoken languages but only one national sign language – which in South Africa is recognised as the 12th official language.”
Vermeerbergen started her seminar (in which she was joined by South African Sign Language interpreters) with a introduction to sign languages before tackling her project which involves unpacking the lessons behind translating a famous literary text into a sign language and performing it on stage – the recent project by Antwerp’s Toneelhuis to translate Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull into Flemish Sign Language by a team of Deaf translators and then to perform the play with a cast of three Deaf and five hearing actors.
“There is a long history of misunderstanding and marginalisation of sign languages and of Deaf people including discrimination in education and employment,” she said. “All of which has shaped their identity and existence.”
“Sign languages are minority languages, and the Deaf community is a cultural linguistic minority with a sign language as their primary mode of communication and language of choice.”
“Until very recently, the linguistic status of sign languages was not recognised. They were, for instance, not used as languages of instruction in schools for deaf children, where oral education was dominant, and sign languages were often seen as primitive.”
For linguists it was difficult to include sign language in definitions of language and it was hard to fit sign language research and descriptions into spoken-language models and terminology. The iconicity of sign languages, for example, challenged the idea that arbitrariness is a defining feature of languages.
Because sign languages lack a written form, it was also impossible to capture them in permanent records for a long time. Now, however, advances in video technology have changed this, making it possible to produce sign texts and to translate written texts into sign languages.
Sign languages are characterised by use of space and multi-channel use of body – including hands, face, eyebrows, head and torso. Iconicity and visual imagery are used when relating absent references to areas in the signing space.
“In the multi-channel use of the body there is simultaneous use of articulators – for example, in many sign languages, manual signs can be combined with raised eyebrows to indicate a question while a negative headshake marks negation. Non-manual marking like this is very important, as well as space: changing the direction of the movement of a sign in the signing space may change its meaning,” explained Vermeerbergen.
“There are also differences between established signs and the productive lexicon. Signers rely on so-called “mix and match signs”, the products of a process that involves selecting the component parts and putting them together to create particular effects – like building with Lego blocks.”
Since the emergence of sign language linguistics in the 1960s, research has shown that signed and spoken languages share fundamental properties at all levels of linguistic structure, while also showing that modality shapes linguistic structures and mechanisms. Sign languages are produced in space, using manual and non-manual articulators, resulting in a high degree of simultaneity and rich visual imagery. These modality-specific properties lead to a degree of similarity across unrelated sign languages.”
“People with different sign languages can communicate with each other fairly easily – the differences between different sign languages are smaller than in spoken languages,” said Vermeerbergen.
Sign languages are characterised by both telling and showing, and for a long time the idea was that spoken languages only tell without showing. Vermeerbergen disagrees. “Users of spoken languages also use their body to reference meaning,” she said. “They integrate speech and gestures − two aspects of one process. There often is information in the gestures that is not present in speech, and there is intonation. We must consider the outputs of all these channels.”
But she also warned that people who don’t know a sign language may think they can understand more than they do. “Don’t let sign languages fool you. You may think you understand but you don’t. There are even lots of iconic signs that you would not understand.”
Sign languages are also shaped by contact with spoken language and there is also increased global contact between sign languages. For example, American Sign Language is more widely known and used. “Does this mean smaller sign languages will disappear?” asked Vermeerbergen. “I don’t think so, Deaf communities will not wish to let them go.”
Video-mediated signing is also affecting signed production, e.g. the use of space– making it more two dimensional and smaller to facilitate screen visibility. “Sign languages must be included in new AI and other technologies,” she said.
Taking all of this on stage
With all of this in mind, the process of translating The Seagull and taking it to the stage was not easy.
The creative process started with the translation of the written text to Flemish Sign Language. This was then captured as a video script for the Deaf and hearing actors, followed by line rehearsals, stage rehearsals, and the production of Dutch surtitles as well.
The initial translation was challenging and time consuming especially to ensure that the literary style of the source material was maintained. This resulted in a play that took four hours to perform and had to be severely shortened. Feedback from Deaf people also highlighted many points requiring clarification and changing.
The hearing actors, of course, had to learn Flemish Sign Language (VGT) and reach a competence where they were comfortable to perform using it in public. “Learning proved hard to the hearing actors,” said Vermeerbergen. “They needed the help of Deaf coaches.”
She also noted that in performance amplification was a problem − solved by smaller audiences and seating the audience on the stage close to the actors. However, having audience on both sides meant they didn’t see everything and sometimes had to rely on surtitles. The Deaf actors initially had some doubts about this. It is also interesting that the surtitles gradually changed in form and had completely disappeared by the fourth act.”
“The performances were very well received, and the reviews were highly praising,” she added. The production was also nominated for several awards.”
Vermeerbergen will now document this unique artistic and translation process – from idea to performance − focusing on the challenges of working between a written text and a (video-recorded) visual-gestural language and the experiences of the Deaf translators, the sign language interpreters and the hearing and Deaf actors.
She will draw on the experiences of a South African Sign Language interpreter − Marsanne Neethling – who has extensive expertise in interpreting artistic productions.
Initially the idea was to simply produce a type of manual that could be used by other theatre companies, but she has realised that the very rich data could inspire a wide range of different studies, potentially resulting in a book, a special issue of a journal or a website.
Michelle Galloway: Part-time media officer at STIAS
Photograph: SCPS Photography