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The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

scientificamerican.com

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Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#21

Post by sandworm101 »

thepete2 wrote: post #5
mabbo wrote: post #3

Two quick misconceptions to call out for those less familiar with signed languages: 1. ASL is not just English with each word replaced with a sign. It's an incredibly complex language with different grammatical rules, some of which don't have English equivalents. 2. It's incredibly flexible. Many core grammar components will remain consistent, but often if you drive to another city, many words/signs will be different…

This is kind of unrelated, but I wonder if a small amount (say 100 signs or so) of sign language (ASL or local equivalent) wouldn't be useful for hearing people in their day-to-day lives. I'm very interested in sign-language, but language being what it is you can't do it alone ...

>> useful for hearing people in their day-to-day lives.

You doubtless already use many signs. They may not be ASL but we do use a variety of hand gestures to convey very specific meanings.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#22

Post by CivBase »

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible?

I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen.

Video chat platforms like Zoom almost always have a text chat feature. Although at least for those I can see how it might be faster and more personable for many to sign than type.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#23

Post by dnndev »

CivBase wrote: post #22

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible? I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen. Video chat pl…

A few reasons: 1) You loose facial expression communication 2) Its slower to digest (small/slow text scrolling across bottom of screen) 3) Its harder to learn to read as the process is aided by phonetics

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#24

Post by bskrobisz »

CivBase wrote: post #22

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible? I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen. Video chat pl…

It's faster to read text than to listen to someone speak, yet speech remains popular. There are aspects of communication which are not easily replicated in text -- sign languages do not lack the semantic information that is provided in speech by the tone, pitch, and rhythm of voice which is not, for the most part, reflected directly in grammar (in English, anyways). These components take other forms (expression and aspect, primarily) in ASL.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#25

Post by ihuman »

sneak wrote: post #16

Does anyone know of a good web based videoconferencing system that does 1080p or 4K, at close to 30fps? Ideally it wouldn't require some big subscription plan, either. Meet maxes out at 720p (it's that or 320p) and what seems like a single-digit frame rate. Zoom doesn't seem much better. I don't know sign language but I have a lot of bandwidth (and am wired) and I'm tired of calls optimized for 1-5mbps wifi. Even cal…

Discord supports 1080p@30fps screen sharing in DMs if you have Nitro classic (and 60fps in servers), but I can't tell if that also applies to your camera.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#26

Post by flerchin »

CivBase wrote: post #22

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible? I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen. Video chat pl…

1. The captions usually suck 2. Would you mind if they just shut off the audio?

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#28

Post by dnndev »

thepete2 wrote: post #5
mabbo wrote: post #3

Two quick misconceptions to call out for those less familiar with signed languages: 1. ASL is not just English with each word replaced with a sign. It's an incredibly complex language with different grammatical rules, some of which don't have English equivalents. 2. It's incredibly flexible. Many core grammar components will remain consistent, but often if you drive to another city, many words/signs will be different…

This is kind of unrelated, but I wonder if a small amount (say 100 signs or so) of sign language (ASL or local equivalent) wouldn't be useful for hearing people in their day-to-day lives. I'm very interested in sign-language, but language being what it is you can't do it alone ...

Super powers

Sign Language -> communicate with someone in a noisy room (across the room even)

Braille -> A friend of mine learned braille so he could "read" books after his parents said lights out. What a rebel.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#29

Post by dhosek »

CivBase wrote: post #22

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible? I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen. Video chat pl…

For the same reasons people choose to use audio on platforms where text is available.

Re: The Covid Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language

#30

Post by CivBase »

flerchin wrote: post #26
CivBase wrote: post #22

Perhaps someone on HN knows the answer to a question I've had for years now. Why use sign language on platforms where text is accessible? I've wondered this since I first saw a TV broadcast with a signer off to the side. Isn't that what closed captions are for? Surely it's faster to read text captions than the gestures of some low-res recording of a human stuck in a tiny box in the corner of the screen. Video chat pl…

1. The captions usually suck 2. Would you mind if they just shut off the audio?

As someone who watches subbed TV and movies frequently, it wouldn't particularly bother me. I prefer audio in my native language so I have the luxury of being able to take my eyes off the screen for a moment now and then, but that's not really an option when it comes to sign language.
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