The Assessment of Ethiopian Sign Language Educational Interpreters among Teachers In five Regional States of Ethiopia
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Sign language is a formal language, socially agreed on, rule –governed symbol system
that is generative in nature. The components of sign language are not phonemic (sound)
combinations that movement at form words, at spoken language, but rather phonological
combinations (i.e. hand shapes, form signs (Mccanally, 1994).
The main purpose of this study is to assess the Ethiopian sign language using for the
teaching purposes in five regional states of Ethiopia. In order to meet this purpose 31,
respondents selected based on judgment sampling. The required data were collected
through interviews, videotape, and classroom observation and text analysis.
The result of the study was analyzed qualitatively. The result of the study shows that the
hearing-impaired students and their teachers seem to fail to establish common
understanding because of lack of sign language for technical and scientific environmental
science and chemistry terminologies.
Lack of adequate skills on sign language on the part of the teachers as well as deaf
students and sign language interpreter‟s complexity and uniformity of sign language used
by most of the hearing-impaired students in five regional states of Ethiopia.
As indicated by this research, there is wide variation from region to region in the use of
Ethiopian sign language in environmental science and grade 11 chemistry subjects.
Failure communication exists among students and, more over, between students and
teachers. The Sign language variations are also seen among teachers, interpreters, and
students.
Finally : the study recommends continuous training of sign language for teachers and
interpreters, Laboratory and resources should be available at high school and university
levels, encourage creating new sign and experience sharing , prepare sign language
dictionary in different subjects and further researcher must be done
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Teachers In five Regional States of Ethiopia