A methodical and didactical complex "Sign Language"
Voskresensky Alexander
Board-school ? 1838 for deaf children, engineer - programmer,
Ivanova Marina
Board-school ? 1838 for deaf children, teacher of English language

123103, Moscow, Parshin street, 39. Ph. 199-55-84.
Sch1838.edu@mtu-net.ru

ABSTRACT The process of communication of the deaf includes the wide use of the sign language. In practice, sign language is a flexible enough language for communication; it helps to increase the communication, and to promote it. There are the different variants of the sign's systems in the different countries; American sign language occured to be the international one. Sign language bases on the limited set of the principal notions and appropriated appearances. The aim of this work is to develop a tool that should facilitate process of sign language teaching and also give to the trainee a means for independent study of various normative variants of sign language - for example, Russian, English, International and so on. For setting a relations between signs and words (or groups of words) of colloquial language the authors use a relational database, thus use of binding of different languages signs to the uniform corpse of concepts provides machine translation from one dialect of sign language on other (for example, from Russian to English, from International to Russian etc. - in any combination). As the entrance data for search of the necessary combination of signs the any text on one of colloquial languages (nowadays on Russian or English) is used. The text is exposed to the syntactic and semantic analysis for revealing interrelations between objects described by the initial text (for example, the mutual arrangement of objects - is higher, below, ahead, behind or the temporary characteristics - earlier, later), and also characteristics of objects (colour, sizes). The specified characteristics influence as a retrieve from base of the necessary images of signs, such as on the order of their presentation to the spectator.


1 DESCRIPTION OF A TASK
The process of dialogue of the deaf people includes wide use of sign languages. However, books describing various variants of sign language (national and international (or American) forms) are not easy available, so the training to sign language, as a rule, is carried out by the deaf people independently during dialogue with each other. It results that there are diverse variants of sign language (local dialects), complicating dialogue of the deaf people from different regions. So for example, many deaf people do not understand signs of translaters, accompanying television transfer.
The basic development purpose of this complex is a distribution of knowledge about the unified widely recognized systems of sign language for simplification of contacts between the deaf people of the different countries. Thus the at all role of written language or training of the deaf people to art of perception and reproduction of speech is not belittled. The sign language is only auxiliary means of dialogue, when use of other means is complicated - for example, if there is necessary the fast reception of the information by the deaf person during excursion in other country or with listening the report or lecture.
The complex, on a plan of the authors, should facilitate process of sign language teaching and also give to the trainee a means for independent study of various normative variants of sign language - for example, Russian, English, International and so on.

2 AN APPROACH
As the practice shows, the sign language is the rather flexible dialogue tool allowing the deaf people from the different countries (after short dialogue to learn) understand each other, not knowing at all foreign language. It can be explained by that the sign language is based on a set of concept designating subjects and the basic actions, thus the dialogue goes on a meta-language which is not having the word forms, adhered to any known colloquial language. With direct contact the deaf people can demonstrate each other subjects or actions and to choose designating signs (it is natural, these signs will be unfamiliar to the persons who are not having the direct contact to the given group).
For setting a relations between signs and words (or groups of words) of colloquial language the authors use a relational database, thus use of binding of different languages signs to the uniform corpse of concepts provides machine translation from one dialect of sign language on other (for example, from Russian to English, from International to Russian etc. - in any combination).
As the entrance data for search of the necessary combination of signs the any text on one of colloquial languages (nowadays on Russian or English) is used. The text is exposed to the syntactic and semantic analysis for revealing interrelations between objects described by the initial text (for example, the mutual arrangement of objects - is higher, below, ahead, behind or the temporary characteristics - earlier, later), and also characteristics of objects (colour, sizes). The specified characteristics influence as a retrieve from base of the necessary images of signs, such as on the order of their presentation to the spectator.
The first issue of a complex (demonstration) allows to get acquainted with the static images of signs, whereas in the second issue the inclusion of the driven images facilitating understanding of features of reproduction of the signs is planned.

3 CONCLUSIONS
Though nowadays work is in an initial stage - the software for realization of the industrial version of a complex are not chosen finally, the level of filling of initial base of words and signs is unsufficient, received results speak about correctness of a choice of the basic direction of development.
It is represented, that the created complex can find application not only as a means of training, but also as the tool of accumulation and analysis of signs with the purpose of sign languages standartisation.
With use of speech input of the information the created complex in a greater degree can serve to information interchange between two worlds of the people - the world of hearing and speaking people and world of their deaf sisters and brothers, facilitating for deaf people the process of adaptation in this world.

REFERENCES
Гейльман И.Ф. (1975 -1979) Специфические средства общения глухих. Дактилология и мимика: в 5 ч.- Л.
Зайцева Г.Л. (1991) Дактилология. Жестовая речь.- М.
Pay Ф.Ф. (1981) Формирование устной речи у глухих детей. - М.: Просвещение.
Riekehof L.L. (1987) The Joy of Signing. - Springfield, Missouri, 6582.



This paper is proposed for international seminar "DIALOG'99: Computer linguistics and applications" (Tarusa, Russia, 1999, June 1-5).

This work is a private initiative of the authors. They'll be very thankfull for any help.

Phone (voice): +7 (095) 199-5584 A. Voskresensky. Mailto: sch1838.edu@mtu-net.ru