Japanese Phonetic Sign Language Chart

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Sign Language Linguistic Center recently brought to a close a search in Japan for six deaf or hearing impaired Japanese students to study for university degrees at their center.

Tuition for the sign language linguistic courses and living costs will be covered by a grant from The Nippon Foundation. Successful applicants are due to be announced at the end of February or in early March.

This program is seen as a great opportunity to study English and Hong Kong Chinese sign language, thereby opening signage translation employment possibilities in future for those who complete the degrees.

This effort to recruit Japanese students is part of a Chinese University of Hong Kong’s project to be run by the deaf to create a dictionary of sign language and sign linguistics for the Asia-Pacific region.

There are two stages to the degree program: 1) diploma course, and 2) the master degree course. The associate degree diploma is equivalent to a junior college degree. The master degree program is scheduled to start in 2012. It is assumed that diploma graduates will go on to the master degree.

Requirements to apply for the 2010 diploma program were to be 18 years of age and a Japanese citizen. Applicants could either be deaf or healing impaired. They had to be fluent in Japanese sign language, and active in activities involving the deaf in Japan.

Educationally, applicants needed to have completed at least two years of high school, and they needed to have a willingness to learn sign language in English and the Chinese sign language used in Hong Kong.

The diploma course will start in November 2010. Successful applicants will be paid research students in the deaf studies research center, and receive professional educational training to teach sign language. The languages used in the university’s research center are English and Hong Kong Sign language.

Grants will cover their studies for up to 5 years in order to complete both the diploma and master’s degree programs.

The focus of the Japanese students’ research will be the sign language and methods of teaching signage linguistics used in Japan. Results of the research will be adapted to deaf education, and business related fields.

The Nippon Foundation’s International Cooperation Group has been responsible for developing the details of the program with the Chinese University of Hong Kong Sign Language, Linguistics Research Center for the Deaf.