Hong Kong --- The room was full of conversation, but not a word was spoken. Instead, the passionate emotions and ideas were expressed in deaf sign language.

This was a class of international deaf students discussing the day's lessons in rapid　fire English sign language.

They are all scholarship students chosen for a pioneering program at the Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies (CSLDS) of the　Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). They are being trained to become deaf language teachers in their own countries after intensive deaf linguistic studies here in Hong Kong.

"This experience is not only giving me the chance to develop my own abilities, but is enabling me to return to my own country to teach those in need," said one Indonesian student excitedly in sign language.

This sentiment was repeated enthusiastically in various ways all around the room by other Indonesian, Sri Lankan and Chinese students of the program. One Hong Kong student is already putting her learning experience to practical use in a local Chinese primary school for deaf children.

There are other obstacles to be overcome by some of the CSLDS students because they are required to learn in English signage in addition to Hong Kong Chinese sign language, and this is difficult for those who don't come from educational programs which are taught in English in their home country.

"However, we see a dramatic increase in self confidence and learning initiatives among all the students after entering the program," said Dr. Felix SZE Yim Binh, one of the faculty members of CSLDS.

"The students all live in the same domitory on campus, and after class the stronger students go over the day's lessons with students who need more help. They have a solid sense of responsibility and solidarity towards each other," adds Dr Sze, also known affectionately by the students as "Dr Felix."

When the students graduate from the program they will all return to their own country, where "I'm sure they will all work hard to help the local deaf community," said Jafi LEE Yin Fai, another faculty member at CSLDS.

"They will be part of a team in their own country in which they will have two primary functions -- 1) doing deaf lingusitics research, and 2) they will teach non-hearing impaired students and deaf people in grammar and sign language of their country," said Jafi.

And, the goal is even larger than this. Students said they want to change the perceptions and attitudes of hearing people towards the deaf. Specifically, to have mainstream society accept the fact that there is a distinct deaf culture with its own language and life perspectives that are just as valid as the culture based on hearing ability.

Dr. Felix SZE Yim Binh and Jafi LEE Yin Fai, CSLDS faculty members (Photo: David Tharp)

In a sense this could be described as a growing "deaf pride" consciousness as CSLDS encourages students to take both a more individualistic and mutually supportive pro-active approach to deaf studies. This is creating broader, independent attitudes among the students and is increasing self esteem.

A few years ago, according to Dr Felix and Jafi, deaf students tended to be more dependent and hearing teachers didn't have high hopes, but now with this pioneer program, a new generation of deaf educators and leaders are being prepared to think for themselves and ask a lot of questions that they never asked before -- and carry these motivational attitudes home with them when they graduate from the program.

In fact, one local benefit already being felt is that the Hong Kong educational authorities are beginning to encourage more in depth programs to introduce deaf language learning programs among pre-school and primary school children, commented Dr Felix.

CSLDS offers a diploma in various sign language studies and research programs and have recently established a MA in deaf linguistics at the research internship level.

This is funded by a major grant from The Nippon Foundation to develop the Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program (APSL). CSLDS is a part of this overall program. The larger program represents an "unprecedented attempt"in the region to support deaf and hearing individuals who intend to do sign linguistics research and deaf development projects as their career.

The goal of the APSL program is to establish university-level sign linguistics research and training in the Asia-Pacific region with a view to promoting long-term empowerment of Asia-Pacific deaf people.

The program has an equally important goal of developing dictionaries and teaching materials to document sign languages in the region, and for the researchers to make use of these materials in sign language training in their own countries.

The next step in this program will be to bring Japanese and Fiji Island hearing impaired students into the program at CSLDS from this November.