Free e-book to boost knowledge of local sign language

It contains common and uniquely Singaporean words used in everyday conversation

- Syarafana Shafeeq

Have you ever wondered how to say "So shiok!" or "City Hall MRT station" in sign language?

Local signing is now available to all to learn for free with the launch of an e-book on the Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) in September.

The free e-book, developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), is among the latest efforts to boost knowledge of the local sign language and raise its visibility here.

It is an introduction to SgSL and its significance, containing common words and uniquely Singaporean terms used in everyday conversation, with GIFs, or looping animations, to illustrate how to sign it.

SADeaf previously worked with linguistic students from NTU to start an online SgSL sign bank, which documents signs used within the deaf community. It now has 749 signs, up from 50 in 2018.

NTU's Centre for Modern Languages began offering SgSL elective classes in 2015, and receives an average of 200 students yearly.

In 2023, SADeaf had more than 3,000 members of the public, both deaf and hearing, learn sign language in their classes.

SgSL developed organically within the deaf community over several decades, going back to the 1950s with the establishment of the Singapore Chinese Sign School for the Deaf, said executive director of SADeaf Josh Lye.

Since then, deaf Singaporeans have adapted and created signs that reflect their daily experiences, local culture, and multilingual environment, he said.

"It is a distinct language that embodies the cultural identity of the Deaf community in Singapore," he added.