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====== Irish Sign Language in Ireland ======

==== Language designations: ====
  * In the language itself: //Irish Sign Language// (English) ((SIL International, [[http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/documentation.asp?id=isg|Documentation for ISO 639 identifier]] (2015), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) ((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) or //Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann// (Gaeilge/Irish) ((DBPedia, [[http://dbpedia.org/page/Irish_Sign_Language|About: Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) ((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].))
  * [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#ISO 639-3|ISO 639-3]] standard: //isg//

==== Language vitality according to: ====
^ [[https://en.wal.unesco.org/languages/irish-sign-language|UNESCO]]  ^ [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg/|Ethnologue]]  ^ [[http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/|Endangered Languages]]  ^ [[https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/iris1235|Glottolog]]   ^
|  {{:endangerment:yellow.png?nolink|Endangered/unsafe}}  |  {{:endangerment:blue.png?nolink|Stable}}  |  n/a  |  {{:endangerment:green.png?|not endangered}}  |
==== Linguistic aspects: =====
  * Classification: Sign Language → French Sign Language or Francosign Family (LSF). For more information, see [[http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/iris1235|Irish Sign Language at Glottolog]].
  * Script: No script.

==== Language standardization ====
There is no script, therefore there is no standardized orthography. 








===== Demographics =====

==== Language Area ====

Irish Sign Language (ISL) is used scattered throughout the Republic of Ireland but also in parts of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland both Irish Sign Language and British sign Language are used.
 ((Trinity College Dublin/The University of Dublin, [[https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/cds/isl.php| Centre for Deaf Studies]] (2016), [accessed 5 December 2017].))
 ((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) Gender-based dialectal differences existed as a result of separate schools for boys and girls. Though Ethnologue claims this difference has lessened over time, other research shows that it is still present. ((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].))((Leesson, L. & Saeed, J. I. (2012). //Irish Sign Language: A Cognitive Linguistic Account.// Edinburgh University Press.))((Leeson, L. & Grehan, C. (2004). The Effect of Gender on Variation in Irish Sign Language. In //To the Lexicon and Beyond: //. Gallaudet University Press (pp.39-73). Retrieved from [[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260038564_To_the_Lexicon_and_Beyond_The_Effect_of_Gender_on_Variation_in_Irish_Sign_Language]].)) 



==== Speaker numbers ====

There are several estimations of speaker numbers according to different sources:
  * According to Leeson and Saeed (2012) there are around 6,500 Deaf people across the island of Ireland who use ISL and around 65,000 hearing signers.((Leesson, L. & Saeed, J. I. (2012). //Irish Sign Language: A Cognitive Linguistic Account.// Edinburgh University Press.)) 
  * According to the Irish Deaf Society, there are 5.000  Deaf people with ISL as first language and 40.000 hearing signers of ISL ((Irish Deaf Society. (n.d.). //Irish Sign Language//. Retrieved March 24, 2020 from: [[https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie/irish-sign-language/]].))
  * According to Ethnologue, there are 21.050 signers of ISL.((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].))


----

====== Education of the language ======
===== History of language education: =====
In 1816, the first school for the deaf in Ireland was founded by Dr. Charles Orpen. ((Pollard (2006) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) Orpen also established the National Institution for the Education of the Deaf in Ireland. In the period of 1816 to 1849, nine institutes for the education of the deaf were established, even though two of them closed down in a short period of time. ((McDonnell (1979) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) Most of these Deaf institutions were divided per gender, meaning there were boys-only and girls-only schools, and this resulted in a gendered sign language. ((Leeson and Saeed (2012) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) As a result of the established deaf institutes, more Deaf people were brought together. They mostly communicated through the use of sign language, and because of this the Deaf community and the use of Irish Sign Language grew in Ireland. ((Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.))

All Irish institutions used a manual system of instruction. ((Leeson and Saeed (2012) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) However, from 1887 the Claremont Institute changed to an oral system of instruction. From 1940, more oralist approaches were used in Deaf education in Ireland following the oralist policies used in Deaf instutions in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Oral instruction was not seen as a problem by the Deaf community. However, with the implementation of oralist approaches the use of sign language was forbidden and as a result Irish Sign Language became suppressed and frowned upon.
 ((Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.))

In 1972, the Advisory Committee on the "Education of Children who are Handicapped by Impaired Hearing" ratified the philosophy of strict segregation and oralist approaches. ((Department of Education (1972) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) Families were advised to not sign in their home and because of this a few generations who could not effectively communicate were generated. ((James, O'Neill and Smyth (1992) as cited in Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.)) From 1990, the Irish government policy recommends bilingual education of English and Irish Sign Language and Irish Sign Language is now seen as the language to educational success for deaf people. ((Ethnologue, [[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/isg| Irish Sign Language]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].))
 ((Leeson, L., Saeed, J.I. and Grehan, C., 'Irish Sign Language (ISL)', in //Sign Languages of the World: A Comparative Handbook//, ed. by Jepsen, J.B., De Clerck, G., Lutalo-Kiingi, S. & McGregor, W.B. (Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co, 2015), pp. 449-472.))

===== Legislation of language education =====

==== European Legistalion ====


===EU Resolutions===

On June 17, 1988, the European Parliament signed the [[http://www.policy.hu/flora/ressign2.htm|Resolution on Sign Languages 1988]] in which it asks member countries to recognize their national sign languages as official languages. ((European Union of the Deaf (EUD), [[http://www.policy.hu/flora/ressign2.htm|European Parliament Resolution on Sign Languages 1988]] (2002), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) ((Wilcox, S.E., Krausneker, V. & Armstrong, D.F. (2012). Language policies and the Deaf community. In B. Spolsky (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Language Policy (pp. 374-395). Cambridge, UK:  Cambridge University Press.)). Ten years later in 1998, the [[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A51998IP0985|Resolution on Sign Languages 1998]] followed. 
 
===European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages===

Irish Sign Language is not protected by the [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#European Charter for Regional and Minority languages|European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]] (1992), as Ireland has not [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#Signature of a treaty|signed]] nor [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#Ratification of a treaty|ratified]] the Charter. Moreover, sign languages are not explicitly protected by the Charter.

=== UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ===

The [[https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html|Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]] (2006) is the first international human rights convention that explicitly considers sign languages to be languages (Article 21)((De Meulder, M. (2016). Artikel 24 van het VN Verdrag inzake de Rechten van Personen met een Handicap en dove gebarentaligen: naar een nieuwe interpretatie van het begrip 'inclusief onderwijs'. In G. Van Hoven, A. Schippers, M. Cardol & E. De Schauwer (Eds.), Disability Studies in de Lage Landen. Antwerpen: Garant Uitgeverij.)). This Convention is [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#Signature of a treaty|signed]] (2007) and [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#Ratification of a treaty|ratified]] (2018) by Ireland ((United Nations. // Chapter IV Human Rights.// Retrieved March 23, 2020 from [[https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4&clang=_en]].)) One of the results of the UN Convention is that the learning of sign languages should be facilitated by state parties. Next to this, sign languages should also be recognized and supported by state parties. 

==== National Legislation ====

===  Irish Sign Language Act 2017 ===

Irish Sign Language was officially recognized in 2017 with the [[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/act/40/enacted/en/print#sec1|Irish Sign Language Act of 2017]]. The Act (section 3) states:
  * The State recognises the right of Irish Sign Language users to use Irish Sign Language as their native language and the corresponding duty on all public bodies to provide Irish Sign Language users with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and services.
  * The community of persons using Irish Sign Language shall have the right to use, develop and preserve Irish Sign Language.

For education (section 5), the Act provides provision for ISL classes, ISL support, ISL teacher training and educational support services.

=== Education Act 1998 ===

In the [[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1998/act/51/enacted/en/html?q=education+act|Education Act 1998]] it is stated that support services for persons with a disability or other special educational needs include the use of Irish Sign Language or other sign languages and interpreting services. How these support services are to be fulfilled is not specified in the act. It is also not explicitly mentioned that using Irish Sign Language is compulsory.

=== Disabilty Act 2005 ===

The [[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2005/act/14/enacted/en/print.html|Disability Act 2005]] amends to the Broadcasting Act 2001 and, as a result, each broadcaster must provide access to material through sign language. ((National Council for Special Education, [[http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/DeafEducationReport.pdf| The Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Ireland [Policy Advice Paper]]] (2011), [accessed 5 December 2017].))



===== Support structure for education of the language =====

=== Support at home ===

The [[https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Popular-forms/irish-sign-language-isl-application-form.pdf|Irish Sign Language (ISL) Tuition Scheme]]: provides funding for weekly tuition service at home for training in ISL for the child, parent(s)/ guardian(s), and sibling(s).

=== Teacher training ===

Since 2019, there is a Bachelor of Education - Irish Sign Language, offered by [[https://www.dcu.ie/courses/Undergraduate/institute_of_education/Bachelor-of-Education-Irish-Sign-Language-Restricted| Dublin City University]]:
=== Interpreter training ===

 [[https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/cds/| The Centre for Deaf Studies]]: is based in Trinity College, Dublin, and aims to increase the number of Irish Sign Language/English interpreters with professional training. The centre is also involved in research about Deaf education, interpreting services in the mid-west region, digital material for teaching Irish Sign Language and e-learning. Also, they helped creating the Signs of Ireland Corpus. ((Trinity College Dublin/The University of Dublin, [[https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/cds/isl.php| Centre for Deaf Studies]] (2016), [accessed 5 December 2017].))


===== Education presence =====

==== Pre-school ====

There is one ISL pre-school:
  * [[http://midwestschoolforthedeaf.com/index.html|The Mid-West School for the Hearing Impaired]], based in Limerick.

Other form of pre-school support is the [[languages:irish_sign_language_in_ireland#Support at home|Irish Sign Language (ISL) Tuition Scheme]].

==== Primary and post-primary education ====

=== Deaf schools ===

In total, there are three Deaf schools in Ireland that offer primary and post-primary education.

[[http://www.cidp.ie/about-cidp/|The Catholic Institute for Deaf People (CIPD)]] is a non-profit organisation enabling services to the Deaf community. This organisation is associated with two Deaf schools in Cabra:
  * [[http://www.stjosephsboys.ie/|St. Joseph's Residence for Deaf Boys]]
  * [[http://www.stmarysdeafgirls.ie/|St. Mary's Residence for Deaf Girls]].

In 2015, the CIPD merged the schools for the boys and the girls into the [[https://holyfamilydeafschool.ie/primary/|Holy Family School for the Deaf]] starting from primary level. ((Catholic Institute for Deaf People, [[http://www.cidp.ie/amalgamation/| Amalgation of St. Mary's and St. Joseph's schools]] (n.d.), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) They offer the same classes that are available in mainstream schools but with Irish Sign Language to support language acquisition. These are boarding schools, students stay here during the week and visit their parents during weekends and vacations.

[[http://midwestschoolforthedeaf.com/index.html|The Mid-West School for the Deaf]] in Limerick offers primary and post-primary education through sign language or orally. 

The school offers the same classes that are available in mainstream schools but with Irish Sign Language to support language acquisition. This is not a boarding school, students travel daily to follow classes here.

In these three Deaf schools Irish Sign Language is prevalent and used throughout pre-school to secondary education. Next to Irish Sign Language they also learn English and the oral method is also used. The schools get subsidized by the Irish government. The children enrolled in these schools are likely to use Irish Sign Language outside school. ((Midwest School for the Deaf, [[http://midwestschoolforthedeaf.com/index.html| Midwest School for the Deaf]] (n.d.), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) ((St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys [[http://www.stjosephsboys.ie/| St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) ((St. Mary's School for Deaf Girls [[http://www.stmarysdeafgirls.ie/| St. Mary's School for Deaf Girls]] (2013), [accessed 5 December 2017].))

=== Mainstream Schools ===

Parents also have the option to send their children to a mainstream school. In any mainstream school, resources are provided based on the individual needs of the child. ((Deaf Education Centre,
 [[http://www.deafeducation.ie/about/deaf-education-in-ireland/|Deaf Education in Ireland]] (n.d.), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) There are also mainstream schools where there are more classes or resources for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children. ((National Council for Special Education, [[http://ncse.ie/special-classes| Special Classes]] (2015), [accessed 5 December 2017].)) In these situations, Irish Sign Language classes are limited and the amount differs per school.


==== University Education ====
Trinity College Dublin offers a [[https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/undergraduate/deaf-studies-bachelor/|Bachelor in Deaf Studies]] which focuses on the Deaf community and the Irish Sign Language. Later on in the programme there is a focus on Irish Sign Language teaching or Irish Sign Language interpreting. For this programme, no prior knowledge of Irish Sign Language is needed. The Bachelor in Deaf Studies "strongly encourage[s] applications from Deaf and hard of hearing students". ((Trinity College Dublin/University of Dublin [[https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/undergraduate/deaf-studies-bachelor/| Bachelor in Deaf Studies]] (2017), [accessed 5 December 2017].))

===== Learning resources =====

=== Organisations ===
  * [[https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie| Irish Deaf Society]]: offers free Irish Sign Language classes for deaf adults. They also offer paid classes. 
  * [[https://www.irishdeaf.com/| The Irish Deaf]]: offers paid Irish Sign Language Classes. 
  * [[http://www.deafvillageireland.ie|Deaf Village Ireland]]: contains several Deaf organisations that offers a range of facilities including Irish Sign Language classes. 

=== Online resources ===
  * [[http://sharingthejourney.ie/mobile/|Sharing the Journey]] is a mobile app on which you can look up signs and learn Irish Sign Language.
  * [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmail.dohertkc.conciseisl|Concise Irish Sign Language]] is a concise Irish Sign Language video dictionary containing approximately 1000 signs.
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL664417CC2E4E0AF9|Basic Sign Language Lessons]]: DITSgnLanguageSoc youtube channel with lessons in numbers, words, and basic phrases.