Let's Standardize Sign Language Expressions for 'Emergency Disaster Relief Fund' and 'Yoyang Facilities'

Emergency Disaster Relief Fund

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language announced recommended sign language expressions for ‘emergency disaster relief funds,’ ‘screening clinics,’ ‘nursing facilities,’ and ‘local governments’ on the 16th. These four terms have been frequently used since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but various expressions were mixed, causing difficulties in accurate communication.

Screening Clinic

Local government

Only for ‘nursing facilities’ were two recommended sign language expressions selected. One expression conveys the meaning of nursing facilities, and the other highlights the initial vowel ‘ㅛ’ of the first syllable. The final sign expression, which appears identically in both signs, means ‘institution’ or ‘facility.’ If this is replaced with the sign for ‘hospital,’ it can be changed to a sign expression indicating a specific place such as ‘nursing hospital’ or ‘location,’ which can then be used to represent ‘nursing home.’ An official explained, “When there are two or more recommended sign expressions, appropriate signs can be selected and used depending on the context.”

Nursing Facility

The recommendations were prepared by the New Sign Language Group established last March. This group consists of sign language experts including representatives from the Korea Deaf Association, sign language interpreters (public sign language interpreters and interpreters for the hearing impaired), sign language teachers, and linguistics specialists. They collect and review sign language expressions from the Deaf community. An official said, “In the Deaf community, specialized terms or neologisms tend not to spread as unified sign language. If sign language interpreters use different signs individually, it becomes difficult for Deaf people to access related information.”

Nursing Facility

The new sign languages will be used in government announcements (briefings) and so forth. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language plan to continuously investigate the status of sign language use and select and distribute sign languages that are likely to be widely used.

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