Deaf Culture and Sign Language Programme

Welcome to the wonderful world of sign language where you will use your hands, body and facial expressions to communicate. People use spoken and written languages to relay ideas, feelings, sentiments, share history and culture. Deaf people use sign language to express similarly.

Financial Support

Deaf Culture and Sign Language
Deaf culture is the set of social beliefs, behaviours, art, literary traditions, history, values, and shared institutions of communities that are influenced by deafness and which use sign language as the main means of communication.

Sign language is a general term which refers to a group of languages that are manually produced and visually understood. Sign language is natural to deaf persons who do not orientate their lives to the world of sound. It is not universal though – each nation, state or community with deaf persons will develop its unique sign language.

Singapore Sign Language (SgSL)
  • A language of the Deaf community in Singapore.
  • Visual mode of communication
  • Has own grammar and linguistic structure which is different from those of spoken/written language
  • Does not relate grammatically to any spoken language
Shanghainese Sign Language (SSL)
  • Old version of current Chinese Sign Language (CSL) used in 1950s before it evolved to CSL used by Deaf community in China
  • Visual mode of communication
  • Does not relate grammatically to any spoken language
American Sign Language (ASL)
  • A language of Deaf community in the United States and most of Canada.
  • Visual mode of communication
  • Has own grammar and linguistic structure which is different from those of spoken/written language
  • Does not relate grammatically to any spoken language
Signing Exact English (SEE)
  • Not a language.
  • Manually coded English system in hand signs.
  • Expanded with prepositions, pronouns, affixes, tenses and finger-spelled words to visually represent the English language
  • Similar to Morse code, Braille in English
Pidgin Sign English (PSE)
  • Not a language
  • MIxture of sign language and English in English order.
  • Used by most people who can understand English and do not use SEE

 

Courses and Programmes We Offer
We offer a range of sign language courses and customised Deaf awareness workshops/programmes. We also cater to the needs of frontline professionals such as medical staff, police, emergency and social workers.

See the table of comparison between courses/programmes

Deaf Culture, Community and LanguageSgSL L1-L3 coursesSgSL L4 coursesSgSL WorkshopBSCWork & Professional CourseForeign Sign Language Course
Duration2 hours24 hours
(2 hours x 12 lessons)
16 hours
(2 hours x 8 lessons)
4 hours / 8 hours
24 hours
(customised schedule)
24 hours
(customised schedule)
36 hours
(3 hours x 12 lessons)
LevelsN.A.31N.ACustomised Customised Only one level
Introduction to Sign LanguageYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Cultural InformationYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
Visual Gestural CommunicationNoYesYesYesYesYesNo
Learn Basic SigningNoYesYesYesYesYesYes
Signing sentencesNoYesYesYesNoYesYes
Comprehension skillNoYesYesYesYesNoYes
Conversation skillNoYesYesYesYesYesYes
Storytelling skillNoYesYesNoNoNoYes
AssignmentNoYesYesNoNoNoNo
Test / ExaminationNoYesYesNoNoNoNo
Recommended for Public & Organisations/ GroupPublic & Organisations/ GroupPublic & Organisations/ GroupSchool, organisations or specialised groupPublic who want to learn to sign in English. Organisations or groups who work/serve with Deaf communityPublic those who are interested in learning foreign sign language to communicate with a deaf foreigner
Language RequsiteEnglishEnglishEnglishEnglishEnglishEnglishNo
Purpose Deaf AwarenessCommunication with deaf people

Learning a new language

Potential career such as interpreters, or teacher for the Deaf.
Communication with deaf people

Learning a new language

Potential career such as interpreters, or teacher for the Deaf.
Deaf AwarenessDaily communication based on English. Communicate with deaf clients

Work/serve with Deaf client
-Communication with deaf foreigner.
Click here for more details on the profile of our SgSL Instructors.

 

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