Are you involved in devising or revising an orthography and want some guidance on how to approach the task? Would you like to experience community-based participatory orthography design? There will be a week-long community-based orthography design workshop at SILA, on campus in Kangaroo Ground, 10-14 November. To find out more or sign up, follow this link: https://www.sila.org.au/event/2025-orthography-workshop/ #sila #silaustralia #orthography (fb)

Did you know that there are over 150 documented sign languages? And hundreds more which are yet to be recorded? For the 70+ million deaf people worldwide, these languages are important for flourishing. They matter, because the people who use them matter. Sign languages, however, can be commonly misunderstood. Let’s bust three common myths about sign languages. Myth #1: Sign languages don’t have rules. Sign languages merit the title of ‘language’ like any spoken language. They follow complex grammatical rules and structures, and have rich lexicons. A sign language is not a spoken language simply expressed with visual signs, and sign languages often develop independently of spoken languages. Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language is a fascinating case study, having developed without the influence of other languages in a historically isolated community where many members experience congenital deafness. Myth #2: Sign language is universal. A user of Armenian Sign Language will understand a user of Swedish Sign Language similarly to how an Armenian speaker will understand a Swedish speaker: very minimally, if at all. There are similarities across different sign languages, but on the whole, sign languages are not mutually intelligible. They even develop dialects and pidgins, like spoken languages do. Myth #3: Only deaf people use sign languages. Sign languages are important for deaf people and are rooted in Deaf communities across the world. However, anyone can use sign languages. They are a significant means of connecting Deaf and Hearing communities. #sila #silaustralia #IDSL2025 #IDSL (fb)