Sign language for beginners in Europe - Spread the sign

<< Background >>The desire to continue a long-time project – Spreadthesign – and the drive to provide a more innovative approach to make sign language (SL) contentavailable and accessible in different European countries, was what led us to the idea for this project. On one hand, we aimed to keep addressing thetarget group needs – deaf pupils, their teachers, and families – namely through the production of new content in SL for beginners, which was an area tobe explored since many of those teachers and families were hearing and lacked knowledge and vocabulary in SL. That way, through the products weproduced, we intended to contribute to expanding their skills and competencies in SL and, therefore, to establish better communication processes withtheir deaf pupils and children. This was an undeniable right of the deaf, to have access to education, culture, information, and other aspects of social life,in their own language, the sign language. In this way, a new sign language – Serbian SL – was also added to the Spreadthesign dictionary, increasing thenumber of partners and sign languages represented, and also providing more opportunities for the Serbian deaf and hearing to develop their SL skills andpromote accessibility.<< Objectives >>The goal of implementing the project was to develop content and materials in the sign languages of 16 partner countries, making them accessible to deafpupils and other beginners through a mobile app and a website. The project aimed to promote literacy for the deaf, enhance communication between thehearing and the deaf, foster inclusivity, and provide an educational platform where deaf pupils can learn about different national traditions, geography, andculture in their own national sign language. Additionally, the project seeked to expand vocabulary through an e-learning quiz, aiding cognitivedevelopment and academic success. A key milestone was incorporating Serbian Sign Language, with 10,168 words/signs, making it accessible online forthe first time. The partnership of 16 organizations aimed to make sign language knowledge more widespread while promoting digital education andawareness of the European context.<< Implementation >>The project implemented several activities, including:Development of a sign language learning tool – A resource for beginners containing everyday vocabulary, sentences, expressions, dialogues and shorttexts.Creation of video content in sign language – Each partner country contributed by producing videos presenting their respective sign languages.Designing an educational quiz – A game-like quiz was developed to help deaf pupils learn the content in an engaging way.Incorporation of Serbian Sign Language – A new partner (Serbia) was added to expand the Spreadthesign dictionary, increasing the available content forEuropean deaf individuals.Project meetings – Both physical and virtual meetings were conducted, including sign language interpreters, to develop pedagogical scripts andeducational materials.Hybrid meeting implementation – If necessary due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid meetings were held to ensure flexibility in achieving project goals.Testing and proofreading – The translations, videos, quiz, and mobile app were tested with teachers and deaf pupils from each country to refine the finalproduct based on user feedback.Dissemination of results – Each partner shared the final products within their networks.<< Results >>The concrete outputs and results of the project include:Development of a mobile app for sign language learningA new innovative feature that allows beginners to learn sign language (SL) through an intuitive and attractive interface.Expansion of the Spreadthesign dictionaryThe project builds upon the existing sign language dictionary (www.spreadthesign.com), making it more accessible and comprehensive with additionalsign language content.Creation of new SL contentCountry presentations in sign video format and an educational quiz were developed to enhance learning.Increased awareness and accessibility – By using digital platforms (website and mobile app), more people can learn and access SL anytime andanywhere.Enhanced pedagogical and learning toolsThe new materials support teachers of the deaf in their educational efforts.Greater impact in deaf schools across EuropeDue to the existing widespread use of the Spreadthesign dictionary, the newly developed app and features will immediately benefit many deaf schools.Promotion of social inclusionThe project contributes to increased literacy, social participation, and awareness about deaf communities in various countries.Long-term educational and cultural impact