Standardizing Chinese Sign Language: Navigating Confusion and Progress

Learning Chinese Sign Language (CSL) can be a bewildering experience due to its inherent diversity. CSL is best understood as an umbrella term rather than a single, well-defined language. It encompasses various forms, including "Signed Chinese" (shoushi hanyu), which directly transcribes written Chinese into signs, and "Natural Sign Language" (ziran shouyu), the language used by native deaf signers in China, featuring distinct syntax, grammar, and facial expressions. Further complicating matters are other described types like "Literary Sign Language" (wenfa shouyu) and "Society Sign Language" (shehui shouyu), with these terms often overlapping or being used interchangeably. Since 2018, the government has actively promoted "Guojia Tongyong Shouyu," or "Chinese General Sign Language" (CGSL). This standardized form aims to be the sign language equivalent of Standard Mandarin. By incorporating elements from natural sign languages, CGSL is intended to be less alienating to native deaf speakers, moving away from a standard based solely on spoken or written Chinese. However, it remains uncertain whether deaf Chinese themselves perceive it as a "natural sign language." For learners, a user-friendly app based on the official CGSL lexicon exists, offering daily quizzes and demonstrations. Yet, this resource suffers from a lack of lexemes, with basic words like "curious" or "already" missing. The lexicon also reflects political priorities, listing an entry for "Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League" while omitting the practical word "weekend." Notably absent are terms related to sexuality or "taboo" body parts, posing challenges for interpreters in specific contexts, such as gynecologist visits. Past learning experiences often involved rigid, pre-CGSL instruction lacking facial cues and grammar, failing to reflect how deaf Chinese actually communicate. Attempting to learn from native speakers proved difficult due to regional and individual variations in signing, making it hard to discern the "correct" form. Studies indicate that a significant percentage of deaf individuals struggle to understand signed Chinese in official media, potentially due to "pointless formalism" (xingshi zhuyi) where legal requirements for sign language provision are met without ensuring comprehensibility for the deaf audience. Despite these challenges, there are growing signs of awareness and interest in sign language issues within Chinese academia and society. Social media platforms are vibrant hubs where content creators discuss different sign languages, teach others, and humorously critique non-native signing. Encouragingly, some deaf users are also engaging in discussions about governmental policies affecting them, albeit this might reflect a broader neglect of the deaf community. With the perceived decline of "Signed Chinese" and the rise of media-savvy younger deaf generations, the future for learners of Chinese Sign Language appears increasingly promising.