Francophone African Sign Language
From AASL
| Language name | Francophone African Sign Language |
|---|---|
| Region | Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon |
Language name
Francophone African Sign Language
Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone (LSAF) (in French)
Region
Population of signers
Language family
Dialects
Linguistic characteristics
A pidgin sign language created with American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken French in West and Central Africa. It contains the vocabulary of ASL and the grammar of spoken french. Not related to LSF (French Sign Language).
History
In 1974, Andrew J. Foster, an American Deaf missionary, started to found schools for the deaf in French-speaking West and Central Africa. In this schooling project, African Deaf teachers and children used ASL vocabulary with spoken/written French. This mixed communication method became a common natural language transmitted and used among Deaf communities in many African countries today.
Related sign languages
American Sign Language (ASL): one of the origins of Francophone African Sign Language (LSAF)
Ghanaian Sign Language: a sign language created under the influence of ASL in Ghana, English-speaking country
Nigerian Sign Language: sign language created under the influence of ASL in Nigeria, English-speaking country
Related spoken languages
French
Institutes, associations and universities
Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (ILCAA-TUFS): Sponsored the language training course "Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone [LSAF]" in the summer 2008 (intensive language class for 5 weeks with a Deaf native signer from Cameroon). A DVD dictionary and a grammar book were edited.
Dictionaries
Kamei, Nobutaka ed. 2008. DVD : Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone (LSAF). Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Tamomo, Serge. 1994. Le langage des signes du sourd Africain Francophone. Cotonou, Bénin: PEFISS.
Bibliography
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2009. Research on Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone (LSAF): How to share the product of the DVD sign language dictionary project. In: Lingua-Culture Contextual Studies in Ethnic Conflicts of the World (LiCCOSEC) (Research Institute for World Languages, Osaka University). 8 (Annual report (2008)): 367-380.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2009. A contact sign language made of ASL and French: French-speaking West and Central Africa. In: Kaji, Shigeki & Yukitoshi Sunano eds. Languages and societies in Africa: Life in multilingual situations. Tokyo: Sangensha Publishers Inc. 519-551.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2008. On va signer en Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone! Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2006. History of Deaf people and sign languages in Africa: Fieldwork in the "kingdom" derived from Andrew J. Foster. Tokyo: Akashi Shoten. [2007 JASID Award for Excellent Work by Young Researchers, Japan Society for International Development, November 2007]
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2006. The birth of Langue des Signes Franco-Africaine: Creole ASL in West and Central French-speaking Africa. In: Online conference paper of Languages and Education in Africa Conference (LEA2006). Oslo: University of Oslo. (June 19-22, 2006).
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2006. The Birth of Langue des Signes Franco-Africaine : Creole ASL in West and Central French-Speaking Africa. In Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 59(2006.03):67-68.[ Report of the session at the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Washington DC Dec. 1. 2005 7:45 PM–9:30 PM. "Endangered World Languages : Sign Languages and Their Variations". Including information of Benin, Cameroon and Gabon ]
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2006. The Deaf in Africa (12) In the era of globalization. In Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 59(2006.03):82-89.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2005. The Deaf in Africa (11) Multiple aspects of apartheid. In Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 58(2005.12):46-53.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2005. The Deaf in Africa (10) Teacher training by the Deaf Foster generation of today. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 57(2005.09):41-47.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2005. The Deaf in Africa (9) Teacher training by the Deaf. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 56(2005.06):45-52.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2004. The Deaf in Africa (8) Total communication by Foster. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 54(2004.12):58-64.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2004. The Deaf in Africa (7) Expansion of missionary education for the Deaf appendix : A letter from Benin. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 53(2004.09):56-62.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2004. The Deaf in Africa (6) Foster, Father of deaf education in Africa. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 52(2004.06):47-54.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2004. The Deaf in Africa (5) Deaf views of America In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 51(2004.03):55-62.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2003. The Deaf in Africa (4) Controversies over foreign sign languages. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 50(2003.12):44-53.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2003. The Deaf in Africa (3) Sign languages introduced into Africa. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 49(2003.09):58-65.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2003. The Deaf in Africa (2) Sign Languages used in Africa. In: Sign Language Communication Studies(Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 47(2003.03):50-55.
Kamei, Nobutaka. 2002. The Deaf in Africa (1) Nations and the Deaf in Africa. In: Sign Language Communication Studies (Japan Institute for Sign Language Studies, Japanese Federation of the Deaf) 46(2002.12):26-32.
Researchers
Kamei, Nobutaka (Since 1997 in Cameroon, Gabon, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire)
History of sign language research
In February-March 2010, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cote d'Ivoire
In October 2008, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cote d'Ivoire
In February-March 2008, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cameroon
In October-November 2007, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cameroon
In February-March 2005, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cameroon
In August-September 2004, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Benin
In February-March 2003, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Gabon
In September-December 2002, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cameroon
In February 1997 - March 1998, fieldwork by Kamei Nobutaka in Cameroon
