New Zealand Sign Language an OFFICIAL language of NZ!!!

bree

bree

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WOOOT!! This is big deafie news. There is a Press Release out stating that New Zealand Sign Language will be an official language of NZ.
For Americans out there, think of Canada and their two official languages of English and French. Both have to be provided by law. New Zealand is already similar where they have English and Mauri (the language of the native New Zealanders) officially recognized, and both have to be provided by law.
This is BIG news not just for the deaf 'Kiwis', but for deafies everywhere. I know of no other place where a sign language is an official language of a country. This should set a precedent that will enable more formal recognition of sign languages.

Yay KIWIS!!!!

edit: fixed link
 
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I thought New Zealand Deaf people would use BSL ?? I have meet them at DeafWay. They use BSL ?
 
regardless of it all ALL Sign langauge should be reconized and all spoken languges should always be used as well, to the poeple of the world and the walks of life we shouldn't be amonished for what signs we use, we just should be used for our rights and reconized as part of the langagues when we fill in SS applications or any types, So poeple will know what langauges we use!
 
NZSL is descended from BSL, but its not the same thing. Sort of similar to LSF (French) and ASL.

The thing that i find key here is the distinction between recognizing it as a language, and recognizing it as an official language.
If the language is just recognized, that means 'yes, the language exists, but we don't use it'. This just provides the legal framework for such things as requiring interpreters, and for recognizing it as a subject for a 'foreign' language class.
Government doesn't have to do much except accommodate the 'foreign' language user when needed.

If it is recognized officially, then you have a whole new beast. The language then is put on an equal standing to other 'official' languages. so ANYWHERE you have services provided in one language, you have to provide it in the other. Thus, this policy means NZ has to provide and use NZSL *EVERYWHERE*

WOW
 
Yep! Kiwi here! :D

I'm in New Zealand, and this is very cool! BC of this, there are now sign classes in most cities so ppl are learning sign! before, not many knew even little bit of sign.

NZSL is not BSL, and we don't use BSL ever here. (Sorry Sabrina, maybe it just look like BSL to you, bc it a bit different to yours?) A very long time ago, BSL was introduced here by Brit imigrants (NZ is a Brit colony like OZ). NZSL is a very distant decendant of BSL, but much closer cousin of Auslan, we also have some borrowed sign from ASL, but not that much.

My city is quite small, but we now have TWO places teaching sign. Before, you had to move/travel to one of the few big cities, so nobody bothered unless they want to work with deafies.

Now, already people can do basic sign to me, and it's already MUCH easier, than always lipread anyway!

Bree, I think you meant Maori, which is the language of the indiginous NZ ppl. Hey, I know all 3 languages! :D
 
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