Did you know Original Bangkok Sign Language is critically endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Old Bangkok Sign Language
CLASSIFICATION		Sign Language, Southeast Asian
CODE AUTHORITY		LINGUIST List
LANGUAGE CODE		1kw
DOWNLOAD		As csv
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		"OBSL is an original sign language that developed among deaf people living in Bangkok in the Central Area of Thailand long before the first school for deaf people was established in 1951. Like users of other typical original sign languages, Deaf people who use OBSL have a separate Deaf Linguistic Identify... The massive introduction of American Sign Language vocabulary into the Thai deaf educational system severed the historical connection between OBSL and Modern Thai Sign Language." (Woodward & Suwanarat, 2015)

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Information from: “Original Bangkok Sign Language” (677–686 ch. 28) . Woodward, James, and Kampol Suwanarat (2015) , Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor · De Gruyter Mouton

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~495
Native speakers worldwide
CHILDREN
0
YOUNG ADULTS
0
ELDERS
~495
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Bangkok, the real number of signers is unknown. However, some estimate of the number of signers can be made... Using United Nations estimates for urban areas of 1 person out of every 1,000 person born profoundly deaf or becoming profoundly deaf at an early age, there would be an estimate of 495 deaf people over the age of sixty-five living in the area where OBSL is used."

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"OBSL is currently only used in very limited social situations. Instead MTSL replaces OBSL in almost all interaction. Because of this situation, OBSL is a highly endangered sign language. It is quite likely that if documentation of OBSL is not completed in one generation that OBSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OBSL."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Mordern Thai Sign Language (MTSL)

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"OBSL was never used in any schools for deaf people. Currently, all users of OBSL are also fluent in MTSL. All users of OBSL are over the age of sixty-five and no younger signers are currently learning OBSL."

PLACES: Thailand

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Bangkok

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
600-1,300
Native speakers worldwide
CHILDREN
0
YOUNG ADULTS
0
OLDER ADULTS
0
ELDERS
600-1.300
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
600-1,300 users (2012); signers over the age of 60.

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The only people who have any knowledge of OBSL are people over the age of sixty. These older signers are bilingual in OBSL and Modern Thai Sign Language, but now they rarely use OBSL. It is quite likely that if documentation of OBSL is not completed in one generation that OBSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OBSL.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

There has never been an organization associated with Original Bangkok Sign Language or its use.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Modern Thai Sign Language

PLACES: Thailand

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Bangkok and surrounding provinces

Original Bangkok Sign Language

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~495

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600-1,300

Discussion

					2012	Personal Communication on sign languages															James Woodward	James Woodward. 2012. "Personal Communication on sign languages."		0		0		600-1,300		100-999	600-1,300 users (2012); signers over the age of 60.		600-1.300			Modern Thai Sign Language					There has never been an organization associated with Original Bangkok Sign Language or its use.		Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		The only people who have any knowledge of OBSL are people over the age of sixty. These older signers are bilingual in OBSL and Modern Thai Sign Language, but now they rarely use OBSL. It is quite likely that if documentation of OBSL is not completed in one generation that OBSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OBSL.	15	15			Thailand	Bangkok and surrounding provinces	13.727,100.524
9781614518174					2015	Original Bangkok Sign Language	Sign Languages of the World	677–686		Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor		De Gruyter Mouton					28				Woodward, James, and Kampol Suwanarat	Woodward, James, and Kampol Suwanarat. (2015). Original Bangkok Sign Language. In Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor (eds.), Sign Languages of the World, pp. 677–686. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.				0		~495		100-999	"Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Bangkok, the real number of signers is unknown. However, some estimate of the number of signers can be made... Using United Nations estimates for urban areas of 1 person out of every 1,000 person born profoundly deaf or becoming profoundly deaf at an early age, there would be an estimate of 495 deaf people over the age of sixty-five living in the area where OBSL is used."		~495		all	Mordern Thai Sign Language (MTSL)		no		"OBSL was never used in any schools for deaf people. Currently, all users of OBSL are also fluent in MTSL. All users of OBSL are over the age of sixty-five and no younger signers are currently learning OBSL."	no	all	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15		"OBSL is currently only used in very limited social situations. Instead MTSL replaces OBSL in almost all interaction. Because of this situation, OBSL is a highly endangered sign language. It is quite likely that if documentation of OBSL is not completed in one generation that OBSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OBSL."	15	15			Thailand	Bangkok

Original Bangkok Sign Language

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~495

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600-1,300

Discussion

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