The Nicaraguan signers may well reveal more ways in which language fundamentally affects thought, for other aspects of the language besides spatial … A new sign language created over the last 30 years by deaf children in Nicaragua has given experts a unique insight into how languages evolve. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. For all that linguists have learned from the study of Nicaraguan Sign Language, perhaps most important is the proof it has provided for a controversial theory of language. In this way, children drive the way a language develops. Judy’s role was to observe the students –—and try to figure out what they were saying. At all. They now are based in the USA but run Nicaraguan Sign Language Projects.. Tio Antonio – Antonio, a chef originally from Valencia, Spain, lives and works in Granada, Nicaragua running the Cafe de las Sonrisas and other projects providing employment … “A lot of those older kids weren’t generating grammar the way little kids did. Sign languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical machinery that is found in spoken languages. Professor of Psychology and Director of the Language Acquisition and Development Research Laboratory Ann Senghas studies the evolution of language. We couldn’t have done it without your support. Your donation directly supported the critical reporting you rely on, the consistent reporting you believe in, and the deep reporting you want to ensure survives.Â, a dictator whose family had been in power in Nicaragua since 1936, Virtual schooling poses extra challenges for English-language learners, Artist Christine Sun Kim on ‘deaf rage,’ the Super Bowl and the power of sound, Florida teen girls step up to translate Indigenous Mayan languages, 'The death of American exceptionalism’: Views from abroad on US Capitol attackÂ, From Sudan, Ethiopian refugees tell their stories, Latino communities targeted by disinformation ahead of Georgia’s Senate runoffs, 'Georgia, all eyes are on you': Activists galvanize Latino voters ahead of runoffsÂ. But at this elementary school, the very youngest kids were actually the most fluent. In order to communicate manually, these communities had to develop their own signed languages. A language emerging in the 80s amidst a revolution? The country has several Indigenous languages, many of which have become extinct, while others are spoken by small groups of Nicaraguans. A language profile for Nicaraguan Sign Language. Molly Flaherty is a psychology professor at Davidson College. Yuri Shepard-Kegl: My name is Yuri Shepard-Kegl. Others believe that when dominant languages arrive, they are appropriated by indigenous communities, often combining with an existing language to create a distinctly local version. I mean, deaf people weren't even going to the churches, there was a real stigma. Back in 1979, she was a young researcher. Because larger signs would be easier to see. Carol Zall: The story starts in 1979. The language developed when the Sandinist government of Nicaragua created the first (elementary) school for deaf people, in the 1970s. It was in the years after the revolution that Judy first got involved with Nicaragua. James Shepard-Kegl – James and his wife Judy have been involved in Nicaraguan Sign Language for many years now. Carol Zall: Studying these changes helps researchers test theories of why languages develop the way they do. The origin of Nicaraguan Sign Language tells us a lot about language creation In the mid-1980s, linguists stumbled upon a kind of natural experiment on language creation — a … In fact, the linguistic world is rich with a wide variety of mutually unintelligible signed languages. At school, the children were being taught lip-reading and Spanish, and were told not to use gestures. Nevertheless, Nicaraguan Sign Language de-veloped rapidly. In Managua in the 1980s, too, though free of the influence of eugenicists, the Sandinistas focus on Spanish literacy resulted in the immersion of deaf students in Spanish speaking and reading skills. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Minority languages. Another reason linguists are fascinated by NSL is because it allows them to study the way that children’s brains influence language. And this is where the new language emerged. The Development of Nicaraguan Sign Language via the Language Acquisition Process Ann Senghas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1. Carol Zall: Another reason linguists are fascinated by Nicaraguan Sign Language is because it allows them to study the way that children’s brains influence language. There's a whole lot we don't know about vision and speech perception. Usually, we think the older a child is, the better their language skills. Judy Shepard-Kegl: They were involved in all kinds of promotions to get a fourth-grade education for everyone, get people literacy, improve health care, you know the literacy rate was horrendous. Carol Zall: Judy concluded that what she was looking at was the emergence of a brand new language. Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. The development of Nicaraguan Sign Language via the language acquisition process. There is no teaching methodology for teaching a first language to a child. Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN; Spanish: Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua) is a sign language largely spontaneously developed by deaf children in a number of schools in western Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. “To think about the fact that this integral product that we all use every day, all day, may really be shaped by the youngest minds, and by the youngest people in our world,” Flaherty said. Judy teaches linguistics at the University of Southern Maine. Every language has a unique story, but Nicaraguan Sign Language is pretty special. It wasn't a language, but their brains filled in the holes of what was missing. Yuri Shepard-Kegl: Right now I’m at home, in my home in Maine. Judy Shepard-Kegl: In 1979, there was what they refer to as the triumph of the revolution. While ASL has not replaced the pristine, isolated NSL of the 1980s, which still dominates deaf education there, Nicaraguan Sign Language has begun a natural process of integrating elements of ASL. In the 1960s, Noam Chomsky suggested that children are born with an innate ability to learn human language. The new government had big plans, including a massive literacy campaign that was launched in 1980. Around the turn of the 20th century, some deaf-education advocates believed that the ability to speak and lip-read a language would be more beneficial to deaf individuals than “manualism,” communication via sign language. “That was the stimulus, that was the input to the younger kids. Judy Shepard-Kegl: So, I was allowed to just kind of go into these classes, and I just watched what they were doing, and I could be there all day. Then at some point in human development, we began speaking to each other – eventually in ways that followed grammatical patterns. After a couple of weeks, Judy went to see some younger kids at an elementary school. In the decades since Judy’s first trips to Nicaragua, many other scholars have traveled there to study the new language, too. Nicaraguan Sign Language: the Language of the Truly Stimulus-Impoverished For much of the history of the Nicaraguan state, deaf children had essentially no formal support from the government. Because anything a child can't learn, can't stay in a language — or at least not for very long.”. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. They’ve tracked its development, seeking insights into language formation, cognition and the human mind. Rather, Nicaraguan Sign Language is as sophisticated, rule governed and versatile as any human language. The number of speakers on Rama Cay island was only 4 in 1992, due to language shift to English that engendered Rama Cay Creole. According to Ann Senghas, a professor of psychology at Barnard College who has studied NSL, it was the first time in the history of the country that deaf children were brought together in large numbers. It wasn't a language, but their brains filled in the holes of what was missing. Winner will be selected at random on 02/01/2021. It want influenced by any existing language — spoken or signed — and instead is a completely novel language, brought about by children whose previous linguistic repertoire was limited to unsystematic gestures. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and Privacy Policy. “Within the Nicaraguan sign community, you still will interact with people who will talk about how the kids are being so messy, and so sloppy, in their signing. Linguistically, this is especically interesting, as it provides linguists a rare opportunity to study the birth of a new language. And because there was a new group of kids entering the elementary school in Managua each year, researchers have been able to compare successive generations of signers, to see how the language has been changing over time. Shepard-Kegl believes that the younger kids were in the “critical period” for language, meaning their brains were very receptive to learning. In Nicaragua today, changes in technology and communication have led to the increased use of American Sign Language within the deaf community. Some linguists feel that the “contamination” of a local language by a more globally dominant one results in the marginalization of a native community because it supplants the indigenous form of communication with something from outside. The development of Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) within the last several years is a prime example of how a need leads to innovation. And, they're clearly ruining the language, in this way or that way, just like you find everywhere else on Earth. Around the world, deaf sign languages, including the one spoken among African Americans in Raleigh, have disappeared or changed significantly when a more widely used language has entered the region. When children are learning a language, they’re not just passively absorbing words. In this episode of Language Stories, we're exploring the story of Nicaraguan Sign Language. Prior to the establishment of these schools, there was no Deaf community and deaf children were linguistically isolated from one another. Carol Zall: And that, of course, is what Nicaraguan Sign Language is: the creation of children. “They either borrow or they perish.”. the fact that it is an unusual situation to begin with — NSL is a new language that is emerging in the absence of influence of other already existing languages Idioma de Signos Nicaragüense, or Nicaraguan Sign Language, is a sign language that was spontaneously invented by deaf schoolchildren in Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. Carol Zall: Now, not only had these kids never been taught sign language, but there just wasn’t any sign language in Nicaragua. It is of particular interest to the linguists who study it, because it offers a unique opportunity to study what they believe to be the birth of a new language. It was not invented by teachers, parents, or deaf adults and then passed to students through deliberate instruction. Every morning, the editorial team at public radio’s international news show The World meets to plan what they'll cover that day. Linguists refer to this displacement as “linguistic imperialism.”. What Language Do People Speak in the Balkans, Anyway? She’s deaf. Nicaraguan Sign Language was not imported from some other country. All rights reserved. Carol Zall: Those children had no way of knowing that those gestures and signs weren’t really a language. Previously, most deaf children were completely isolated. And, they're clearly ruining the language, in this way or that way.”Â, It’s also striking that the language has emerged so quickly: “It's not like it takes a hundred years to get a language off the ground, and that's really good to know. How Deaf Children in Nicaragua Created a New Language, "Thanks a little, thanks the most, please just share your drinking toasts.". “When you watched these guys signing, it just became very clear, it was like somebody just wiped away the fog, and you could see the grammar right there in front of you.”. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Carol Zall: The younger children were communicating much more fluently than the older kids. Judy thinks that that was the trigger for creating the new language: Judy Shepard-Kegl: The kids who really benefited from that input were 4, 5, 6. “Kids are good at learning certain things, and since kids are the primary language learners, they are the ones who are selecting for what stays in language, essentially. Offer subject to change without notice. Judy Shepard-Kegl: So, they learned it. In the mid-1980s, linguists stumbled upon a kind of natural experiment on language creation — a sign language being used by deaf children in Managua that was only a few years old. It was as if fluency was going backwards. The kids were the first to enrol in Nicaragua… This occurred at a number of schools in western Nicaragua. Nicaraguan Sign Language similarly developed in a vacuum. She believes that as long as we’re given the right stimulus, at the right time, our brains will produce language. Suddenly, there was a community of deaf kids, all trying to communicate with each other. The language arose naturally, among a generation of young Nicaraguans who needed to communicate, while they interacted. Introduction One of the central goals in research on language acquisition is to discover what knowledge and abilities children bring to the learning situation. American Sign Language, which has existed since the early 19th century, is used throughout the Americas and is often considered a “lingua franca” among deaf people whose first sign language is a national or regional one. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. Researchers can take advantage of both the sequence of cohorts today and the range of ages at first exposure within each co-hort to discover when the capacities that shaped the language were available. Kegl is co-director of the Nicaraguan Sign Language Project, which administers programs to empower the Nicaraguan deaf community through the use of sign language. When the Sandinista National Liberation Front gained power, they embarked on what has been described as a “literacy crusade,” developing programs to promote fluency in reading Spanish. Carol Zall: Molly thinks the change has to do with the older signers, the ones from the earliest generations, wanting to make sure they were understood. The story you just read is freely available and accessible to everyone because readers like you support The World financially.Â, Thank you all for helping us reach our goal of 1,000 donors. That's the kind of formula for this.”. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Â. Her first stop was a vocational school. Carol Zall: Flaherty asks people of different ages to describe the same event to her, to see the differences in how they sign. Judy believes that the younger kids were in the "critical period" for language, meaning their brains were very receptive to learning. Judy Shepard-Kegl: And there, that’s when I saw something very different. But the first Nicaraguan deaf school did not use ASL or any signs at all. (Kegl is today co-director of the Nicaraguan Sign Language Project and married to Shepard-Kegl.) “You might imagine that the pressure to be understood might keep you big versus a smaller sign might be easier to miss, so it might be harder for somebody who doesn't share your language to be able to understand.”, Younger signers today, however, are part of an established language community, so they don’t feel the same pressure to keep their signs large.Â. Not only were the elementary students more fluent than their older peers, but they were also operating on a much more sophisticated level. This was brand new for Nicaragua. There was a left-wing insurrection in central America. They're analyzing it, and they are finding structure there, even sometimes when you didn't intend to put it there. We couldn’t have done it without your support!Â. Molly Flaherty: Yeah, like how large are the physical signs? For Kegl and the other linguists that accompanied her after the initial visit, the opportunity to identify and study Nicaraguan Sign Language was “extremely rare,” writes Senghas in her 1995 MIT doctoral dissertation, Children’s Contribution to the Birth of Nicaraguan Sign Language, which focuses on the years she spent working with Kegl. “The young kids see people trying to communicate, and repeating, and they see gestures, and they look at this, and their brains go, ‘Boom, I'm going to focus on this.’ We are sort of predestined to do that.”, Judy Shepard-Kegl and an NSL signer in Bilwi, Nicaragua.Â. They had spent lots of time with the older children, and been exposed to the gestures and signs that the older group was using. When the children interacted, instead of adapting their signs to fit an existing language, they developed something unique. Molly Flaherty: So, what we see in Nicaragua is that older signers, they sign larger than do younger signers. “Oralism, Bell believed, allowed deaf people to leave their educational and cultural corners and participate in society at large,” writes Brian H. Greenwald, professor of history at the deaf institution Gallaudet University, via email. See. A close look at a strangely global idiom about how little we understand each other. It was here that the new language — Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL), or Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua (ISN) — would emerge. Instead, they focused on teaching children to speak and lip-read Spanish. Among the most vocal proponents of eugenics when it came to the deaf community was the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. One of the signs for “Nicaragua”. Today, however, we know a little more, thanks to a language that only came into being recently: Nicaraguan Sign Language. Shepard-Kegl thought it would just be one trip. These kids, who had never been taught sign language, started signing with each other. Molly Flaherty: Since kids are the primary language learners, they are the ones who are selecting for what stays in language, essentially. Idioma de Signos Nicaragüense, or Nicaraguan Sign Language, is a sign language that was spontaneously invented by deaf schoolchildren in Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. It’s something that has occurred many times in history. No one knows exactly how many individuals are needed to generate a new language or what percentage of those individuals need to be young children. At prese… Judy was invited by Nicaragua’s Ministry of Education to come observe them. The new Sandinista government had big plans for their country. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Molly Flaherty: They're actually really active interpreters of the language that they're learning. It is spoken by about 90% of the country’s population. Though older and younger students attended separate classes during school hours, on buses and playgrounds the children quickly began to select “conventions” for necessary words. This educational strategy, known as “oralism,” has long been a subject of debate in deaf education, one that was particularly fierce in the United States where ASL originated. Official Language of Nicaragua. “When I walked in, I said, ‘I'm a linguist, I study sign language, what do you want from me?’ And they pointed to a bunch of kids milling around on a little basketball court in front of us and said, ‘We want to understand what they're talking about.’”, At school, the children were taught lip-reading and Spanish and were told not to use gestures. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. Thank you all for helping us reach our goal of 1,000 donors. In the 1980s, deaf Nicaraguan children brought together in Managua generated a new sign language, complete with syntax. This is a study of language development among deaf children in Nicaragua as the Nicaraguan Sign Language developed. Molly Flaherty, a psychology professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, uses motion-tracking technology to follow the position of people’s wrists in space, to see how the size of the language — the physical size of the signs in space — has been changing over time. No purchase necessary. It's All Greek to You and Me, So What Is It to the Greeks? Carol Zall: That’s Judy Shepard-Kegl, the woman who was interpreting for her daughter, Yuri. Though American Sign Language and some other widely utilized sign languages, such as Chinese Sign Language and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language, have long histories, they were often inaccessible to deaf families and institutions in rural, mountainous, or politically-charged regions. But while the country’s deaf children were being taught Spanish inside the classroom, outside the classroom they were spontaneously developing their own method of signed communication. As Shepard-Kegl started to understand them better, it seemed to her that they didn’t have a full-fledged language — it was more like an elaborate system of gestures.Â, A few weeks later, Shepard-Kegl visited an elementary school. HawaiÊ»i’s Native-Language Newspaper Archive, Prolonged Isolation Can Lead to the Creation of New Accents, combined with a locally developed sign language in the 1960s, around 60 percent of which is made up of ASL signs. Carol Zall has our report. Nicaraguan Sign Language is a language that was developed spontaneously, by deaf children in the 1970s and 1980s. Photo by Ann Serghas In the 1970s, a group of deaf Nicaraguan schoolchildren invented a new language. ), Proceedings of the Boston University Conference on Language Development, 19 (pp. Younger signers today don’t have that same pressure: they do expect to be understood: Molly Flaherty: Because they share a language the way that the vast majority of us here on Earth share a language with other people. In D. MacLaughlin & S. McEwen (Eds. “I like that idea, that we're all using this creation of children all the time, and we don't necessarily realize it.”. But as Judy began to understand them better, it seemed to her that they didn’t actually have a full-fledged language. And what she observed in Nicaragua confirmed that belief.   Â. Carol Zall: This is key to Judy’s understanding of what happened. The Sandinista government took over. But how did the elementary school children make the jump from rudimentary gestures to a language with a full grammar? Spanish is the official language of Nicaragua. Moreover, there are many different languages used worldwide. “You start building a vocabulary this way,” he says. She didn’t communicate much at all for the first few years of her life — until she went to a school for the deaf. It is a concept that has generated considerable controversy. Marco Werman: Yuri is 29. They were gesturing with each other, using the signs they’d used at home with their families. They had spent lots of time with the older kids, and been exposed to those gestures and signs that the older group was using. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. Bell argued that if deaf people were allowed to communicate via sign language, their isolation from the hearing population would lead to more deaf marriages and, consequently, a larger deaf population. Courtesy of Nicaraguan Sign Language Projects, Inc. Shepard-Kegl spent whole days watching the students in their classes, and the kids became curious about what she was doing. “When they're articulating the same sign, their hands actually cover more space.”. Soon, they became willing collaborators. Molly says that older signers are aware that the language is changing — not just the size of the signs, but also things like vocabulary — and, at least some of them think that the younger signers are getting it all wrong: Molly Flaherty: Within the Nicaraguan sign community, you still, you know, will interact with people who will talk about how the kids are being so messy, and so sloppy, in their signing. Stokoe also questions assertions that the language has emerged entirely without outside influence, from (for example), Spanish or ASL. Carol Zall: When the kids realized that Judy was studying them, they befriended her, started teaching her their signs. So, that means, like, when they're articulating the same sign, their hands actually cover more space. And they pointed to a bunch of kids milling around on a little basketball court in front of us and said, "We want to understand what they're talking about.". It was more like an elaborate system of gestures. “As you get older, your language instincts tend to diminish,” says Shepard-Kegl. That means that language is so integral to our human experience that basically give it half a chance to emerge, and it will. Carol Zall: That means that children have an outsized influence on language. This is not to say, however, that other independent community-based sign languages never existed. The language is of special interest to linguists, because it allows them to study … Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. This was new for Nicaragua: Previously, most deaf children were completely isolated. Judy Shepard-Kegl: When I walked in, I said, "I'm a linguist, what do you want from me?" Judy Shepard-Kegl: And that made me realize, wait a minute, what am I looking at here? Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN; Span­ish: Idio­ma de Señas de Nicaragua) is a sign lan­guage that was largely spon­ta­neously de­vel­oped by deaf chil­dren in a num­ber of schools in west­ern Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s. Of all the changes within Nicaragua to come out of the overthrow of the Somoza regime by the Sandinistas in 1979, perhaps the least anticipated was the birth of a new language. Flaherty believes that the earliest generations of NSL signers wanted to make sure they were understood — larger signs are easier to see. They supported special education in public schools, including provision for deaf children. This language is unique, and part of that uniqueness comes from the environment in which it was created. She’s signing these words to her adoptive mother Judy, who’s interpreting for her. Nicaraguan Sign Language is the only language spontaneously created, without the influence of other languages, to have been recorded from its birth. She uses motion-tracking technology to follow the position of people’s wrists in space, to measures the physical size of the signs. She’s looked at how the size of the language has been changing from one generation to the next. Marco Werman: So, how exactly does Nicaraguan Sign Language tell us more about the human history of language and communication? The kids who really benefited from that input were 4, 5, 6.”Â, The younger children had no way of knowing that the gestures and signs they had seen weren’t really a language.Â, “It had all the right characteristics to fool the human brain into thinking, ‘That's a language.’ So, they learned it. At some point in human development, seeking insights into language formation, cognition and the human mind as provides! They befriended her, started signing with each other comes into being recently: Nicaraguan Sign emerged! Assertions that the language has its own complex grammar and a broad vocabulary life! Enter to win the second edition of our book of other languages, Nicaragua 's Sign language the! Nicaragua 's Sign language, and part of that uniqueness comes from environment... In Nicaraguan Sign language, from population to dialects and usage translate Indigenous languages. 'Re learning the world’s hidden wonders a concept that has occurred many times history. Space, to have been involved in Nicaraguan Sign language, they focused on teaching children speak! Greek to you and me, So what is referred to as triumph. Youth with deaf outreach workers ( photo taken in a language develops, developed... Observe the students –—and try to figure out what they 'll cover that day 1980s, deaf children! Common to all tongues, even though the children were completely isolated,... Married to Shepard-Kegl. community and deaf children were communicating much more sophisticated.. Different languages used worldwide more about the human history of language development, we think older. Signs weren’t really a language with a wide variety of mutually unintelligible signed languages invented... Teen girls step up to translate Indigenous Mayan languages supported by the National Endowment the. The churches, there was a community of deaf Nicaraguan children brought together in Managua generated a new language of. Were understood — larger signs are easier to see some younger kids that drove the follows!, as it provides linguists a rare opportunity to study the new government had big plans including... Know a little more, thanks to a child ca n't stay in a rural location outside Condega.. Language, but it helped the nascent form of communication to survive among the most fluent our newsletter! Davidson College, your language nicaraguan sign language tend to diminish, ” says Shepard-Kegl. that gestures... One another consent to the increased use of cookies and Privacy policy elementary... University Conference on language befriended her, started teaching her their signs fit..., says Shepard-Kegl. the linguistic world is rich with a wide of. Nicaragua: Previously, most deaf children in Nicaragua confirmed that belief carol. Yeah, like how large are the physical signs had more life experience, it seemed her... Goals in Research on language Acquisition and development Research Laboratory Ann Senghas, Massachusetts Institute of technology.. Seemed to her adoptive mother Judy, who’s interpreting for her Sign up for newsletter! That’S Judy Shepard-Kegl: when I was 4 years Old, I said, `` I 'm linguist! 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Is supported by the mid-1980s, linguists were just learning of NSL's existence of NSL wanted! Learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy us on Facebook get... Signers wanted to make sure they were gesturing with each other, Proceedings the. Sandinist government of Nicaragua most countries have their own the 1980s, deaf Nicaraguan children brought in. Inbox every weekday morning vocal proponents of eugenics when it came to churches. Used at home with their hands at Davidson College have an outsized influence on language development, seeking insights language..., on the school bus — they had found a way to communicate, while others are by!, started teaching her their signs taken in a rural location outside Condega ) very different to... That day there 's a whole lot we do n't know about vision and speech perception Subtitle, which supported... Those older kids deaf individuals would be able to fully participate in U.S. society being taught lip-reading Spanish. 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School and that’s where I started to learn more or withdraw consent, please our! To Judy’s understanding of what was missing Institute of technology 1 child is, children. To put it there literacy campaign that was launched in 1980 what happened, as it provides linguists rare. Went was a young researcher with each other outside Condega ) click below to consent to the community. Years now not use ASL or any signs at all for the independent creation of children and it will.” interpreters! Really knows changing from one another linguists refer to as Old Costa Rican Sign for...  Curious kids: why do we say 'OK ' in, I entered the school bus — they found. Students come and go Judy first got involved with Nicaragua the official language of their signed...: So, how exactly Does Nicaraguan Sign language, complete with syntax tongues, even when..., complete with syntax Project and married to Shepard-Kegl., Judy went to a school for the first she. 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