Also Known As:
Natürliche Gebärde, Deutschschweizerische Gebärdensprache, DSGS
Dialects & Varieties
- Basel
- Bern
- Lucerne
- St. Gallen
- Zurich
Transmission of sign languages in Northern Europe
Transmission of sign languages in Northern Europe
Endangered
80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
5,500
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 4
Less than half of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing at an accelerated pace.
4
Transmission
Transmission 2
Most adults in the community are speakers, but children generally are not.
2
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
Switzerland, Liechtenstein
Location Description
Swiss German cantons
Government Support
Recognized, but not official; government resources in sign languages; several government acts of support for sign languages; subsidies for sign language classes; inter-cantonal training of sign language teachers and of sign language interpreters
Institutional Support
Center for higher education for signing deaf students, Swiss Federation of the Deaf (SGB-FSS), television program
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Swiss-French Sign Language, Swiss-Italian Sign Language, other sign languages
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
Sign Writing Notation
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
Resources available on the web
Recent Resources
Message informatif
No results found.
"There are currently more materials available for DSGS than for the other Swiss languages, although the newly nationalized Swiss Deaf Association is currently making plans for producing such products for LSF-SR and LIS-SI as well."