Sign Language of the Netherlands
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A language of Netherlands
20,500 in Netherlands, all users. L1 users: 15,000 in Netherlands (2019 EUD). Population estimates vary widely, in part because they count different things: 15,000 deaf sign language users (2019 EUD), about 0.1% of total population; 10,000–13,000 deaf or severely hard of hearing (Dovenschap brochure); 10,500 deaf and 5,500 hearing sign language users (Crasborn 2001); 45,000 deaf, 495,000 hard of hearing (2005 National Hearing Foundation); 86,500 deaf (2014 IMB). L2 users: 5,500 (1997 Commissie Nederlandse Gebarentaal). Total users in all countries: 22,800 (as L1: 17,300; as L2: 5,500).
Scattered.
5 (Developing).
Groningen, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Brabant, Standard. In addition to the standardized variety, five dialects developed around the original five deaf schools (Stoop 2014), and there is a seventh associated with the unique home for deaf elderly people.
Vigorous. Deaf schools. Deaf associations. Used by all. Also use Dutch [nld].
Literacy rate in L2: Although word identification skills of deaf children were comparable to hearing peers, overall reading comprehension averaged at the first grade level in a sample of approximately 500 deaf students ages 6–20 (Wauters 2005). TV. Theater. Dictionary. Grammar. Agency: Deaf Association of the Netherlands.
499 working sign language interpreters (2019 EUD). Organizations for SLN teachers and interpreters. A sign center (Nederlands Gebarencentrum) develops NGT teaching materials and studies NGT lexicography. Research on NGT done at University of Amsterdam and Radboud University. Although NGT recommended for official recognition by a special committee, the Dutch government has not recognized the language (Schermer 2012). Taught as L2 (e.g. parents of deaf children). Teachers at deaf schools and interpreters have official college-level training. Secular, Christian.