Swiss-German Sign Language
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A language of Switzerland
5,500 in Switzerland (Boyes Braem and Rathmann 2010). Approximately 0.1% of total population in German-speaking areas. 10,000 deaf signers in all of Switzerland (2014 EUD). Total users in all countries: 5,540.
Scattered.
5 (Developing). Recognized language (2002, Federal Parliament, Law on Equality for Disabled People).
Regional variation tied to specific schools: Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Zurich (Boyes Braem and Rathmann 2010). Similar to sign language used in the southern parts of Germany. Borrowing from Swiss-French Sign Language [ssr]. (Boyes Braem and Rathmann 2010). Fingerspelling system similar to French Sign Language [fsl].
One-handed fingerspelling.
TV. Theater. Videos. Dictionary. Agencies: Swiss Federation of the Deaf (SGB-FSS); Regionalkomitee Deutschschweiz und Liechtenstein.
Deaf children from the German cantons and the Romansh areas are taught to read standard German [deu]; not the unwritten Swiss-German [gsw] or Romansh [roh] that their parents speak. Some regional lexical variations in German areas tied to specific schools. Status of signing is improving. Strong oralist tradition in schools in German area. Taught as L2. 13,000 hearing signers (all three sign languages) in Switzerland, estimate based on participants in sign language classes. (Boyes Braem and Rathmann 2010). 63 working sign language interpreters (2019 EUD). Christian.