presentation about sign languages

• My presentations

Auth with social network:

Download presentation

We think you have liked this presentation. If you wish to download it, please recommend it to your friends in any social system. Share buttons are a little bit lower. Thank you!

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Sign language.

Published by Melvyn Trevor Wilkins Modified over 8 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Sign language."— Presentation transcript:

Tactile ASL and Fingerspelling Chapter Overview Research on how DB people use Sign Language has barely begun. Some DB people grew up deaf using.

Myths About Deafness. All Deaf people can read lips.

Why iconic gestures aren’t very iconic

5 MINUTE V OICE O FF WITH P ARTNER Please use this time to chat with your partner without using any spoken language.

New Swannington Primary School EYFS Open Evening 2014.

Sarah Funke.  The range from ASL to English is based on the influence of English on ASL  The upbringing of Deaf children and adults influence how.

Communication Methods

Introduction to American Sign Language ASL I 1 st 6 weeks Mrs. McClure.

It’s almost Mid-term time…. are you ready?

English 306A; Doreen Siu AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL)

Developing Active Readers Everyday D.A.R.E

Level 1.  *American Sign Language got it’s basis from French Sign Language  *ASL is a language with it’s own grammar and syntax.  *ASL is capable of.

Understanding Progress in English A Guide for Parents.

Please check, just in case…. APA Tip of the Day: Ampersand When there are two authors for a reference you cite, you need to cite both of them every time.

Learning American Sign Language 101 Target audience 3 rd grade.

Announcement  MIDTERM EXAMINATION next Friday in Lecture  through second syntax lecture (Files covered Monday)

Sign Language SIGN LANGUAGE Used primarily by hearing-impaired people, Uses a different medium: hands, face, and eyes (rather than vocal tract or ears).

Intro to American Sign Language

Sign Language.

Linguistic Transference and Interference: Interpreting Between English and ASL Jeffrey Davis Davis, Jeffrey E Linguistic transference and interference:

About project

© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc. All rights reserved.

• Sign Language
• Popular Categories

Powerpoint Templates

Icon Bundle

Kpi Dashboard

Professional

Business Plans

Swot Analysis

Gantt Chart

Business Proposal

Marketing Plan

Project Management

Business Case

Business Model

Cyber Security

Business PPT

Digital Marketing

Digital Transformation

Human Resources

Product Management

Artificial Intelligence

Company Profile

Acknowledgement PPT

PPT Presentation

Reports Brochures

One Page Pitch

Interview PPT

All Categories

Powerpoint Templates and Google slides for Sign Language

Save your time and attract your audience with our fully editable ppt templates and slides..

Item 1 to 60 of 470 total items

• You're currently reading page 1

Deliver an informational PPT on various topics by using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Communication Systems Powerpoint Presentation Slides. This deck focuses and implements best industry practices, thus providing a birds-eye view of the topic. Encompassed with eighty two slides, designed using high-quality visuals and graphics, this deck is a complete package to use and download. All the slides offered in this deck are subjective to innumerable alterations, thus making you a pro at delivering and educating. You can modify the color of the graphics, background, or anything else as per your needs and requirements. It suits every business vertical because of its adaptable layout.

Presenting Signals of Committed Inclusive Leader. This presentation contains well researched and uniquely designed slides. These slides are 100 percent made in PowerPoint and are compatible with all screen types and monitors. They also support Google Slides. Premium Customer Support available. Suitable for use by managers, employees and organizations. These slides are easily customizable. You can edit the colour, text, icon and font size to suit your requirements.

PresentingSignals of Committed Inclusive Leader. Our PowerPoint experts have included all the necessary templates, designs, icons, graphs and other essential material. This deck is well crafted by an extensive research. Slides consists of amazing visuals and appropriate content. These PPT slides can be instantly downloaded with just a click. Compatible with all screen types and monitors. Supports Google Slides. Premium Customer Support available. Suitable for use by managers, employees and organizations. These slides are easily customizable. You can edit the colour, text, icon and font size to suit your requirements.

Presenting Important Ranking signals for Software Companies. This slide is well crafted and designed by our PowerPoint experts. This PPT presentation is thoroughly researched by the experts and every slide consists of an appropriate content. You can add or delete the content as per your need.

Presenting What are Page Experience Signals in google search console. This slide is well crafted and designed by our PowerPoint experts. This PPT presentation is thoroughly researched by the experts, and every slide consists of an appropriate content. All slides are customizable. You can add or delete the content as per your need. Not just this, you can also make the required changes in the charts and graphs. Download this professionally designed business plan executive summary presentation, add your content, and present it with confidence.

Presenting Customer Buying Signals and their Importance. Our PowerPoint experts have included all the necessary templates, designs, icons, graphs, and other essential material. This deck is well crafted by extensive research. Slides consist of amazing visuals and appropriate content. These PPT slides can be instantly downloaded with just a click. Compatible with all screen types and monitors. Supports Google Slides. Premium Customer Support is available. Suitable for use by managers, employees, and organizations. These slides are easily customizable. You can edit the color, text, icon, and font size to suit your requirements.

Presenting Top Customer Buying Signals. This slide is well crafted and designed by our PowerPoint specialists. This PPT presentation is thoroughly researched by the experts, and every slide consists of appropriate content. You can add or delete the content as per your need.

Presenting Responding to Customer Buying Signals. These slides are 100 percent made in PowerPoint and are compatible with all screen types and monitors. They also support Google Slides. Premium Customer Support is available. Suitable for use by managers, employees, and organizations. These slides are easily customizable. You can edit the color, text, icon, and font size to suit your requirements.

It has PPT slides covering wide range of topics showcasing all the core areas of your business needs. This complete deck focuses on Traffic Signal Background Street Highway Shadow Icon and consists of professionally designed templates with suitable graphics and appropriate content. This deck has total of twelve slides. Our designers have created customizable templates for your convenience. You can make the required changes in the templates like colour, text and font size. Other than this, content can be added or deleted from the slide as per the requirement. Get access to this professionally designed complete deck PPT presentation by clicking the download button below.

Deliver a lucid presentation by utilizing this Traffic Signal Gesture Individual Positions Directional Symbols Indication. Use it to present an overview of the topic with the right visuals, themes, shapes, and graphics. This is an expertly designed complete deck that reinforces positive thoughts and actions. Use it to provide visual cues to your audience and help them make informed decisions. A wide variety of discussion topics can be covered with this creative bundle such as Traffic Signal, Gesture, Individual, Positions, Directional. All the twelve slides are available for immediate download and use. They can be edited and modified to add a personal touch to the presentation. This helps in creating a unique presentation every time. Not only that, with a host of editable features, this presentation can be used by any industry or business vertical depending on their needs and requirements. The compatibility with Google Slides is another feature to look out for in the PPT slideshow.

Introduce your topic and host expert discussion sessions with this Six Dimensions Plan Illustration Data Management Graphics Business Improve Signal. This template is designed using high-quality visuals, images, graphics, etc, that can be used to showcase your expertise. Different topics can be tackled using the twelve slides included in this template. You can present each topic on a different slide to help your audience interpret the information more effectively. Apart from this, this PPT slideshow is available in two screen sizes, standard and widescreen making its delivery more impactful. This will not only help in presenting a birds-eye view of the topic but also keep your audience engaged. Since this PPT slideshow utilizes well-researched content, it induces strategic thinking and helps you convey your message in the best possible manner. The biggest feature of this design is that it comes with a host of editable features like color, font, background, etc. So, grab it now to deliver a unique presentation every time.

Purpose of the following slide is to show the Key performance indicators, these KPIs can help in analyzing the organization performance . These KPIs could be, growth rate, weekly growth rate, market share, twitter follower, similar web unique visitor and majestic referring domains. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Headspace Investor Funding Our Headspace Signals Ppt Slides Objects. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Growth Rate, Weekly Growth, Market Share, Twitter Followers, Similar Web Unique Visitors, Majestics Referring Domains using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

This slide showcases the basic CT signals of Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems. The purpose of this slide is to highlight different signals of digital processing such as unit impulse, unit step signal, ramp signal, etc. Present the topic in a bit more detail with this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Basic Ct Signals Of Digital Signal Processing. Use it as a tool for discussion and navigation on Digital Signal Processing, Communication Systems, Unit Impulse Or Delta Function. This template is free to edit as deemed fit for your organization. Therefore download it now.

This slide shows the cost breakup of a Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems awareness and mitigation training program. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the estimated cost of various training components, such as instructors cost, training material cost, etc. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Budget For Digital Signal Processing Awareness Training. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Digital Signal Processing, Communication Systems Awareness, Mitigation Training Program, Training Material Cost using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

This slide depicts the global market analysis of digital signal processor. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the market size of digital signal processor in US dollars. Multi and single core processor, geographical market size, etc. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Global Digital Signal Processor Market Size. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Global Market Analysis, Digital Signal Processor, Geographical Market Size, Market Forecast To Grow using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

This slide depicts the global market analysis of Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the market size of Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems in US dollars. CAGR and market size is increasing day by day. Present the topic in a bit more detail with this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Global Market Analysis Of Digital Signal Processing. Use it as a tool for discussion and navigation on Global Market Analysis, Digital Signal Processing, Modern Communication Systems. This template is free to edit as deemed fit for your organization. Therefore download it now.

This slide showcases the architecture of Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the types of architecture such as von- Neumann architecture, Harvard architecture, etc. Present the topic in a bit more detail with this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Main Architectures Of Digital Signal Processors. Use it as a tool for discussion and navigation on Digital Signal Processing, Modern Communication Systems, Von Neumann Architecture, Harvard Architecture. This template is free to edit as deemed fit for your organization. Therefore download it now.

This slide discusses the time and frequency domains in Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the time domain and frequency domain which. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Time And Frequency Domain In Digital Signal Processing. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Time And Frequency Domains, Digital Signal Processing, Modern Communication Systems using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

This slide showcases the concept of analog signal transmission in communication. The purpose of this slide is to highlight the analog signal as it has a restricted number of possible values within continuous range, it is an electronic flow over a wire, etc. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Understanding Analog Signal Transmission In Communication. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Signal Transmission In Communication, Electronic Flow, Electrical Signal using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

This slide highlights the various applications of Digital Signal Processing in modern communication systems. The purpose of this slide is to outline the applications such as audio and speech processing, image and video processing, radar and sonar, telecommunication, etc. Deliver an outstanding presentation on the topic using this Digital Signal Processing In Modern Use Cases Of Digital Signal Processing In Modern Communication. Dispense information and present a thorough explanation of Audio And Speech Processing, Image And Video Processing, Radar And Sonar, Telecommunications using the slides given. This template can be altered and personalized to fit your needs. It is also available for immediate download. So grab it now.

Increase audience engagement and knowledge by dispensing information using Table Of Contents For Digital Signal Processing In Modern Communication Systems. This template helps you present information on nine stages. You can also present information on Digital Signal Processing Overview, Market Analysis, Frequency And Time Domain, Architecture Of Digital Signal Processing using this PPT design. This layout is completely editable so personaize it now to meet your audiences expectations.

Presenting our Leaders Signal Cultural Values Through In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb PowerPoint template design. This PowerPoint slide showcases two stages. It is useful to share insightful information on Leaders Signal Cultural Values Through. This PPT slide can be easily accessed in standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also available in various formats like PDF, PNG, and JPG. Not only this, the PowerPoint slideshow is completely editable and you can effortlessly modify the font size, font type, and shapes according to your wish. Our PPT layout is compatible with Google Slides as well, so download and edit it as per your knowledge.

This vector icon displays a computer with a red X over it, symbolizing the lack of an internet connection. Perfect for presentations on digital security, online safety, and the importance of reliable internet access.

This Monotone Powerpoint Icon is perfect for presentations without an internet connection. It features a laptop with a red line across the screen to indicate a lack of internet connection. Use this icon to quickly and easily communicate the concept of no internet to your audience.

This colourful PowerPoint icon is perfect for illustrating low connection issues. It features a mobile device with a weak signal bar, conveying the message of poor connection. A great visual to add to any presentation.

Monotone PowerPoint icon on Low Connection is a simple and elegant icon that conveys the idea of a low connection. It can be used to indicate a slow or weak connection in presentations. It is perfect for adding a subtle visual cue to any slide.

This is a coloured powerpoint icon of a WIFI symbol with a red cross over it, indicating the WIFI is off. Ideal for presentations or documents related to technology, networks and internet security.

This Monotone PowerPoint icon is perfect for presentations that need to communicate the concept of WIFI Off. It features a simple, minimalistic design that is easy to recognize and eye catching. The icon is available in both vector and raster formats for easy use.

This Wi Fi Repeater icon is a vibrant, coloured illustration of a device used to extend the range of a wireless network. It is perfect for presentations, websites, and other digital projects.

This Monotone PowerPoint Icon is a visual representation of a Wi Fi Repeater. It is a great way to illustrate the concept of a device that boosts the range of a wireless signal. Perfect for presentations, infographics, and more.

This coloured powerpoint icon is perfect for presentations and displays. It features a modern, sleek design and is available in a range of vibrant colours. It is easy to use and adds a professional touch to your work.

This Monotone powerpoint icon on Scan WIFI is a simple yet effective way to add a professional look to your presentation. It is easy to customize and can be used to illustrate any concept related to scanning a wireless network. It is an ideal choice for any business or educational presentation.

Presenting our well structured 5G Wifi Signal Icon For Network Security. The topics discussed in this slide are 5g Wifi Signal Network Security.This is an instantly available PowerPoint presentation that can be edited conveniently. Download it right away and captivate your audience.

This coloured PowerPoint icon depicts a Wi Fi Router Technology, perfect for representing a wireless connection in presentations. The icon is bright and vibrant, adding a touch of colour to any presentation. It is easy to use and can be used to illustrate a variety of topics.

Monotone powerpoint icon on Wi Fi Router Technology is a vector graphic of a router with a monotone color palette. It is perfect for presentations on wireless networks, network security, and home networking. It is easy to use and customize for any project.

This Sports Whistle PowerPoint icon is a vibrant and eye-catching symbol of fun and excitement. Perfect for sports-related presentations, this icon is sure to draw attention and bring life to your slides. It is a great way to add a touch of colour and excitement to your presentation.

This monotone powerpoint icon is perfect for presentations, reports, and other documents. It is a simple yet effective design that is sure to make your work stand out. It is easy to customize and comes in a variety of sizes and colors. Get this icon today and make your work shine.

This coloured powerpoint icon is perfect for presentations about space exploration. It features a radar dish with a rocket in the background, representing the search for new worlds and the possibilities of space. It is sure to make your presentation stand out.

A Monotone powerpoint icon on Space Radar is a simple yet powerful graphic element to enhance your presentation. It features a sleek, modern design with a single color palette that is perfect for creating a professional and captivating presentation. It is easy to customize and can be used to illustrate any concept related to space.

This colourful PowerPoint icon is perfect for visually representing message connection. It features a blue envelope with a green arrow pointing to a purple speech bubble, making it a great choice for illustrating communication.

This Monotone PowerPoint Icon is a great way to visually represent the concept of message connection. It features a simple, modern design with a grey and white color scheme and a subtle message icon. Perfect for presentations or other projects.

Presenting our Non Verbal Autism Sign Language In Powerpoint And Google Slides Cpb PowerPoint template design. This PowerPoint slide showcases three stages. It is useful to share insightful information on Non Verbal Autism Sign Language. This PPT slide can be easily accessed in standard screen and widescreen aspect ratios. It is also available in various formats like PDF, PNG, and JPG. Not only this, the PowerPoint slideshow is completely editable and you can effortlessly modify the font size, font type, and shapes according to your wish. Our PPT layout is compatible with Google Slides as well, so download and edit it as per your knowledge.

Sign Language Workshop

How to download the Sign Language Workshop template for Powerpoint

How to download the template sign language workshop in google slides, description.

Y2K Pop Stars

Empowering Girls

Signs for PRESENTATION

Meaning: A demonstration, lecture, or speech that someone presents to an audience.

Often a verb in ASL. To give a speech or presentation.

Related signs: LECTURE , SPEECH .

[Note: ASL writing is not an official standard. This sign language writing remains in a state of open space to allow room for experiment, evolution, and improvement.]

Written ASL digit for "to give a speech/presentation" contributed by Adrean Clark in the ASLwrite community, 2017.

To remove ads, sign up for Ad-free Patron today .

~~ Feeling lucky? ¯\__(°_o)__/¯ Random Word ~~

Search/Filter : Enter a keyword in the filter/search box to see a list of available words with the "All" selection. Click on the page number if needed. Click on the blue link to look up the word. For best result, enter a partial word to see variations of the word.

Alphabetical letters : It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B, etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words and pages in the list.

For best result, enter a short word in the search box, then select the alphetical letter (and page number if needed), and click on the blue link.

Don't forget to click "All" back when you search another word with a different initial letter.

If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)

Add a Word : This dictionary is not exhaustive; ASL signs are constantly added to the dictionary. If you don't find a word/sign, you can send your request (only if a single link doesn't show in the result).

Videos : The first video may be NOT the answer you're looking for. There are several signs for different meanings, contexts, and/or variations. Browsing all the way down to the next search box is highly recommended.

Video speed : Signing too fast in the videos? See HELP in the footer.

ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.

Subscribe to newsletters

Receive an Insights e-newsletter weekly more or less with word/theme of the week, tips, words, and other tidbits.

Unsubscribe anytime from the emails.

BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE

Jul 19, 2014

410 likes | 1.41k Views

BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE. SESSION AIMS. Raise deaf awareness in order to break down barriers between the deaf & hearing community Promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL), as a form of communication with deaf people. SESSION PLAN. Icebreaker Deaf awareness Introduction to BSL

Share Presentation

• hearing impairment
• national health service

Presentation Transcript

SESSION AIMS • Raise deaf awareness in order to break down barriers between the deaf & hearing community • Promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL), as a form of communication with deaf people

SESSION PLAN • Icebreaker • Deaf awareness • Introduction to BSL • Group work • Games • Certificates • Questions & answers • Feedback

CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS Age related Genetic Exposure to loud noise Meningitis Stroke Viral infections Perforated (damaged) eardrum Multiple sclerosis National Health Service (NHS) (2011) Hearing impairment (deafness) - Causes. [online]. United Kingdom: NHS. [Accessed 1 June 2013]. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hearing-impairment/Pages/Causes.aspx

LEVELS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT National Health Service (NHS) (2011) Symptoms of hearing impairment. [online]. United Kingdom: NHS. [Accessed 30 May 2013]. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hearing-impairment/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

HEARING EQUIPMENT Cochlear implant Hearing aids

COMMUNICATION Deaf First(2013) Good communication tips. [online]. London: Oak Lodge School. [Accessed 1 June 2013]. Available at: http://www.deaf-first.org.uk/comm-tips.html

WHAT IS BSL? Visual & gestural communication for deaf people Has its own grammatical structure & syntax Became a recognised language in (March) 2003 Is used by 50,000-70,000 people in the UK Has regional variation Is not a universal language British-Sign.co.uk (2013) What is British sign language?. [online]. Guernsey: British-Sign.co.uk. [Accessed 28 May 2013]. Available at: http://www.british-sign.co.uk/british-sign-language-bsl/what-is-british-sign-language-bsl/

THANK YOU ANY QUESTIONS ?

• More by User

SIGN LANGUAGE

SIGN LANGUAGE. American Sign Language is the 3 rd most used. Baby Sign. One of the hottest trends in child development is that infants can communicate basic needs before they can speak. It also boosts lingual and intellectual developments. Spicing it up.

1.06k views • 30 slides

American Sign Language

American Sign Language. John Goldsmith Winter 2005. Some history. Rise of communities of deaf people in Europe with the emergence of the city. Groups of deaf in Paris, Madrid, and elsewhere led to the formation of sign languages.

968 views • 38 slides

Language planning: British Sign Language Science Signs

Language planning: British Sign Language Science Signs. Edinburgh University Tuesday 4 th March 2008. Introduction. Rachel O’Neill Lecturer in Deaf Education at Edinburgh University BSL Science Signs Project Manager Gary Quinn Project Officer at Heriot-Watt University

355 views • 19 slides

Sign language

Sign language. Introduction Deaf children of deaf parents naturally acquire sign language as their first language. If they live in America, they will acquire American Sign Language, known as Ameslan or ASL. . Alternate sign language

2.22k views • 35 slides

ASL Sign Language

ASL Sign Language. Lesson 2. Who. Place the right "L" hand on the chin, touching with the thumb. Slightly move the index finger twice. . what? (as in "What do you mean?" or "I don't understand"). Slightly raise both palms up hands at your sides with a shrug of the shoulders. when.

363 views • 20 slides

Sign Language

Sign Language . Answer the following questions. • How can sign language be useful? • Do you know anyone who uses sign language ?. Sign Language . Look at the picture above. May , Kelly and Adam are signing. Who is saying I'm hungry, Thank you and Hello?

892 views • 26 slides

next. Sign Language. By: Natalie Damon. Audience. Special needs students who are more high functioning Elective class for high school students. previous. next. Environment. Small classroom setting for the special needs students Working in pairs for the high school students

931 views • 62 slides

Sign Language. Meghan Quinn Jake Wassermann. History of Sign Language. European Sign Language – early 1600s. Contributors to Sign Language. Geronimo Cardano Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet Abbe Roche Ambroise Sicard. Modern Applications. Sign Language Around the World.

830 views • 7 slides

Sign Language. By: Brady Hennig EDFX 200. Sign Language. What is it? It is a language that uses manual communication and body language to convey meaning. It involves combining hand shapes, movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express a speaker's thoughts.

396 views • 6 slides

American Sign Language. Denise TrimbleSmith Please line up AGAIN in ABC Order outside. There were several absent people yesterday. Thanks. Agenda – Sit Same Seats ABC Order Last Name . Warm Up/Bell Work – Fingerspell the names of the family members in your home CHAT – New Vocabulary

341 views • 19 slides

American sign language

American sign language. Communicate in the silent beauty. Content . Introduction Two kind of American signs language Phases Spelling Sample conversation. Be careful of the common error:.

531 views • 18 slides

1. ASL signs have more in common with French Sign Language than with British Sign Language

Welcome ASL 1! Doorbuster : Copy these notes ( shhh ! Bell to bell quiet today, no phones needed). 1. ASL signs have more in common with French Sign Language than with British Sign Language

312 views • 7 slides

Sign Language. SIGN LANGUAGE. Used primarily by hearing-impaired people, Uses a different medium: hands, face, and eyes (rather than vocal tract or ears). NOT derived from spoken language. Why Study Sign Language?.

603 views • 12 slides

Sign Language. The Alphabet. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. i. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. W. X. Y. z.

525 views • 27 slides

Sign Language. LING 2013 Linguistics i Nathalie F. Martin. Sign Language. Today: Video: “Beauty Beyond Words” Special guest speaker – Alyson MacMillan  Different facts about Sign language. Bible Tranlation and Written Sign Language ?. Video : Wycliffe.

1.73k views • 21 slides

Sign Language. Today’s Lecture. Sign Language Myths about sign language Why it is important? American Sign Language Fingerspelling. SIGN LANGUAGE. Used primarily by hearing-impaired people, Uses a different medium: hands, face, and eyes (rather than vocal tract or ears).

9.41k views • 29 slides

Sign Language Zoo

Sign Language Zoo. by Mrs. Horvath’s Kindergarten. Alphabet Finger Spelling. Animal Signs. Click on a letter to see the finger spelling. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. a. Alphabet Finger Spelling. Animal Signs. b. Alphabet Finger Spelling. Animal Signs. c.

818 views • 53 slides

American Sign Language. By: Luke Fischer. American What is American Sign Language?.

451 views • 6 slides

British Sign language (BSL) Level 1 Online Course - istudy

British sign language is used by more than 150,000 people in the British Isles. Obviously, most of them are deaf and that is why they need to communicate using sign language, but there are others who learn this skill in order to help those who need help communicating. Irrespective of the reason, if you are interested in learning sign language, consider taking this British Sign language (BSL) Level 1 Online Course. See more......https://bit.ly/2EEchT8

330 views • 17 slides

British Sign Language Level 1 & 2 - Adams Academy

Sign language is a language that uses manual communication to convey meaning. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands, body, face and head. Many thousands of people who are not deaf also use this way of language, if they have any relative or surrounding who is deaf. British Sign Language (BSL) used in United Kingdom (UK), and it is the first or preferred language of some deaf people lives in the UK. There are a huge number of deaf people lives in UK, in order to communicate with them, this British Sign Language Level 1 & 2 will be helpful for you. See details: https://bit.ly/2H08LnQBritish Sign Language Level 1 & 2

313 views • 30 slides

British Sign Language Level 1 & 2 (BSL) - Course Gate

Within the UK, the most common sort of Sign Language known as British Sign Language (BSL). The British Sign Language Level 1 & 2 (BSL) course will be ideal if BSL is a wholly new frontier for you. Enhance your basic knowledge of BSL including its grammatical structure and syntax with our most recommended course on BSL. See More: https://bit.ly/2AXlead

169 views • 14 slides

British Sign Language Level 1 - CPD Accredited

British sign language is used by more than 150,000 people in the British Isles. Obviously, most of them are deaf and that is why they need to communicate using sign language, but there are others who learn this skill in order to help those who need help communicating. This course consists of various modules that are all geared towards helping you learn how to communicate using sign language. You start out with learning about family, following which you move onto describing people and animals where you look into stuff like ethnic groups, religion and clothes. Next, you learn to sign different activities at school like vocabulary, subjects and people who work at school. This course will also teach you to sign work, home and leisure related activities along with other aspects of everyday life such as time, opinions, illness and health. The course has a lot more to offer as you will see sign language examples incorporated within stories as well. See details: https://bit.ly/2QpebhC

161 views • 15 slides

Your browser is set to private mode. To continue reading, please log in or subscribe.

Get unlimited access today for only

$9.99 / month

Subscribe now

As Zambia schools take on climate change, one teen is spreading the word in sign language

Bridget chanda is intent on helping educate zambia’s deaf community about climate change.

KASAMA, Zambia (AP) — Every morning, Bridget Chanda places her prosthetic legs beside her bed, pulls on her stockings and pushes the remains of her limbs into the prosthetics as best she can. After six years they no longer fit, and it’s painful to stand or walk for too long, but it doesn’t faze her much.

“I still manage somehow,” she said. “I am a girl on a mission.”

Chanda, 18, is intent on helping educate Zambia’s deaf community about  climate change . As the southern African nation has suffered from more frequent extreme weather, including  its current severe drought , it’s prompted the Zambian government to include more climate change education in its school curriculum.

But for that to be shared with the deaf community, it’s up to people like Chanda to help translate — and it’s a task that is more difficult because sign language doesn’t include many climate-related terms.

She’s a student at Chileshe Chepela Special School in Kasama, in northern Zambia, where many students are deaf or hard of hearing. After Chanda enrolled there in 2022, learning sign language was a way to fit in and bond with those schoolmates, even though she herself is not deaf. Around the same time, climate change was becoming a more topical issue in the country, and Chanda — who finds it puzzling that her hometown in the south near Lusaka has been wracked by drought while Kasama is looking at a bumper harvest — wanted to talk about it.

“Climate change affects our way of life,” she said.

The country has been suffering from severe food shortages as water has grown scarce, prompting  the president to declare a national emergency  in February.

Chanda has served as an interpreter as climate agriculture expert Elizabeth Motale visits communities and schools to educate people on climate change. In one visit to a garden outside Chanda’s school, she signed as Motale showed students how drip irrigation gets precious water exactly where plants need it. Students smiled and laughed as they perforated a plastic bottle to dribble water onto the plants’ roots.

Chanda has even taught Motale some sign language to use when no interpreter is available.

“Bridget has been such a blessing to me,” Motale said.

Sign language isn’t recognized as an official language in Zambia, but the government has taken steps to ensure its recognition and has made it mandatory for climate change education to also be taught in sign language. But with the language lagging behind, it can be a challenge to teach new concepts.

Chanda recalls struggling to find the words to explain mulching, for example — adding organic material to soil to help trap moisture — or climate adaptation, the ways people can adjust to more extreme weather.

“It’s difficult sometimes,” said Chanda. “I sometimes have to finger-spell and when I miss a letter or two it makes it difficult for some students who are deaf.”

The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), a pan-African movement promoting girls’ education, launched a new climate education program in schools in March, led by young women graduates. The program, in partnership with education ministries in Zambia and Zimbabwe, aims to help young people — particularly marginalized girls — build climate resilience and explore green careers.

Part of the climate education CAMFED wants to promote is practical. It runs an agriculture guide program that aims to promote climate-smart techniques, like drip irrigation that uses less water, and teaches entrepreneurship skills that may help young women launch farming businesses that use such skills.

Helena Chandwe, an enterprise manager with CAMFED, said it’s important to improve how the information is delivered to students with special needs, and that means interpreters who can deliver it correctly and with sufficient context.

Chanda hopes to join the agriculture guides program after finishing her education.

Her lower legs were amputated after she developed gangrene at age 7. Stigmatized and bullied at school in Lusaka, she eventually wound up at Chileshe, where she has found a far more welcoming environment in a place that mixes special-needs students with mainstream students.

Her prosthetic limbs don’t keep her from wheeling a friend, Juliet Nankamba, around in Juliet’s wheelchair. The two often sit next to each other in class, sharing books and taking part in class discussions and assignments. Asked about her friendship with Bridget, Juliet smiles, laughs and flashes a peace sign.

Chanda struggles to hold back tears as she describes how CAMFED has helped with her tuition and boarding fees. She was appointed head girl at the beginning of the year, and said she dreams of one day becoming an orthopedic surgeon, going far away from Zambia to make her mother proud.

Related Stories

Church Life Journal

A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life

• Home ›

The Mystery of Language and the Mystery of Pentecost

by Andrew Kuiper May 17, 2024

T he feast of Pentecost has often been related typologically to the story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Yet, the strange ways in which Babel and the question of linguistic multiplicity have been read by Jewish and Christian exegetes make a simple reading of “bad” diversity returning to “good” unity problematic. There are several moments within the history of Jewish and Christian exegesis which allow us to formulate a more interesting and metaphysically capacious account of what the meaning and mystery of Pentecost might be.

If our readings of Babel and Pentecost are insufficiently sensitive, we risk enshrining a simplistic and hierarchical understanding of unity over diversity which affects our theological metaphysics and political theology. Taking our exegetical cues from Hellenistic and rabbinic Judaism as well as from Christian patristic material, we can transformatively reread the narratives of Genesis 11 and Acts 2. This investigation of Babel and Pentecost will uncover the distinctive addition that the Holy Spirit makes for our understanding of Christian metaphysics.

The narrative of the tower of Babel marks a transition in style within the book of Genesis. It is the last of the overtly mythopoetic episodes (etiological stories with a universal scope) and is followed by a genealogy of Shem leading into the patriarchal narratives. Our earliest exegetical treatments of this story come from the Hellenistic Jewish milieu of Alexandria. Late antique Jewish exegetes in Alexandria applied text-critical strategies to the Babel narrative in ways which surprisingly anticipated modern biblical criticism. [1] We know about these daring and creative scholars because the Jewish exegete and theologian Philo expresses annoyance with his comparativist colleagues in his own treatment titled On the Confusion of Tongues . These anonymous colleagues cited lines from Homer’s Odyssey concerning the gigantic Aloeidae piling Mt. Ossa and Mt. Pelion on Mt. Olympus in order to wage war against the gods. [2] In this way, the Jewish Alexandrian scholiasts placed the Torah in a larger context and helped make it seem less alien to their Hellenic compatriots.

Not only did the Jewish scholiasts compare the Torah with myth and fable, but they also assumed its textual history was bound up in such “alien” sources. A second parallel advanced by the Jewish scholiasts concerned an Aesopian fable of the primordial unity and subsequent division of animal languages. This fable is only known to us via the Alexandrian writer Callimachus. As Philo relays the tale, the animals once lived in harmony and linguistic unity with each other. As all their needs were met, their desires grew until they foolishly sent an embassy (presumably to the gods) to inquire about the possibility of immortality. Curiously, part of their argument is that the snake already enjoys immortality (possibly by the shedding of its skin). The animal embassy is rebuffed, and the animal community is scattered and split into separate dialects. [3]

The intertestamental Jewish work  Jubilees (2nd century BCE) seems to present a combination of the biblical text and this fable. The animals all spoke one language (presumably Hebrew) in the garden of Eden until the fall of Adam. They were subsequently divided into separate speech and “all scattered into the place that was created for them.” [4] The Alexandrian scholiasts suggested that Moses transferred the Aesopian story to men instead of animals to make it more plausible. Not only did they assume that Moses was repurposing preexisting pagan material, they further criticized the moral import of the Babel story of the Mosaic redaction. Why would God destroy such an important human good, mutual understanding, in a misguided effort to stop wicked behavior through confusion? Surely sin continues apace and there is nothing more desirable for peace than learning the language of another culture: “Why then did He remove the community of language from men as if this was the cause of evil, while it should rightly be established as something most useful?” [5]

These objections from the late antique scholiasts should not seem unreasonable. Does it not seem strange that something so wonderful as the diversity of languages and dialects among peoples should be attributed to a punishment? Would it really have been better if all tribes and nations had spoken some original language, a primordial Esperanto? Many Jewish and Christian theologians have theorized that there was such a language, the usual candidate being Hebrew, all others being degradations or cheap imitations of the original sacred tongue. The force and holy power of the original linguistic stream became slowly (or according to Genesis 11, immediately) diluted in time. In our critical and post-critical age, something about this seems alien to our experience of language. Another language is not another set of referents for the same things I know, it is an entirely new world that I might be able to uncover. Can we consign this experience of beautifully strange new worlds to a postlapsarian horizon?

There are, however, other paths available in the exegetical tradition. Alcuin of York, via the medieval glossa ordinaria on Genesis, makes the puzzling statement that in the confounding of the languages “God created nothing new.” [6] By this Alcuin seems to mean that the same phonemes and syllables are recombined and reconstituted across the multiplicity of languages. Even the same groupings of sounds may have different meanings in different languages. The “confounding” then is an actualization of what was potentially contained in the nature of language itself. This reflection is reminiscent of the myth of Thoth in Plato’s dialogue Philebus illustrating the relationship between the one and the many (not to be confused with Plato’s deployment of the myth of Thoth in the Phaedrus ). Thoth, some god or godlike man, realized that sound was infinite or unlimited and must be combined with limiting elements like vowels and consonants in order to be made intelligible. By dividing sound into a limited group of letters, he was able to create and name an instrument of infinity: the alphabet. Even further, when learning the art of reading and writing, one does not truly know how to communicate until the multiple letters and sounds are known not just individually, but in relation to each other. Letters are the many (consonants and vowels) under the aspect of unity (meaning) without ceasing to be individual sounds, phonemes, syllables, etc. [7] Why would the confusion of Babel not be a theological good, then? It would seem to expand the play of unity and multiplicity already inherent in the alphabet of a single language. The miracle of translation, whereby faithfulness to the original is married to a new horizon of linguistic meaning, is an act so profound and so intimately related to the history of Jewish and Christian religion that it demands an explanation beyond Babel.

Even Jewish rabbis committed to the profound significance of the Hebrew language composed eloquent readings on the goods of translation. The magisterial composition of rabbinic exegesis on Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah, was compiled centuries after the existence of the Torah in Greek translations. The Palestinian rabbis were not unaware of this fact and included a poignant reflection on this historical relationship within their exegetical labors. Commenting on the verse “May God enlarge Japeth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem” (Gen 9:27a), the rabbis offer several readings, including: “Bar Kappara explained it: Let the words of the Torah be uttered in the language of Japheth [i.e. Greek] in the tents of Shem. R. Judan said: From this we learn that a translation is permitted [i.e. the Septuagint].” [8] The rabbis even reflect on what changed in the translation of the Torah from Hebrew to Greek during the account of Babel . Genesis 11 is one of the passages where God is recorded speaking reflexively in the plural. Come, let us go down . The Septuagint (here and in Genesis 1:26) changes this into a singular form in order to avoid theological misunderstanding, and the rabbis do not have any condemnation for this change. The lament of Psalm 137—“How shall we sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land?”—and the prophetic warning that the Jewish people will hear strange languages in exile have been modulated into another key. The curse of Deuteronomy 28:49 that the people of God will be dragged into captivity and forced to hear an alien language has been transfigured. The Jewish communities in exile learned the languages and cultural forms of their captors which in turn allowed a new flowering of theological understanding. The songs of the Lord were sung in a foreign land and the unfamiliar tongues became a new gift and mode of expression for those in exile.

The same could be said for those Jewish communities who were not violently taken captive yet still lived outside of Judea. By the end of the first century BCE, almost every region of the Mediterranean world was suffused with Jewish communities speaking every conceivable dialect. The existence of the Septuagint and the Aramaic translations/paraphrases of the Torah known as the Targumim provide evidence that for most Jewish people, there was no universal or strict prohibition on multiplying the languages in which the word of God should be spoken and studied. The plurality of linguistic and cultural forms in which Judaism was practiced fostered a dynamic intellectual and theologically creative environment within and without Judea, even to the point where Jewish proselytism of Gentiles was so common and successful that Roman poets began complaining about it. The annual practice undertaken by some Jewish communities of returning to Jerusalem for major pilgrimage feasts (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot) only increased this cross-pollination. Babel, it seems, was on the verge of being undone.

One of these pilgrimage feasts, Shavuot or Pentecost (as translated in the Septuagint), always took place fifty days after Passover. Shavuot was a celebration of the wheat harvest, the first fruits, and in its numerological significance (a week of weeks plus one) it functioned as a miniature year of Jubilee. Within the Jewish liturgical calendar, Shavuot became a remembrance of previous Jubilees and a foretaste of Jubilees to come. Later rabbinic tradition would identify Shavuot as the day on which God gave Israel the law, making it also a kind of marriage covenant. Perhaps this association with marriage is why the book of Ruth came to be the liturgical reading for this feast in rabbinic Judaism. [9] The narrative of Ruth is itself a mysterious sign of the undoing of Babel. Ruth is a Gentile from Moab, a kingdom often in conflict with Israel in the biblical histories, yet she is presented as an intelligent and virtuous woman. Not only does she marry Boaz, an act seemingly contrary to the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 23, but she is celebrated as the source of the future Davidic kingship! If the Gentiles are grafted into the lineage of the Davidic kingship, is it possible to maintain a strict division between peoples?

Acts 2, in its presentation of the first Shavuot after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, carries with it this tangled tradition of exegetical, metaphysical, and political questions. The narrative emphasizes that it is devout Jews, along with Gentile proselytes, of every nation who have gathered in Jerusalem on this occasion. The list of these regions can seem like a tedious addendum but in the context of wrestling with the story of Babel and several historical exiles of the Jewish people, each name, from Parthia to Rome, is like an incantation summoning forth a new kind of universality and a new kind of particularity. The inclusion of Judea on the list is a stark realization that the Jewish people and even the Hebrew language is also a kind of fractured particularity born from the confounding of languages. There was no group and no dialect unaffected in the account of Genesis 11, no cultivated preserve of unity safe from multiplicity; all existing peoples and languages require a new kind of unity, without exception.

The miracle of speaking in tongues at Pentecost further demonstrates this lesson. Each person hears the apostles speaking in his or her own dialect. It is not a new imperial unity of Greek or Latin or any other single language. It is the gathering of all languages and all peoples into the rushing wind and fire of the Holy Spirit wherein the true universality can be found. The tongues of flame descend multiply in order to reside above each person. Even these multiple tongues are themselves further modified as being διαμεριζόμεναι, diversifying, cloven, split! The holy fire seems almost unable to stop itself from seeking more diversity. The apostolic kingdom bursts forth as a multiplicity without subordination, an order and taxis of total equality, a seemingly infinite difference which is coextensive with intelligibility and harmony.

Pentecost is the public debut of the Holy Spirit, bringing with it the first fruits of a nuptial apocalypse, a theological metaphysics and political theology, an almost unimaginable translation of the equality of the Trinitarian persons into human communities. Christ commanded us to be one as He is one with the Father, and without erasing this, the Spirit teaches us to be different as each sublime and unfathomable person of the Godhead is different. It is better for you that I go, says Christ in John 16:7, in order that he may send the Spirit. And in sending the Spirit, we may also know Christ more fully. The description of this first Jewish-Gentile community of the Holy Spirit as living together and having all possessions in common later on in the same chapter is not accidentally related to this moment in the divine economy. It is the coherent political-ecclesial expression of the mystery displayed in and through the apostles at Pentecost. The apostle Peter bears witness that this new apostolic-egalitarian  politeia is distinctly a result and responsibility of the Holy Spirit when he confronts Ananias in Acts 5:3. In lying about his donation, Ananias lied not to men but to the Holy Spirit. Ananias wished to ape and imitate the community of the Spirit without ecstatically emptying himself into it.

In renewing the pre-propertied communal life of the first parents in Genesis (or various Greco-Roman myths of the Golden Age), the political theology of Pentecost brings back a healthy nostalgia for Eden. At the same time, it is clearly an eschatological vision stretching toward the reconciliation of all things as they have grown and diversified in history. St. Gregory of Nazianzen helps us to theorize how Pentecost can be both the beginning of history and the end beyond history in one of his sermons on Pentecost:

Hebdomads of days give birth to Pentecost, a day called holy among them; and those of years to what they call the Jubilee, which also has a release of land, and a manumission of slaves, and a release of possessions bought. For this nation consecrates to God, not only the firstfruits of offspring, or of firstborn, but also those of days and years. Thus the veneration paid to the number Seven gave rise also to the veneration of Pentecost. For seven being multiplied by seven generates fifty all but one day, which we borrow from the world to come, at once the Eighth and the first, or rather one and indestructible.

The eighth day of Creation, which is also the first day of the new creation, is what is necessary to bring the days after Passover to completion. It is the one day added to the forty-nine (7x7). And like the unity which Pentecost brings, it is not simply another unit , it is not just another one. As Erik Peterson so beautifully argued, the transcendent unity beyond monarchy, beyond subordination, beyond a crude mono -theism, is precisely what prevents us from having a tyrannical political theology. Going beyond Peterson, we must argue that a political theology is possible, but it must constantly conform to the mystery of Trinitarian equality in action manifested in the mystery of Pentecost. The mysteries of God are also theophanies of God communicating an eschato- logic to be understood and imitated. No branch of understanding and activity can excuse itself from the summons of mystery, not metaphysics and certainly not politics. A failure to speak and enact this Pentecostal logic leaves a vacuum which will always be filled by tyrannizing and inherently subordinationist political theologies.

The insight that divine transcendence means more and not less than apophatic silence is why Nicholas of Cusa, the brilliant Renaissance cardinal, insisted that one of the highest and most transcendent names for God was non aliud : not-other. Again, it is why, within a sophisticated erotic metaphysical structure of all things processing and returning to God ( exitus - reditus ), Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite emphasizes that God goes ecstatically outside Godself in order to maintain the remaining of each creature in its individuality, unto the uttermost:

For everything loves to be at peace with itself, to be at one, and never to move or fall away from its own existence and from what it has. And perfect peace is there as a gift, guarding without confusion the individuality of each, providentially ensuring that all things are quiet and free of confusion within themselves and from without, that all things are unshakably what they are and that they have peace and rest. [10]

Apophasis and silence are crucial, but they are ultimately ordered toward a new kataphasis —liturgical manifestations, ecclesial revelations, the body of Christ in the world, the new creation coming into its liberation.

Where does this leave our readings of Babel now? In Acts 17:26-28, Paul gives a speech to the Athenians where he narrates the story of Babel in a post-Pentecostal horizon:

And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for “in him we live and move and have our being,” as even some of your poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring.”

God made all nations from one , diversifying their existence chronologically and geographically as a means for them of more easily finding God! It is this confidence which Paul has in the significance of the unity and diversity of human cultural-linguistic history that allows him to then cite theological truths from Greek poets: In him we live and move and have our being . The diversity was not the punishment; it was, and remains, the medicine.

And lest we are tempted to rest in an easy and abstract universality, it is important to remember that the entirety of the New Testament was written before any clear parting of the ways between Judaism and Christianity. Within the cosmopolitan late antique world, even the diverse modes of rabbinic and patristic exegesis were being formed in the same places and even reciprocally influencing each other. [11] Whatever mystery of unity-diversity is being politically and ecclesially revealed by Pentecost is neither Jew nor Gentile, not a simple expansion of a parochial national-ethnic religion into a safely universal-ethical one. The irrefragable particulars of salvation history remain: Pentecost happens in Jerusalem, and Paul warns us that it is we who have been grafted into the community of Israel, not the other way around. All are humbled so that all may be exalted.

The last element of Pentecost to consider in relation to Babel is the descent of fire itself. If, in Genesis, the sin of Babel is an attempt to reach and rival God, the descent of flames at Pentecost could be seen as a simple reversal. It is bad to reach and it is good to receive. In the liturgical poetry of St. Ephrem the Syrian, we encounter a fruitful complication of this dynamic. In the underworld, personified Death encounters Christ in the midst of harrowing his kingdom and cries out:

I will hurry to shut/the gates of Sheol In front of the Dead One/whose death has plundered me. Whosoever hears of it will wonder at my humiliation, That I was conquered by a Dead One from outside./All the dead want to go out, But only this One pushed in./The Medicine of Life has entered Sheol And restored its dead to life. Who was it who brought me/surreptitiously the Living Fire By which the cold and dark womb of Sheol was warmed? [12]

Death is frightened by Christ who has, like the philanthropic Prometheus, secretly brought the divine fire in order to save humanity. He was lifted up on the cross in order to descend into the underworld.

In a similar way, Christ’s ascension was for the sake of the descent of the Holy Spirit. We should follow St. Ephrem’s example and see this as another image of the Promethean gift of flame. Christ has left us in order to ascend to the Father and, theopoetically speaking, to steal the divine fire from where it is sequestered in heaven. The descent of tongues of flames at Pentecost is the work of the Spirit and also the action and gift of Christ-Prometheus. It is he who sends and is in no way occluded by the Spirit. We should not be surprised then, that the Paschal Candle, which symbolizes Christ, is hymned in precisely these terms of infinite diversity and transcendent unity that characterizes the Pentecostal flames. In the Exsultet of the Easter Vigil we find the following lines:

But now we know the praises of this pillar, which glowing fire ignites for God’s honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.

We must seek the personal face of the Holy Spirit in the diversification of flames, the glossolalia of translation and interpretation, and in the paradoxical structure of the ecclesia-polis which maintains its unity by emptying itself and achieves its universality by seeking the margins . With reference to language and reasoning, Pentecost further grounds a diversity of genres as truly theological. Wisdom herself speaks with a heteroglossia and hybridity of forms. The lyric, epic, narrative, logical, exegetical, dialectical, symbolic, and dialogical modes of investigation must all be contained within theology. Each genre is another tongue of flame, and if any one of them were to be separated, the whole would be diminished. “The letter kills but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:6).

Seeking the face of the Holy Spirit means seeking the wholeness which mothers and nurtures fertile multiplicity. If we can say that there is an image of the personal face of the Spirit given to us by Sacred Scripture, it must be the descending Heavenly Jerusalem from the book of Revelation: all of creation become the ecclesia and all of the ecclesia become the Bride of the Lamb. Perhaps then even the community of animals scattered in Aesop and  Jubilees will be made intelligible to us and each other. As Romans 8 tells us, all creation is groaning for liberation through the glorified children of God. What the Spirit has always been and is now we will see when the full redemption of diversity reaches eschatological fulfillment. In that power and with that hope, we must strain every nerve to enact the theological metaphysics and political theology of the mystery of Pentecost.

[1] The incredible story of how techniques of Homeric exegesis became applied to the Torah by Jewish scholars can be read in Maren Niehoff’s Jewish Exegesis and Homeric Scholarship in Alexandria (2011).

[2] Odyssey 11.315-316.

[3] Philo, Confusion of Tongues , 7-9.

[4] Old Testament Pseudepigrapha , edited by James Charlesworth, 60.

[5] Ibid., 13.

[6] Biblia cum Glossa Ordinaria: Genesis, annotated and translated by Samuel J Klumpenhouwer, 99.

[7] Plato, Philebus , 18b-d.

[8] Genesis Rabbah, 36.8.

[9] Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Soferim, 14.

[10] Ps. Dionysius, Divine Names , Chapter 11.

[11] See Maren Niehoff’s chapter “Origen’s Commentary on Genesis as a key to Genesis Rabbah ” in Genesis Rabbah in Text and Context (2018) for an astounding analysis of Origen and the rabbinic exegetes in Caesarea.

[12] Ephrem the Syrian, Nisibene Hymn 36.

Featured Image: Bruegel the Elder, Tower of Babel, 1563; Source: Wikimedia Commons, PD-Old-100. 

Andrew Kuiper

Andrew Kuiper usually writes about Christian theological appropriation of esoteric discourses and lives in Michigan with his wife and three children. His essays and poetry have been published in various magazines.

Read more by Andrew Kuiper

Life, Language, and Christ Today

March 27, 2019 | Olivier-Thomas Venard, OP

Newsletter Sign up

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

holy spirit

35 templates

11 templates

business pitch

598 templates

ai technology

169 templates

21 templates

environmental science

36 templates

Learn to Communicate with Sign Language

It seems that you like this template, learn to communicate with sign language presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

Sign language is an incredibly rich, expressive form of communication—a beautiful combination of hand gestures and facial expressions emote feelings to those in conversation so they don't miss a single emotion, no matter how subtle. Willing to teach sign language? With this template, you'll get lots of slides, one for each letter of the Spanish Sign Language, complete with photos of the positions of the hand. Want to teach a different sign language? Just add your own photos!

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 30 different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the resources used

How can I use the template?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

‘Universal Language’ Review: Matthew Rankin Channels the Best of Iranian Cinema in Absurdist Canadian Comedy

The concept may not be intuitive, but the cross-cultural humor is certainly appealing in this singular satire, which unfolds in a place where French and Farsi are the official tongues.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Emilia Pérez’ Review: Leading Lady Karla Sofía Gascón Electrifies in Jacques Audiard’s Mexican Redemption Musical 1 day ago
• ‘Universal Language’ Review: Matthew Rankin Channels the Best of Iranian Cinema in Absurdist Canadian Comedy 2 days ago
• ‘Oh, Canada’ Review: Paul Schrader Separates the Art From the Artist in Prismatic Portrait of a Dying Director 2 days ago

In the Canadian cities of Montreal and Winnipeg, a futile tension exists between French and English speakers — doubly silly, since the country is officially bilingual. In his gently satirical “ Universal Language ,” writer-director Matthew Rankin imagines a rather fanciful solution, where Farsi is now the region’s dominant tongue. Taking his cues from such Iranian classics as “Children of Heaven” and “The White Balloon,” Rankin mixes the humanism of Majid Majidi, Jafar Panahi, et al. with his own peculiar brand of comedy (as seen in the more off-the-wall “The Twentieth Century”), offering a delightful cross-cultural hybrid designed to celebrate our differences.

Popular on Variety

The picture of Canada that Rankin puts forth in “Universal Language” seems unlikely to convince anyone to move to Manitoba. His take on Quebec is even less enticing, confined largely to a government office where a gluttonous bureaucrat (Danielle Fichaud in drag) devours a tray of turkey and approves a character named Mathieu Rankin’s transfer back to Winnipeg. Rankin plays “himself” here, sharing the bus ride home with a disgruntled grade-school teacher (Mani Soleymanlou) and (what else?) a highly coveted live turkey. Compared with these characters, the Iranian cast is downright polite, respectfully referring to their elders as “agha.”

Visually, DP Isabelle Stachtchenko’s blocky framing style bears more of a resemblance to Wes Anderson movies than anything out of Iran. (A store that sells nothing but Kleenex and a scene set at a defunct shopping mall would be right at home in one of Anderson’s features. Or Roy Andersson’s, for that matter.) And yet, if Rankin counts Abbas Kiarostami among his influences, this project proves he’s ready for his “Close-Up.” That’s clearly the movie Rankin had in mind when he wrote himself into the script, concocting a surreal third act in which he trades places with a Persian character. Better that than the guy who runs around dressed as a Christmas tree.

Rankin may have conceived “Universal Language” in the spirit of homage, but there’s something undeniably original about the end result. Don’t be surprised if that translates into a modest cult following and more creative ideas in the future.

Reviewed at Rodeo Screening Room, Los Angeles, April 25, 2024. In Cannes Film Festival (Director's Fortnight). Running time: 89 MIN. (Original title: “Une langue universelle”)

• Production: (Canada) An Oscilloscope Laboratories release of a Metafilms production. (World sales: Best Friend Forever, Brussels.) Producer: Sylvain Corbeil. Executive producers: Pirouz Nemati, Ila Firouzabadi, Daniel Berger, Aaron Katz, Matthew Rankin.
• Crew: Director: Matthew Rankin. Screenplay: Matthew Rankin, Pirouz Nemati, Ila Firouzabadi. Camera: Isabelle Stachtchenko. Editor: Xi Feng. Music: Amir Amiri, Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux.
• With: Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Sobhan Javadi, Pirouz Nemati, Matthew Rankin, Mani Soleymanlou, Danielle Fichaud, Bahram Nabatian, Ila Firouzabadi, Hemela Pourafzal, Dara Najmabadi. (Farsi, French dialogue)

More From Our Brands

How to watch the ‘american idol’ finale online without cable, patek philippe leads geneva’s spring watch auctions to a frothy $125 million, no a’s in attendance: oakland trails a whopping 553 u.s. teams, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, young sheldon ep addresses paige’s absence in final season: ‘we never thought that was an arc that needed more closing than it got’, verify it's you, please log in.