Chapter 2. Sign language community

The Spanish Sign Language (LSE) community is a rich and diverse social group united by their shared use of this language. However, defining this community is more complex than it may initially appear. It encompasses a wide variety of people with different levels of fluency and degrees of participation, including native signers, early and late learners, deaf and hearing signers, heritage signers, and interpreters.

The nature of each sign language community is shaped by multiple factors, including social, political, and geographical contexts. This community exists within a broader society where signers form a linguistic minority. Today, technological advancements, the recognition of sign languages, and progress in deaf rights facilitate interaction among different sign language communities, fostering intercommunity connections.

This chapter explores the characteristics of the LSE community (section 2.1) and its diverse members (section 2.2) to gain a deeper understanding of its social organization. Additionally, it describes the deaf culture associated with this community (section 2.3) and the role of deaf education (section 2.4).

Esteban Saiz, M. L. (2024). Socio-historical background: Sign language community. In S. Villameriel García (Ed.), Gramática de la Lengua de Signos Española (GramLSE) / Grammar of Spanish Sign Language (GramLSE). Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad-Centro de Normalización Lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española. Retrieved Month DD, YYYY, from https://cnlse.es/es/recursos/gramlse/ingles/index/socio-historical-background/sign-language-community