Die Firma 2 German Sign Language Interactively An interactive course for German Sign Language Learning on CD-ROM

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Continuing „Die Firma 1” (“The Company 1“), a beginners’ course in German Sign Language, „Die Firma 2“ is an advanced course deepening the learner’s knowledge in signing space use.

The course is primarily for hearing colleagues of deaf people who in Germany often do not have the opportunity or possibility to attend a Sign Language course. However, as the content is not very specific and uses rather common vocabulary, the program is suitable for other learners such as interpreter students, relatives of deaf people, and anyone interested in Sign Language Learning as well.

The course begins with an introduction dealing with several topics related to the Deaf community, which is followed by seven learning units and a dictionary.

Each of the seven units plays in a construction company. The action deals with the construction of a building, starting with the design of the floor architecture and ending with the completed building handed over to the owner.

Concerning grammatical topics, the units are dealing with the use of deictic means, agreement verbs, classifiers and time lines in German Sign Language.

Each unit consists of five parts: a Dialogue, Grammatical Explanations, Remarks (concerning information about Deaf History, education of the deaf, manners of behaviour and strategies in Sign Language communication etc.), Excercises and an overview of the Vocabulary of the unit.

An innovative feature of „Die Firma 1“ and „Die Firma 2“ is the use of natural dialogs in an authentic environment as starting point for the learning process.

„Die Firma 2“ now offers a series of highly interactive graphical 2D- and 3D- exercises whose purpose is to provide feedback to the learner:

• Arranging timetables correctly according to instructions

• Virtual walk-throughs in a city map or in a building

• Placing furniture correctly in a room

• Solving directional problems in a labyrinth

In the exercises the learner receives instructions from the tutor. The direct interaction of the learner with the graphical objects in the interactive games gives a chance to control and evaluate the understanding of the user and provide him or her with feedback.

The interactive program "Die Firma 2" (ISBN 3-927731-93-5, EUR 32,00) is available at every bookstore or directly at Signum Verlag, Schloßstraße 4, 23883 Seedorf, Tel. 04545 - 791056, Fax. 04545 - 791057.

For further information, questions or suggestions you are kindly asked to contact: Die.Firma@sign-lang.uni-hamburg.de