Introducing VISTA-SL: A Multilingual e-Learning Platform for Deaf and Hearing Learners of Sign Languages

Murtagh, Irene | Schulder, Marc | Herrmann, Annika | Paulus, Liona | Bleicken, Julian | Blekos, Kostas | Konstantakopoulos, Athanasios | Antzakas, Klimis | Kosmopoulos, Dimitrios | Valls, Eva | Marques, Ricardo | Blat, Josep | Karampidis, Konstantinos | Elsendoorn, Ben

Volume:: Proceedings of the LREC2026 12th Workshop on the Representation and Processing of Sign Languages: Language in Motion
Venue:: Palma, Mallorca, Spain
Date:: 16 May 2026
Pages:: 361–370
Publisher:: European Language Resources Association (ELRA)
Licence:: CC BY-NC 4.0
sign-lang ID:: 26031
ISBN:: 978-2-493814-82-1

Abstract

This article introduces the VISTA-SL project, which aims to create an integrated e-learning platform for four European sign languages: German Sign Language, Greek Sign Language, Irish Sign Language, and Dutch Sign Language. Designed as a complement to face-to-face classes, the VISTA-SL platform will combine expertise in sign language education and education technologies to provide an adaptive and interactive learning environment suitable for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing users seeking to learn a sign language, whether it constitutes their first language or not. Building on a co-ordinated curriculum that covers vocabulary, grammar and Deaf culture materials, the platform will provide video material presented by deaf L1 signers, together with games and gamification features to motivate learning, while also providing several assistive technologies. By leveraging cutting edge language processing and computer vision approaches, the platform will provide augmented reality feedback, 3D avatars and an LLM-based virtual instructor, as part of the learning environment. VISTA-SL is developed in collaboration with end-user focus groups, comprising deaf, hard of hearing and hearing individuals. This will serve to ensure that the educational platform aligns with the expectations and needs of its intended users.

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Citation in ACL Citation Format

Irene Murtagh, Marc Schulder, Annika Herrmann, Liona Paulus, Julian Bleicken, Kostas Blekos, Athanasios Konstantakopoulos, Klimis Antzakas, Dimitrios Kosmopoulos, Eva Valls, Ricardo Marques, Josep Blat, Konstantinos Karampidis, Ben Elsendoorn. 2026. Introducing VISTA-SL: A Multilingual e-Learning Platform for Deaf and Hearing Learners of Sign Languages. In Proceedings of the LREC2026 12th Workshop on the Representation and Processing of Sign Languages: Language in Motion, pages 361–370, Palma, Mallorca, Spain. European Language Resources Association (ELRA).

BibTeX Export

@inproceedings{murtagh:26031:sign-lang:lrec,
  author    = {Murtagh, Irene and Schulder, Marc and Herrmann, Annika and Paulus, Liona and Bleicken, Julian and Blekos, Kostas and Konstantakopoulos, Athanasios and Antzakas, Klimis and Kosmopoulos, Dimitrios and Valls, Eva and Marques, Ricardo and Blat, Josep and Karampidis, Konstantinos and Elsendoorn, Ben},
  title     = {Introducing {VISTA-SL}: A Multilingual e-Learning Platform for Deaf and Hearing Learners of Sign Languages},
  pages     = {361--370},
  editor    = {Efthimiou, Eleni and Fotinea, Stavroula-Evita and Hanke, Thomas and Hochgesang, Julie A. and Mesch, Johanna and Schulder, Marc},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the {LREC2026} 12th Workshop on the Representation and Processing of Sign Languages: Language in Motion},
  maintitle = {15th International Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation ({LREC} 2026)},
  publisher = {{European Language Resources Association (ELRA)}},
  address   = {Palma, Mallorca, Spain},
  day       = {16},
  month     = may,
  year      = {2026},
  isbn      = {978-2-493814-82-1},
  language  = {english},
  url       = {https://www.sign-lang.uni-hamburg.de/lrec/pub/26031.html}
}