Sign Language Honor - Advanced

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Have the Sign Language Honor.

    Answer: Earning the basic Sign Language honor (AM-017) is a prerequisite. Present the badge or official record to the advanced instructor before beginning the course. — The basic honor AM-017 covers the manual alphabet, basic everyday signs, and simple communication. The advanced one goes deeper into conversation, expanded vocabulary, Libras grammar, and interpretation. Without a foundation it is impossible. Libras (Law 10.436/2002) is a recognized official Brazilian language. The INES (National Institute of Education for the Deaf) course is a national reference.

  2. Have at least ten hours of class (in addition to the 5 hours of the basic honor) in the sign language of your country, taught by an instructor fluent in it.

    Answer: Take 10h+ of Libras (BR) classes with a fluent instructor, in addition to the 5h from the basic course. Total accumulated: 15h. Present a certificate with name, instructor, date, and course hours. — A fluent instructor guarantees teaching quality. Courses: INES, FENEIS, Cefet, churches with deaf ministry, private schools (R$200-800/month). The 10 additional hours allow for deeper conversation practice. Brazil has 5+ million deaf people (IBGE). Libras has its own grammar. An official certificate is important for the club's purposes and proves the fluency acquired.

  3. Be able to hold a conversation with a deaf person, using signs, for at least 2 minutes.

    Answer: To fulfill this requirement, you need to be able to converse with a deaf person. Use sign language for at least two minutes, showing that you can communicate in a continuous and understandable way. — The requirement asks the Pathfinder to demonstrate fluency in communicating in Libras, holding a real conversation for an established minimum time. The Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) is legally recognized as a legal means of communication and expression in Brazil.

  4. Learn at least 400 signs from an instructor fluent in sign language.

    Answer: 400 signs allow complete basic conversation. Vocabulary: 27 letters + 100 numbers + 50 family + 50 food + 100 verbs + 100 nouns + 50 feelings = 477 signs. The Hand Talk and VLibras apps as support. The instructor assesses retention. Libras has 5,000+ official signs documented by the INES. Continuous learning expands the vocabulary.

  5. Know, understand and demonstrate the following grammatical structures of sign language:
    • Facial expression
    • Handshape
    • Movement
    • Location of the sign

    Answer: 4 structures (parameters): facial expression (grammar/emotion), hand configuration (finger shape), movement (path), and location (where it is signed on the body). Demonstrate. — Linguists call them the '5 parameters' by adding orientation. Hand configuration: 64 shapes cataloged in Libras. Movement: linear, circular, alternating. Location in neutral space or in contact with the body. Facial expression is real grammar (negation, doubt, intensity) — not just emotion. It distinguishes words: 'HOUSE' and 'THEME' have the same configuration but a different location.

  6. Interpret at least 6 songs for a deaf person.

    Answer: Interpret 6 songs in Libras for a deaf person: hymns, praise songs, or other songs. Synchronize the signs with the rhythm and lyrics. Use facial expression for emotion. Present it to a real deaf person. — Musical interpretation in Libras is a specific art. Hymns: SDA Hymnal 4, 17, 80. Modern praise songs from Acalmando or Som de Adoração. The translation adapts the lyrics to Libras (not literal). Facial expression conveys intensity. Hand Talk videos and the SDA Deaf Ministry have examples. The deaf person must be real to validate effective practical interpretation.

  7. Interpret for a deaf person:
    • The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:8-17
    • The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12
    • The Ten Commandments - Exodus 20:3-17

    Answer: Interpret in Libras for a deaf person: the Lord's Prayer (Mt 6:8-17), the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12), the 10 Commandments (Ex 20:3-17). Adapt them to Libras with facial expression. — The Lord's Prayer is a model prayer (8-15 verses with doxology). The Beatitudes contain 9 declarations of Jesus. The 10 Commandments are moral law. Translation into Libras is not word-for-word — it adapts to deaf grammar/culture. The SDA Deaf Ministry has materials. The Bible in Libras (Bible Society) is the modern official reference in Brazil.