ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information relating to sign language and deafness in Myanmar, reflecting on a range of social factors that have influenced the socio-linguistic structure and use of YSL. Attention is then turned to the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf in Yangon, where the majority of deaf participants received their education and where much of the research for this book took place. A historical overview of global language policy trends in deaf education is presented, describing how language policy at the Mary Chapman School has followed these broad patterns and reflecting on the way in which these changes have influenced language use in the community. Finally, the Myanmar standardisation project is described, including the project’s aims, the process of creating the standardised language, and its outputs to date.
