The Importance of Discourse Analysis for Sign Language Translation Teams

Sign language Bible translation is a rapidly growing field, responding to the need for accessible Scriptures among Deaf communities worldwide. Unlike spoken languages, sign languages are visual-gestural, with unique linguistic features that, when utilized correctly, can significantly enhance the clarity, naturalness, and overall impact of a translation. Natural use of these features can be identified through linguistic analysis, with discourse analysis yielding especially relevant discoveries. Using discourse analysis, sign language translation teams can identify the patterns in their language used to bring cohesion and depth to a text. Once identified, these patterns can then be applied to their translation drafts, leading to more accessible and higher-quality translations. This article aims to inform both practitioners and general readers about why discourse studies are indispensable for sign language Bible translation and to provide case studies illustrating how they can be applied to improve the quality of the translation.