Reimagining Sign Language Technologies: Analyzing Translation Work of Chinese Deaf Online Content Creators

Paper Title

Reimagining Sign Language Technologies: Analyzing Translation Work of Chinese Deaf Online Content Creators

Publication Info

• Topic area: Sign language translation and deaf communication technologies
• Keywords: Sign language translation, deaf content creators, Chinese Sign Language, multilingualism, multimodality, languaging, accessibility, deaf culture, video platforms, HCI

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing sign language translation technologies often oversimplify or misrepresent the richness of signed communication, leading to skepticism and resistance from deaf communities. There is a lack of understanding of the complexities involved in sign language translation, particularly in multilingual and multicultural contexts.
• Significance: Addressing these challenges is crucial for fostering inclusive communication technologies and supporting the linguistic and cultural rights of deaf communities.
• Motivation and related work: Previous work has focused on sign language recognition, generation, and translation, but has faced barriers such as limited datasets, lack of linguistic grounding, and ableist assumptions. This paper builds on these critiques by studying the translation practices of Chinese deaf content creators to uncover the nuanced work involved in bridging languages and cultures.

Solution

• Proposed approach: The study examines the translation practices of 13 Chinese deaf online content creators, using the sociolinguistic concept of (trans)languaging to reimagine sign language translation technologies.
• Novelty:
  1. Centers the translation practices of deaf content creators in China, a context with diverse sign language variants and no standardized national sign language.
  2. Introduces a languaging perspective to sign language translation, emphasizing multilingual, multimodal, and multicultural communication.
  3. Provides design recommendations for sign language technologies that support the thriving of sign languages and move beyond the interpreting model.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 deaf creators active on platforms like Kuaishou, Bilibili, and Douyin.
  • Analyzed participants’ translation practices, including their use of multilingual and multimodal strategies, and their navigation of linguistic and cultural politics.
  • Observed participants’ online content to contextualize their translation work.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Deaf creators engage in complex translation work that involves multilingualism, multimodality, and cultural adaptation.
  • Translation practices include combining signing, captions, visual elements, and storytelling to make content accessible to diverse audiences.
  • Participants navigate linguistic and cultural politics, balancing accuracy, audience engagement, and representation of deaf culture.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • Highlights the limitations of current sign language technologies that focus on direct language conversion, advocating for systems that support the broader semiotic and cultural dimensions of translation.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Interviews with 13 participants, supported by observations of their online content.
  • Analysis of translation strategies, including gloss, classifiers, mouthing, and visual-spatial signing.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Limited participant diversity (e.g., regional and educational backgrounds).
  • Reliance on hearing researchers with limited sign language proficiency.
  • Future work should involve more diverse participants, multimodal analysis, and audience reception studies.

Summary

This study examines the translation practices of Chinese deaf online content creators, revealing the multilingual, multimodal, and cultural complexities involved in their work. By adopting a languaging perspective, the authors challenge the dominant interpreting model in sign language technologies and advocate for systems that support the diverse communication practices of deaf communities. The findings highlight the need for inclusive design approaches that foster the growth of sign languages and address the socio-political dynamics of translation. This work provides valuable insights for researchers and designers aiming to create more equitable and culturally grounded sign language technologies.