lang_description: "There is evidence that Bolivian Sign Language is no more divergent from ASL than some dialects of ASL.",
classification: "Sign Language; South American",
dialect_varieties: "",
public_comment: ""According to the Hursts’ (2002) research, there may be two distinct sign languages used in Bolivia. One of them, introduced by missionaries in 1973, is based on ASL and has incorporated local indigenous signs. This form of ASL was introduced in Cochabamba and has likely spread to other areas. Another pre-existing sign language may also be present; the Hursts reported that this other sign language may be used in Catholic circles and in La Paz." (Holbrook 2009)",
private_comment: null,
source_id:89800,
speakers: [
{
id:14683,
code_id:7002,
speaker_number: "100-999",
speaker_number_text: "350",
second_language_speakers: "",
semi_speakers: "",
children: "",
young_adults: "",
older_adults: "",
elders: "",
ethnic_population: "",
date_of_info: "1988",
public_comment: "",
private_comment: null,
source_id:92920,
preferred: 0,
},
{
id:31707,
code_id:7002,
speaker_number: "100-999",
speaker_number_text: "",
second_language_speakers: "",
semi_speakers: "",
children: "",
young_adults: "",
older_adults: "",
elders: "",
ethnic_population: "23,000 (estimated)",
date_of_info: "",
public_comment: ""The Ethnologue reports 350 to 400 users of this sign language living in Cochabomba, La Paz, Riberalta, and Santa Cruz.... The number of sign language users reported in the Ethnologue is based on research from 1988 (20 years old). The current number of LSB users is likely to be significantly higher."",
private_comment: null,
source_id:99229,
preferred:1,
},
],
language: {
code_id:7002,
featured: 0,
cached_documentation_score:-1,
google_group_url: "",
simplified_level: "mid",
coordinates: "-16.499,-68.146",
updated_at: "2018-03-25 01:00:15",
speaker_attitude: "",
government_support: "",
institutional_support: "About a dozen schools with services for deaf students; many active deaf associations; Primero Libro de Señas en Bolivia (First Book of Signs in Bolivia) published by the Bolivian Ministry of Education and Culture (1992)",
_other_languages_used: "",
domains_of_use: "Used in most domains except for official ones such as government, mass media, education etc.",