Writing Signed Languages: What For? What Form? Donald A
Writing Signed Languages: What For? What Form? Donald A. Grushkin American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 161, Number 5, Winter 2017, pp. 509-527 (Article) Published by Gallaudet University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2017.0001 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/648961 Access provided by University of Connecticut @ Storrs (9 Jun 2017 21:07 GMT) 18991-AAD161.5_Winter2017 2/9/17 2:54 PM Page 509 Grushkin, D. A. (2017). Writing signed languages: What for? What form? American Annals of the Deaf, 161 (5), 509–527. WRITING SIGNED LANGUAGES : W HAT FOR ? WHAT FORM ? IGNED LANGUAGES around the world have tended to maintain an “oral,” unwritten status. Despite the advantages of possessing a written form of their language, signed language communities typically resist and reject attempts to create such written forms. The present article ad - dresses many of the arguments against written forms of signed lan - guages, and presents the potential advantages of writing signed languages. Following a history of the development of writing in spoken as well as signed language populations, the effects of orthographic types upon literacy and biliteracy are explored. Attempts at writing signed lan - guages have followed two primary paths: “alphabetic” and “icono - graphic.” It is argued that for greatest congruency and ease in developing biliteracy strategies in societies where an alphabetic script is used for the spoken language, signed language communities within Sthese societies are best served by adoption of an alphabetic script for DONALD A. G RUSHKIN writing their signed language. Keywords: writing, written signed the development of a conventionally GRUSHKIN IS A PROFESSOR , D EAF STUDIES languages, biliteracy, Deaf education, accepted written system for signed lan - PROGRAM , C ALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY , orthography guages has yet to take place.
[Show full text]