ASL-LEX: a Lexical Database of American Sign Language
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The Bilingual & the Bicultural Person in the Hearing & in the Deaf World
The Bilingual & the Bicultural Person In the Hearing & in the Deaf World François Grosjean Sign Language Studies, Volume 77, Winter 1992, pp. 307-320 (Article) Published by Gallaudet University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/sls.1992.0020 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/506985/summary Access provided by Universite de Neuchatel (14 Oct 2018 20:54 GMT) THE BILINGUAL &THE BICULTURAL PERSON IN THE HEARING & IN THE DEAF WORLD Frangois Grosjean Abstract If we define the bilingual as a person who uses two or more lan- guages (or dialects) in everyday life, then most Deaf people who sign and who use the majority language regularly (in its written form, for example) are bilingual. Deaf bilinguals share many simi- larities with hearing bilinguals (their diversity, the perception they have of their own bilingualism, their use of various language modes, etc.) but they are also characterized by a number of specificities (the lack of recognition of their bilingual status, the maintenance over time of their languages, the competence they have in certain language skills, their varying patterns of language knowledge and use, etc.). As concerns the bicultural, whom we can define as a person who lives in two or more cultures, who adapts to each and who blends aspects of each, there is little doubt that many Deaf are indeed bicultural. Some of the implica- tions for the bilingual and bicultural education of Deaf children that emerge from these considerations are discussed in the paper. The bilingual person. Despite the fact that more than half the world's population uses two or more languages in everyday life, many erroneous beliefs still surround the notion of bilingualism. -
Alignment Mouth Demonstrations in Sign Languages Donna Jo Napoli
Mouth corners in sign languages Alignment mouth demonstrations in sign languages Donna Jo Napoli, Swarthmore College, [email protected] Corresponding Author Ronice Quadros, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, [email protected] Christian Rathmann, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, [email protected] 1 Mouth corners in sign languages Alignment mouth demonstrations in sign languages Abstract: Non-manual articulations in sign languages range from being semantically impoverished to semantically rich, and from being independent of manual articulations to coordinated with them. But, while this range has been well noted, certain non-manuals remain understudied. Of particular interest to us are non-manual articulations coordinated with manual articulations, which, when considered in conjunction with those manual articulations, are semantically rich. In which ways can such different articulators coordinate and what is the linguistic effect or purpose of such coordination? Of the non-manual articulators, the mouth is articulatorily the most versatile. We therefore examined mouth articulations in a single narrative told in the sign languages of America, Brazil, and Germany. We observed optional articulations of the corners of the lips that align with manual articulations spatially and temporally in classifier constructions. The lips, thus, enhance the message by giving redundant information, which should be particularly useful in narratives for children. Examination of a single children’s narrative told in these same three sign languages plus six other sign languages yielded examples of one type of these optional alignment articulations, confirming our expectations. Our findings are coherent with linguistic findings regarding phonological enhancement and overspecification. Keywords: sign languages, non-manual articulation, mouth articulation, hand-mouth coordination 2 Mouth corners in sign languages Alignment mouth demonstration articulations in sign languages 1. -
Lexical Patterns in ASL and English a Dissertation Submitted in Pa
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Motivation in Morphology: Lexical Patterns in ASL and English A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics by Ryan Lepic Committee in charge: Professor Farrell Ackerman, Co-Chair Professor Carol Padden, Co-Chair Professor Karen Emmorey Professor Rachel Mayberry Professor Sharon Rose 2015 The Dissertation of Ryan Lepic is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Co-Chair Co-Chair University of California, San Diego 2015 iii EPIGRAPH "I believe that we social anthropologists are like the mediaeval Ptolemaic astronomers; we spend our time trying to fit the facts of the objective world into the framework of a set of concepts which have been developed a priori instead of from observation…. The trouble with Ptolemaic astronomy was not that it was wrong but that it was sterile—there could be no real development until Galileo was prepared to abandon the basic premise that celestial bodies must of necessity move in perfect circles with the earth at the center of the universe." Edmund Leach iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ........................................................................................................ iii Epigraph ................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................... v List -
The Manual Alphabet
The Manual Alphabet Aa Bb Cc Thumb up, other fingers against Thumb lines up with index or All of the fingers are curved, palm palm middle finger. faces out Dd Ee Ff Thumb touches middle finger. Thumb under index and middle Thumb and index finger touch, Index up. finger others up and apart. Gg Hh Ii Palm faces you, index and Palm faces you, thumb, index Pinky finger up, thumb rest on thumb horizontal and middle finger horizontal index finger. Jj Kk Ll Pinky finger up (i), and the Index up, middle finger out, Index finger up and thumb out, “I”moves down, in, and curves thumb on inside knuckle of forming an imaginary “L” up. middle finger Mm Nn Oo Index, middle and ring finger Index and middle drape over All fingers curved with the tips of over thumb. Thumb on pinky thumb, and thumb on knuckle the index and thumb touching. knuckle of the ring finger. Pp Qq Rr Similar to “K”, but the palm Similar to G, but the palm Index in front of middle finger. faces down, with the middle faces down. Thumb rest on knuckle of ring finger pointing to the floor. finger Ss Tt Uu Fingers clinched in a “fist,” Thumb juts up, between index Index and middle finger up and with thumb on the knuckles of and middle finger. Index together, thumb on knuckle of index and middle finger curves over thumb. ring finger Vv Ww Xx Index and middle finger up Index, middle and ring fingers The fingers clinched in a fist, and apart, thumb on knuckle up and apart, thumb resting on index finger up and bent, like a of ring finger the pinky nail “hook,” and thumb on the knuckles of index and middle finger. -
Deep Learning of Mouth Shapes for Sign Language
Deep Learning of Mouth Shapes for Sign Language Oscar Koller, Hermann Ney Richard Bowden Human Language Technology & Pattern Recog. Centre for Vision Speech & Signal Processing RWTH Aachen University, Germany University of Surrey, UK {koller,ney}@cs.rwth-aachen.de [email protected] This paper deals with robust modelling of mouth shapes a semantically related sign. But in other cases, mouthings in the context of sign language recognition using deep con- simply provide additional information that is redundant to volutional neural networks. Sign language mouth shapes the hand’s information channel and not explicitly needed to are difficult to annotate and thus hardly any publicly avail- understand the sign. able annotations exist. As such, this work exploits related Mouth shapes are difficult to model and to recognise as information sources as weak supervision. Humans mainly their presence seems to be based on personal and situational look at the face during sign language communication, where preferences of the signers. Currently, no publicly available mouth shapes play an important role and constitute natural data set exist that contain manual mouthing annotations that patterns with large variability. However, most scientific re- would allow for supervised training. The reason lies in the search on sign language recognition still disregards the face. difficulty to annotate mouth shapes. Sometimes, they repre- Hardly any works explicitly focus on mouth shapes. This sent the mouth pattern of shortened parts of a related spoken paper presents our advances in the field of sign language word, sometimes the whole spoken word or sometimes no recognition. We contribute in following areas: We present a mouth shape at all may be visible. -
Typology of Signed Languages: Differentiation Through Kinship Terminology Erin Wilkinson
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of New Mexico University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Linguistics ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 7-1-2009 Typology of Signed Languages: Differentiation through Kinship Terminology Erin Wilkinson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ling_etds Recommended Citation Wilkinson, Erin. "Typology of Signed Languages: Differentiation through Kinship Terminology." (2009). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ling_etds/40 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Linguistics ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TYPOLOGY OF SIGNED LANGUAGES: DIFFERENTIATION THROUGH KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY BY ERIN LAINE WILKINSON B.A., Language Studies, Wellesley College, 1999 M.A., Linguistics, Gallaudet University, 2001 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Linguistics The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico August, 2009 ©2009, Erin Laine Wilkinson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii DEDICATION To my mother iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to Barbara Pennacchi for kick starting me on my dissertation by giving me a room at her house, cooking me dinner, and making Italian coffee in Rome during November 2007. Your endless support, patience, and thoughtful discussions are gratefully taken into my heart, and I truly appreciate what you have done for me. I heartily acknowledge Dr. William Croft, my advisor, for continuing to encourage me through the long number of months writing and rewriting these chapters. -
Sign Languages in Contact
INTRO_Sign_Pozos_Gaul_193027 7/30/07 11:19 AM Page 1 Editor’s Introduction: Outlining Considerations for the Study of Signed Language Contact David Quinto-Pozos To my knowledge, this volume represents the first book-length collec- tion of various accounts of contact between sign languages, and this brings with it excitement as well as the realization of challenges that lie ahead.1 As many researchers who are interested in language contact might suggest, it is exciting because these chapters contribute to our un- derstanding of the structural and social aspects of contact and how such contact affects language in the visual-gestural modality. They provide us with information about Deaf communities throughout the world, as well as language data that speak to the ways in which contact is manifested in those communities. This global perspective allows us to examine con- tact situations in search of commonalties and recurring patterns. It also enables us to see how some outcomes of contact between sign languages might or might not fit the general patterns of contact that have been demonstrated for spoken languages. Perhaps as a way to balance the ex- citement about this topic, the sobering truth is that we know so little about contact between sign languages. As a result, we are faced with the task of documenting examples of such contact and the challenge of ex- amining the effects of visual meaning creation on linguistic structures that occur in these contact situations. By focusing on this area of inquiry, we stand to gain much knowledge about how language works. The study of language contact among signed languages forces us to carefully consider how the visual-gestural modality of human com- munication influences language birth, development, change, and de- cay or loss from disuse. -
Fingerspelling in American Sign Language
FINGERSPELLING IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE: A CASE STUDY OF STYLES AND REDUCTION by Deborah Stocks Wager A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Linguistics The University of Utah August 2012 Copyright © Deborah Stocks Wager 2012 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF THESIS APPROVAL The thesis of Deborah Stocks Wager has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: Marianna Di Paolo , Chair 5/10/12 Date Approved Aaron Kaplan , Member 5/10/12 Date Approved Sherman Wilcox , Member 5/10/12 Date Approved and by Edward Rubin , Chair of the Department of Linguistics and by Charles A. Wight, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT Fingerspelling in American Sign Language (ASL) is a system in which 26 one- handed signs represent the letters of the English alphabet and are formed sequentially to spell out words borrowed from oral languages or letter sequences. Patrie and Johnson have proposed a distinction in fingerspelling styles between careful fingerspelling and rapid fingerspelling, which appear to correspond to clear speech and plain speech styles. The criteria for careful fingerspelling include indexing of fingerspelled words, completely spelled words, limited coarticulation, a slow signing rate, and even rhythm, while rapid fingerspelling involves lack of indexing, increased dropping of letters, coarticulation, a faster signing rate, and the first and last letter of the words being held longer. They further propose that careful fingerspelling is used for initial uses of all fingerspelled words in running signing, with rapid fingerspelling being used for second and further mentions of fingerspelled words. -
Research Brief: the Importance of Fingerspelling for Reading
VISUAL LANGUAGE & VISUAL LEARNING NSF supported Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning, SBE-0541953, RESEARCH BRIEF: Gallaudet University. THE IMPORTANCE OF FINGERSPELLING FOR READING JULY 2010 Key Findings on the Importance of Fingerspelling for Reading: LEARNING FROM RESEARCH • Deaf families fingerspell to their deaf children when they are very young. • Early exposure to fingerspelling helps these children become better # 1 readers. • Fingerspelling, reading, and writing are interrelated. • Fingerspelling facilitates English vocabulary growth, and larger the lexicon, the faster new vocabulary is learned. • Fingerspelling positively correlates with stronger reading skills. Deaf Written by: and hard of hearing children who are good fingerspellers are good Sharon Baker, Ed.D. readers, and vice versa. 1 of 8 NSF SCIENCE OF LEARNING CENTER ON VISUAL LANGUAGE AND VISUAL LEARNING RESEARCH BRIEF NO. 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF FINGERSPELLING FOR READING Fingerspelling and American Sign hearing children from deaf families tend to read at Language higher levels than deaf and hard of hearing children from hearing families.11 Fingerspelling likely On the most simplistic level, fingerspelling can be contributes to this success. Unfortunately, young defined as the use of handshapes to represent deaf and hard of hearing children from hearing letters of the alphabet. Indeed, before the families are not generally given the same early complexity of fingerspelling was documented, learning opportunity. Indeed, the absence of researchers thought fingerspelling was merely a fingerspelling is particularly evident in preschools manual representation of English orthography for deaf and hard of hearing children.9 To 1 (print). They believed fingerspelling was primarily understand the role of fingerspelling in language for representing proper nouns or for English words acquisition and later literacy, it is important to 2,3 without a sign equivalent. -
Toponyms in Ban Khor Sign Language | Angela M
Toponyms in Ban Khor Sign Language | Angela M. Nonaka 66 Toponyms in Ban Khor Sign Language Angela M. Nonaka The University of Texas at Austin (USA) [email protected] Introduction Ban Khor Sign Language (BKSL) is a rare language variety known as a ‘village’ (Zeshan 2004) or ‘indigenous’ (Woodward 2000) sign language. This type of sign language develops in small face-to-face communities where historically there are/were: 1) demographically `1#$%%%%}`` #####$}`T$ } ~` $ #} ` %T$!;# characteristics of the language ecologies of signing village communities, however, involve their local language ideologies and practices. In such communities, there are no sign language interpreters. Instead, it is common not only for deaf people but also for hearing residents to acquire and use the village sign language. Because it is widely used by both deaf and hearing people in the course of everyday life, the village sign language facilitates the inclusion (vs. exclusion) of deaf members of the community. Villages with indigenous sign languages are unusual but have been found elsewhere: in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Middle East (Branson & ^}@!}#$$}}} }@}X;}$¥}}¨}¨ }~}=#}=$}=~¥ $}=¥}=}+#¢^$}+ }^+¥}^}^%#¢<}^!} ~$}¥}!}\ !}}*!}*$}*#};! }@}$¥}`!* communities’ alternative social constructions of and communicative responses to deafness is enriching anthropological understanding of cultural variation, and research on the local sign languages is expanding knowledge of linguistics in areas such as: documentary linguistics, typological linguistics, historical linguistics, language universals, and so on. In anthropological linguistics, there is a robust literature on onomastics—the study of the origin and forms of proper names (personal, place, brand, etc.). Names are interesting and useful phenomena for linguistic and cultural analysis because naming systems and practices mirror and order the social world. -
MRID-Self-Paced-Manu
Minnesota Registry of interpreters for the Deaf Self-paced Modules for Educational Interpreter Skill Development These self-paced learning modules are designed to be tools that educational interpreters can use to enhance their skills in pursuit of certification. Successful completion of this module series does not guarantee the interpreter will successfully obtain certification from the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or any other certifying body, nor does it guarantee employment in an educational setting. Any interpreter working with these modules must understand that the Minnesota RID, RID and/or Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning are not responsible for an interpreter's success or failure in taking any national certification test or in his or her pursuit of employment. MRID, 1996 Fingerspelling Table of Contents I. Goals and Objectives ...................................... 4 I1. Equipment and Materials ................................ 5 /I/. Time.lllllllllIIIImIIIImIm..IIIIII.m.m.m............... 6 lkI Pre-Test ........................................................... 7 V; Overview and Ac fivities A. Uses of fingerspelling.........................I.....m........... f2 k? . Types of fingerspelling ......................................... f3 C. English to ASL ........m.......I1.....................n........... 16 DmTransliteration ...................................................... 20 E. ASL to English ....................................................... 22 Vl. Post-Test ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~.~~~~~~..~~~~~~.~.~~~~29 -
What Standards? the Need for Evidence-Based Auslan Translation Standards and Production Guidelines
What standards? The need for evidence-based Auslan translation standards and production guidelines What Standards? The need for evidence-based Auslan translation standards and production guidelines Gabrielle Hodge, Della Goswell, Lori Whynot, Stephanie Linder and Cathy Clark June 2015 What Standards? The need for evidence-based Auslan translation standards and production guidelines Authored by Gabrielle Hodge, Della Goswell, Lori Whynot, Stephanie Linder and Cathy Clark Published in 2015 The operation of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers. deafConnectEd Website: www.deafconnected.com.au Email: [email protected] Telephone: 03 9269 8306 Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Website: www.accan.org.au Email: [email protected] Telephone: 02 9288 4000 TTY: 02 9281 5322 ISBN: 978-1-921974-27-4 Cover image: Richard Van Der Male, 2015 This work is copyright, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. You are free to cite, copy, communicate and adapt this work, so long as you attribute the authors and "deafConnectEd, supported by a grant from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network”. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/ This work can be cited as: Hodge, Gabrielle et al., 2015, What Standards? The need for evidence- based Auslan translation standards and production guidelines, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, Sydney. Acknowledgements This Report was funded by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) Grants Scheme, with additional funding support from the Australian Communication Exchange (ACE), the Deaf Society of New South Wales (DSNSW), Deaf Services Queensland (DSQ), Vicdeaf, and the Western Australian Deaf Society (WADS).