A Nordic Seminar “How Can We Use Sign Language Corpora?”
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Sign Language Typology Series
SIGN LANGUAGE TYPOLOGY SERIES The Sign Language Typology Series is dedicated to the comparative study of sign languages around the world. Individual or collective works that systematically explore typological variation across sign languages are the focus of this series, with particular emphasis on undocumented, underdescribed and endangered sign languages. The scope of the series primarily includes cross-linguistic studies of grammatical domains across a larger or smaller sample of sign languages, but also encompasses the study of individual sign languages from a typological perspective and comparison between signed and spoken languages in terms of language modality, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to sign language typology. Interrogative and Negative Constructions in Sign Languages Edited by Ulrike Zeshan Sign Language Typology Series No. 1 / Interrogative and negative constructions in sign languages / Ulrike Zeshan (ed.) / Nijmegen: Ishara Press 2006. ISBN-10: 90-8656-001-6 ISBN-13: 978-90-8656-001-1 © Ishara Press Stichting DEF Wundtlaan 1 6525XD Nijmegen The Netherlands Fax: +31-24-3521213 email: [email protected] http://ishara.def-intl.org Cover design: Sibaji Panda Printed in the Netherlands First published 2006 Catalogue copy of this book available at Depot van Nederlandse Publicaties, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag (www.kb.nl/depot) To the deaf pioneers in developing countries who have inspired all my work Contents Preface........................................................................................................10 -
Sign Language Endangerment and Linguistic Diversity Ben Braithwaite
RESEARCH REPORT Sign language endangerment and linguistic diversity Ben Braithwaite University of the West Indies at St. Augustine It has become increasingly clear that current threats to global linguistic diversity are not re - stricted to the loss of spoken languages. Signed languages are vulnerable to familiar patterns of language shift and the global spread of a few influential languages. But the ecologies of signed languages are also affected by genetics, social attitudes toward deafness, educational and public health policies, and a widespread modality chauvinism that views spoken languages as inherently superior or more desirable. This research report reviews what is known about sign language vi - tality and endangerment globally, and considers the responses from communities, governments, and linguists. It is striking how little attention has been paid to sign language vitality, endangerment, and re - vitalization, even as research on signed languages has occupied an increasingly prominent posi - tion in linguistic theory. It is time for linguists from a broader range of backgrounds to consider the causes, consequences, and appropriate responses to current threats to sign language diversity. In doing so, we must articulate more clearly the value of this diversity to the field of linguistics and the responsibilities the field has toward preserving it.* Keywords : language endangerment, language vitality, language documentation, signed languages 1. Introduction. Concerns about sign language endangerment are not new. Almost immediately after the invention of film, the US National Association of the Deaf began producing films to capture American Sign Language (ASL), motivated by a fear within the deaf community that their language was endangered (Schuchman 2004). -
On the Status of the Icelandic Language and Icelandic Sign Language
No. 61/2011 7 June 2011 Act on the status of the Icelandic language and Icelandic sign language. THE EXECUTANTS OF THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF ICELAND under Article 8 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Althingi and the President of the Supreme Court, make known: the Althingi has passed this Act, and we confirm it by our signatures: Article 1 National language – official language. Icelandic is the national language of the Icelandic people and the official language in Iceland. Article 2 The Icelandic language. The national language is the common language of the people of Iceland. The government authorities shall ensure that it is possible to use it in all areas of the life of the nation. Everyone who is resident in Iceland shall have the opportunity of using Icelandic for general participation in the life of the Icelandic nation as provided for in further detail in separate legislation. Article 3 Icelandic sign language. Icelandic sign language is the first language of those who have to rely on it for expression and communication, and of their children. The government authorities shall nurture and support it. All those who need to use sign language shall have the opportunity to learn and use Icelandic sign language as soon as their language acquisition process begins, or from the time when deafness, hearing impairment or deaf-blindness is diagnosed. Their immediate family members shall have the same right. Article 4 Icelandic Braille. Icelandic Braille is the first written language of those who have to rely on it for expression and communication. -
What Sign Language Creation Teaches Us About Language Diane Brentari1∗ and Marie Coppola2,3
Focus Article What sign language creation teaches us about language Diane Brentari1∗ and Marie Coppola2,3 How do languages emerge? What are the necessary ingredients and circumstances that permit new languages to form? Various researchers within the disciplines of primatology, anthropology, psychology, and linguistics have offered different answers to this question depending on their perspective. Language acquisition, language evolution, primate communication, and the study of spoken varieties of pidgin and creoles address these issues, but in this article we describe a relatively new and important area that contributes to our understanding of language creation and emergence. Three types of communication systems that use the hands and body to communicate will be the focus of this article: gesture, homesign systems, and sign languages. The focus of this article is to explain why mapping the path from gesture to homesign to sign language has become an important research topic for understanding language emergence, not only for the field of sign languages, but also for language in general. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. How to cite this article: WIREs Cogn Sci 2012. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1212 INTRODUCTION linguistic community, a language model, and a 21st century mind/brain that well-equip the child for this esearchers in a variety of disciplines offer task. When the very first languages were created different, mostly partial, answers to the question, R the social and physiological conditions were very ‘What are the stages of language creation?’ Language different. Spoken language pidgin varieties can also creation can refer to any number of phylogenic and shed some light on the question of language creation. -
Sign Language Recognition
Sign Language Recognition by Carol-lee Aquiline OffidciLrecognition ojsign languages is an important aimpursued by WFD and many ojits member orqaniza nons. What exactly does "official recognition" mean? This may varyfrom country to country depending onthe legal system and which government bodies have responsibilityjorproviding services and enjorcing laws. ollowing is information that WFD nition around the world:' ' decided to put sign language under the has received from -~ountries world Sweden: The Swedish Parliament protection of cultural diversity, instead Fwidethat havesome level of recog accepted Swedish Sign Language in an of recognizing it as an official language nition of their national sign language: educational policy. Policies, as created as demanded by Deaf people. _ In national constitution: Brazil, Czech by the SwedishParliament, usuallyhave Finland: The Finnish Constitution Republic,_Ecuador, Finland, Greece, legal enforcement. Swedish Sign Lan- clearlyregardssignlanguageas an official Portugal, South Africa, Uganda; and guage has not been accepted as an language. This Constitution acceptsboth Venezuela. official languagebut it has been accepted the dominant and minority languages; In government legislation or policy: as a truelanguage. Uganda:The Ugandan Constitution was Australia, Belarus, Canada, Colombia, United States: The Americans with the first in the world to recognize sign Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Disabilities Act (ADA) acceptsAmerican language as an official language (see p. Finland,France,Iceland,Lithuania,Nor Sign Language (ASL) for accessibility 10). This Constitution was enacted in way, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, reasons. In this sense,ASL is a protected 1995and clearlypromotes thedevelop Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United language. ment of sign language for Deaf people. States of America, Uruguay,Zimbabwe, Slovak Republic: The Slovakian law is Colombia: The Colombian law has 14 and some German states. -
Report of Sweden
GEGN.2/2019/39/CRP.39 18 March 2019 English United Nations Group of Experts On Geographical Names 2019 session New York, 29 April – 3 May 2019 Item 5 (a) of the agenda * Reports by Governments on the situation in their countries and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names Report of Sweden Submitted by Sweden** Summary: The national report of Sweden is divided into six sections. The first, on national standardization, provides a short overview of current legislation and of the main authorities involved in the standardization of geographical names. The second, on names in multilingual areas, contains information on minority language names and the responsible authorities. The third focuses on two ongoing committee reports concerning the Sami-speaking minority in the north of Sweden. The fourth includes information on an English online version of a booklet (published in Swedish in 2001 and revised in 2016) on good place-name practice. The fifth provides an updated presentation of two Swedish working groups – the Place-Name Advisory Board and the Geographical Names Network – that provide information and advice to different stakeholders. The sixth section contains a description of two research projects involving field collection of place names on the island of Öland and in the city of Uppsala, a rural and an urban landscape, respectively. The following resolutions adopted at the United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names are particularly relevant to the present work on name standardization in Sweden: • 1972: resolution II/36 (E/CONF.61/4) on problems of minority languages • 2002: resolution VIII/9 (E/CONF.94/3) on geographical names as cultural heritage • 2007: resolution IX/4 (E/CONF.98/136) on geographical names as intangible cultural heritage • 2012: resolution X/4 (E/CONF.101/144) on discouraging the commercialization of geographical names. -
Authentic Language
! " " #$% " $&'( ')*&& + + ,'-* # . / 0 1 *# $& " * # " " " * 2 *3 " 4 *# 4 55 5 * " " * *6 " " 77 .'%%)8'9:&0 * 7 4 "; 7 * *6 *# 2 .* * 0* " *6 1 " " *6 *# " *3 " *# " " *# 2 " " *! "; 4* $&'( <==* "* = >?<"< <<'-:@-$ 6 A9(%9'(@-99-@( 6 A9(%9'(@-99-(- 6A'-&&:9$' ! '&@9' Authentic Language Övdalsk, metapragmatic exchange and the margins of Sweden’s linguistic market David Karlander Centre for Research on Bilingualism Stockholm University Doctoral dissertation, 2017 Centre for Research on Bilingualism Stockholm University Copyright © David Budyński Karlander Printed and bound by Universitetsservice AB, Stockholm Correspondence: SE 106 91 Stockholm www.biling.su.se ISBN 978-91-7649-946-7 ISSN 1400-5921 Acknowledgements It would not have been possible to complete this work without the support and encouragement from a number of people. I owe them all my humble thanks. -
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. -
Finnish Sign Language [Fse] (A Language of Finland)
“Finnish Sign Language [fse] (A language of Finland) • Alternate Names: FinSL, Suomalainen viittomakieli, SVK, Viittomakieli • Population: 5,000 (2006 Institute for the Languages of Finland–KOTUS). 5,000 deaf and 10,000 hearing signers (2006 Institute for the Languages of Finland–KOTUS). 5,000 deaf signers (2014 EUD). 26,500 (2014 IMB). • Location: Scattered • Language Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2011, No. 61, Institute for sign language status). • Dialects: 2 major dialects from the Finnish (17 schools) and Swedish (1 school) communities. Signed Finnish, used by some teachers of the deaf, is distinct. Developed originally out of Swedish Sign Language [swl], but now distinct. Closely-related to Finland- Swedish Sign Language (FinSSL) [fss], but FinSL users generally have difficulty understanding FinSSL unless FinSSL users adapt towards FinSL. Some borrowing from Finnish [fin]. (Hoyer 2004.) Not intelligible with Danish Sign Language [dsl]. • Typology: One-handed fingerspelling. • Language Use: Used by deaf people whose families speak Finnish [fin] and who attended schools that used Finnish as the language of instruction (Hoyer 2004).The government pays interpreters to accompany the deaf to hospitals, college, church, etc. Interpreters required in court. • Language Development: Films. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1989. • Other Comments: Fingerspelling system similar to French Sign Language [fsl]. First deaf school founded 1850s. Government-paid interpreters. Interpreters required in court. Instruction for parents of deaf children. Many classes for hearing people. Christian (Protestant).” Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.) 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com. -
Is the Icelandic Sign Language an Endangered Language?
Is the Icelandic Sign Language an endangered language? RANNVEIG SVERRISDÓTTIR This article appears in: Endangered languages and the land: Mapping landscapes of multilingualism Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL XXII / 2018) Vigdís World Language Centre, Reykjavík, 23–25. August 2018 Editors: Sebastian Drude, Nicholas Ostler, Marielle Moser ISBN: 978-1-9160726-0-2 Cite this article: Sverrisdóttir, Rannveig. 2018. Is the Icelandic Sign Language an endangered language? In S. Drude, N. Ostler & M. Moser (eds.), Endangered languages and the land: Mapping landscapes of multilingualism, Proceedings of FEL XXII/2018 in Reykjavík, 113–114. London: FEL & EL Publishing. Note: this article has not been peer reviewed First published: December 2018 Link to this article: http://www.elpublishing.org/PID/4017 This article is published under a Creative Commons License CC-BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial). The licence permits users to use, reproduce, disseminate or display the article provided that the author is attributed as the original creator and that the reuse is restricted to non-commercial purposes i.e. research or educational use. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Foundation for Endangered Languages: http://www.ogmios.org EL Publishing: http://www.elpublishing.org Is the Icelandic Sign Language an endangered language? Rannveig Sverrisdóttir Centre for Sign Language Research, Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies The University of Iceland • Sæmundargata 2 • 101 Reykjavík • Iceland [[email protected]] Abstract Icelandic Sign Language (ÍTM) is a minority language, only spoken by the Deaf community in Iceland. Origins of the language can be traced back to the 19th century but for more than 100 years the language was banned as other signed languages in the world. -
Sign Language Acronyms
Sign language acronyms Throughout the Manual, the following abbreviations for sign languages are used (some of which are acronyms based on the name of the sign language used in the respective countries): ABSL Al Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language AdaSL Adamorobe Sign Language (Ghana) ASL American Sign Language Auslan Australian Sign Language BSL British Sign Language CSL Chinese Sign Language DGS German Sign Language (Deutsche Gebärdensprache) DSGS Swiss-German Sign Language (Deutsch-Schweizerische Gebärdensprache) DTS Danish Sign Language (Dansk Tegnsprog) FinSL Finnish Sign Language GSL Greek Sign Language HKSL Hong Kong Sign Language HZJ Croatian Sign Language (Hrvatski Znakovni Jezik) IPSL Indopakistani Sign Language Inuit SL Inuit Sign Language (Canada) Irish SL Irish Sign Language Israeli SL Israeli Sign Language ÍTM Icelandic Sign Language (Íslenskt táknmál) KK Sign Language of Desa Kolok, Bali (Kata Kolok) KSL Korean Sign Language LIS Italian Sign Language (Lingua dei Segni Italiana) LIU Jordanian Sign Language (Lughat il-Ishaara il-Urdunia) LSA Argentine Sign Language (Lengua de Señas Argentina) Libras Brazilian Sign Language (Língua de Sinais Brasileira) LSC Catalan Sign Language (Llengua de Signes Catalana) LSCol Colombian Sign Language (Lengua de Señas Colombiana) LSE Spanish Sign Language (Lengua de Signos Española) LSF French Sign Language (Langue des Signes Française) LSQ Quebec Sign Language (Langue des Signes Québécoise) NGT Sign Language of the Netherlands (Nederlandse Gebarentaal) NicSL Nicaraguan Sign Language NS Japanese Sign Language (Nihon Syuwa) NSL Norwegian Sign Language NZSL New Zealand Sign Language DOI 10.1515/9781501511806-003, © 2017 Josep Quer, Carlo Cecchetto, Caterina Donati, Carlo Geraci, Meltem Kelepir, Roland Pfau, and Markus Steinbach, published by De Gruyter. -
TEFL for Deaf Pupils in Norwegian Bilingual Schools: Can Deaf Primary School Pupils Acquire a Foreign Sign Language?
PATRICIA PRITCHARD British to-handed alphabet TEFL for deaf pupils in Norwegian bilingual schools: Can deaf primary school pupils acquire a foreign sign language? Norwegian one-handed alphabet Masters Thesis in Special Education Dept. of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences & Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Trondheim, Norway December 2004 Summary TEFL for deaf pupils in Norwegian bilingual schools: Can deaf primary school pupils acquire and understand a foreign sign language? Both hearing and deaf people in Norway need skills in English to cope with the demands of modern society. The question is how can deaf pupils best acquire English? A National Curriculum was implemented in 1997 (L97) based on sign bilingualism and a socio-cultural approach to language learning. British Sign Language (BSL) was introduced into the English syllabus for Primary School deaf pupils as a first step in foreign language learning, before the introduction of English. The curriculum for deaf pupils (EfDP) was implemented without research underpinning and further education of in-service teachers, although some teaching aids were produced. This study looks at the BSL receptive skills of Norwegian Deaf pupils in class 4. and tries to pinpoint variables that played a part in their acquisition of BSL. The study makes use of theories created for hearing children acquiring a second spoken language. This is seen as defensible because they deal with the acquisition of languages of the same modality. A quantitative method was chosen to answer the research question of whether deaf Norwegian pupils in class 4 understood BSL and three language tests were used to measure their BSL receptive skills.