Variation in Handshape and Orientation in British Sign Language
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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 -
A Lexicostatistic Survey of the Signed Languages in Nepal
DigitalResources Electronic Survey Report 2012-021 ® A Lexicostatistic Survey of the Signed Languages in Nepal Hope M. Hurlbut A Lexicostatistic Survey of the Signed Languages in Nepal Hope M. Hurlbut SIL International ® 2012 SIL Electronic Survey Report 2012-021, June 2012 © 2012 Hope M. Hurlbut and SIL International ® All rights reserved 2 Contents 0. Introduction 1.0 The Deaf 1.1 The deaf of Nepal 1.2 Deaf associations 1.3 History of deaf education in Nepal 1.4 Outside influences on Nepali Sign Language 2.0 The Purpose of the Survey 3.0 Research Questions 4.0 Approach 5.0 The survey trip 5.1 Kathmandu 5.2 Surkhet 5.3 Jumla 5.4 Pokhara 5.5 Ghandruk 5.6 Dharan 5.7 Rajbiraj 6.0 Methodology 7.0 Analysis and results 7.1 Analysis of the wordlists 7.2 Interpretation criteria 7.2.1 Results of the survey 7.2.2 Village signed languages 8.0 Conclusion Appendix Sample of Nepali Sign Language Wordlist (Pages 1–6) References 3 Abstract This report concerns a 2006 lexicostatistical survey of the signed languages of Nepal. Wordlists and stories were collected in several towns of Nepal from Deaf school leavers who were considered to be representative of the Nepali Deaf. In each city or town there was a school for the Deaf either run by the government or run by one of the Deaf Associations. The wordlists were transcribed by hand using the SignWriting orthography. Two other places were visited where it was learned that there were possibly unique sign languages, in Jumla District, and also in Ghandruk (a village in Kaski District). -
An Animated Avatar to Interpret Signwriting Transcription
An Animated Avatar to Interpret SignWriting Transcription Yosra Bouzid Mohamed Jemni Research Laboratory of Technologies of Information and Research Laboratory of Technologies of Information and Communication & Electrical Engineering (LaTICE) Communication & Electrical Engineering (LaTICE) ESSTT, University of Tunis ESSTT, University of Tunis [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—People with hearing disability often face multiple To address this issue, different methods and technologies barriers when attempting to interact with hearing society. geared towards deaf communication have been suggested over The lower proficiency in reading, writing and understanding the the last decades. For instance, the use of sign language spoken language may be one of the most important reasons. interpreters is one of the most common ways to ensure a Certainly, if there were a commonly accepted notation system for successful communication between deaf and hearing persons in sign languages, signed information could be provided in written direct interaction. But according to a WFD survey in 2009, 13 form, but such a system does not exist yet. SignWriting seems at countries out of 93 do not have any sign language interpreters, present the best solution to the problem of SL representation as it and in many of those countries where there are interpreters, was intended as a practical writing system for everyday there are serious problems in finding qualified candidates. communication, but requires mastery of a set of conventions The digital technologies, particularly video and avatar-based different from those of the other transcriptions systems to become a proficient reader or writer. To provide additional systems, contribute, in turn, in bridging the communication support for deaf signers to learn and use such notation, we gap. -
Evaluation of Polyglot Theatre's Workshop and Performance
Muckheap in Auslan An evaluation of Polyglot Theatre’s workshop and performance program 2011-2012 Information contained in this report is freely available for use by participating groups and other interested parties. Where information is quoted and used, the author requests that this report is cited. For commercial use, this document is copyright © 2012 Ricci-Jane Adams. Published by Polyglot Theatre, Melbourne, 2012. http://www.polyglottheatre.com The author can be contacted at: [email protected] Muckheap in Auslan – An evaluation of Polyglot Theatre’s workshop and performance program in 2011-2012. - ii - TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................... iv OUTLINE ............................................................ 1 1. The Deaf community in Australia...................................................1 2. Background to the production.......................................................1 3. Participating Groups ......................................................................2 PROJECT SUMMARY........................................... 5 EVALUATION OUTLINE ....................................... 6 METHODOLOGY................................................. 6 ANALYSIS........................................................... 7 1. Did Polyglot’s Muckheap in Auslan achieve equity of experience for both deaf and hearing audience members?....................................7 2. Did the performance provide access to an artistically satisfying and engaging theatre experience for deaf children? ............................9 -
The 5 Parameters of ASL Before You Begin Sign Language Partner Activities, You Need to Learn the 5 Parameters of ASL
The 5 Parameters of ASL Before you begin Sign Language Partner activities, you need to learn the 5 Parameters of ASL. You will use these parameters to describe new vocabulary words you will learn with your partner while completing Language Partner activities. Read and learn about the 5 Parameters below. DEFINITION In American Sign Language (ASL), we use the 5 Parameters of ASL to describe how a sign behaves within the signer’s space. The parameters are handshape, palm orientation, movement, location, and expression/non-manual signals. All five parameters must be performed correctly to sign the word accurately. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrkGrIiAoNE for a signed definition of the 5 Parameters of ASL. Don’t forget to turn the captions on if you are a beginning ASL student. Note: The signer’s space spans the width of your elbows when your hands are on your hips to the length four inches above your head to four inches below your belly button. Imagine a rectangle drawn around the top half of your body. TYPES OF HANDSHAPES Handshapes consist of the manual alphabet and other variations of handshapes. Refer to the picture below. TYPES OF ORIENTATIONS Orientation refers to which direction your palm is facing for a particular sign. The different directions are listed below. 1. Palm facing out 2. Palm facing in 3. Palm is horizontal 4. Palm faces left/right 5. Palm toward palm 6. Palm up/down TYPES OF MOVEMENT A sign can display different kinds of movement that are named below. 1. In a circle 2. -
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. -
The Effect of Communication Mode on Story Recall Maria C. Hartman Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the D
The Effect of Communication Mode on Story Recall Maria C. Hartman Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2015 © 2015 Maria C. Hartman All rights reserved ABSTRACT Effect of Communication Mode on Story Recall Maria C. Hartman Most learning occurs in social contexts through interaction with other people. Such learning is possible only when individuals are able to communicate with understanding. Currently, the most commonly used mode of communication for instruction in schools for the deaf in the United States is a bimodal form of signs and speech referred to as “simultaneous communication” (SIMCOM). Numerous studies have addressed the practicability of teachers’ attempts to produce this mode for instruction, but fewer have attempted to understand its impact on deaf children’s comprehension. This study examined the effect of communication mode on story recall performance in thirty-six 11- to 14-year-old deaf students. Participants were presented with a series of short stories “bimodally” (using simultaneous sign and speech/SIMCOM) and “unimodally” (using sign only) and then asked to recall whatever they could remember. A within-subjects analysis was used to examine the differences in recall scores as a function of communication mode. Analysis of secondary variables was included to note effects on the dependent variable. Mode of participants’ response was also coded and analyzed. Results of the study showed statistically significant differences in the mean story-retell scores between the two conditions, with participants scoring higher during the sign-only condition than in the SIMCOM condition. -
Building Rapport in American Sign Language.Pdf
BUILDING RAPPORT IN… American Sign Language SMALL TALK/ ADMINISTRATION Hello Wave hello Nice to meet you NICE (place left hand with palm facing up and slide right hand across it) MEET (make two 1 handshapes and then touch them together so that thumbs are touching, like two people meeting) YOU (point out in front of you with index finger as if you were pointing to someone) My name is… MY (gesture to yourself by bringing an open palm to your chest). NAME (make H handshape with both hands; place left hand on top of right to form an X). Then, fingerspell your name. I am a genetic counselor I (point to your chest with your index finger) GENETIC (see below) COUNSEL (place your left hand in front of you with your palm facing down. Slide your right hand across your left hand from your thumb to your pinky starting with your fingers clenched together and opening up your fingers as your right hand slides across the left). Then, indicate “one who does” by placing your hands our in front of your chest facing each other and bringing your hands down in a swift motion. I know a little Sign I (point to your chest with your index finger). KNOW (tap bent handshape to temple). LITTLE Language (gesture a little bit by moving index finger and thumb together in a pinching motion). SIGN (make index finger handshapes and move them in alternating circles). LANGUAGE (touch L handshapes together at the thumbs and twist them as you pull hands away from each other). -
Fingerspelling Detection in American Sign Language
Fingerspelling Detection in American Sign Language Bowen Shi1, Diane Brentari2, Greg Shakhnarovich1, Karen Livescu1 1Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, USA 2University of Chicago, USA {bshi,greg,klivescu}@ttic.edu [email protected] Figure 1: Fingerspelling detection and recognition in video of American Sign Language. The goal of detection is to find in- tervals corresponding to fingerspelling (here indicated by open/close parentheses), and the goal of recognition is to transcribe each of those intervals into letter sequences. Our focus in this paper is on detection that enables accurate recognition. In this example (with downsampled frames), the fingerspelled words are PIRATES and PATRICK, shown along with their canonical handshapes aligned roughly with the most-canonical corresponding frames. Non-fingerspelled signs are labeled with their glosses. The English translation is “Moving furtively, pirates steal the boy Patrick.” Abstract lated and do not appear in their canonical forms [22, 25]. In this paper, we focus on fingerspelling (Figure 1), a Fingerspelling, in which words are signed letter by let- component of sign language in which words are signed ter, is an important component of American Sign Language. letter by letter, with a distinct handshape or trajectory Most previous work on automatic fingerspelling recogni- corresponding to each letter in the alphabet of a writ- tion has assumed that the boundaries of fingerspelling re- ten language (e.g., the English alphabet for ASL finger- gions in signing videos are known beforehand. In this pa- spelling). Fingerspelling is used for multiple purposes, in- per, we consider the task of fingerspelling detection in raw, cluding for words that do not have their own signs (such as untrimmed sign language videos. -
<Begin New Recto> <AT> (Sub)Lexical Changes in Iconic Signs to Realign
<Begin new recto> <AT> (Sub)lexical changes in iconic signs to realign with community sensibilities and experiences Commented [AS1]: What would you like the page header title to be? This is too long. Can you come up with a shortened version that expresses your title? Maybe just “(Sub)lexical changes in iconic <AU>GENE MIRUS signs”? Thanks! Commented [DJN2R1]: (Sub)lexical changes as corrections <AA>Gallaudet University, USA <AU>JAMI FISHER <AA>University of Pennsylvania, USA <AU>DONNA JO NAPOLI <AA>Swarthmore College, USA <AB>ABSTRACT <TX>Sign language lexicons include iconic items, where phonological form is somewhat representative of sense. As experiences of individuals change, the mapping from form to meaning may become inappropriate (as when technological or environmental changes occur) or may be considered incongruous with perceptions of reality (as when culture shifts). Many misalignments of form and sense are tolerated, with the result that a sign’s original iconicity is lost. Other misalignments are obliterated; signers make sublexical changes or entire lexical substitutions. We call these (sub)lexical changes ‘corrections’. We argue that misalignments that are regrettable are more likely to be corrected, where regrettable misalignments are those that are not true to realities/experiences of profound importance to deaf individuals. While the focus here is on American Sign Language, corrections should be apparent in any sign language and might occur in those spoken languages with a high frequency of 1 nonarbitrary relationships between form and sense. (Sign language, variation, taboo terms, euphemism, iconicity, identity)* <A>INTRODUCTION <TX>Iconicity in sign language lexicons is high, where there is a nonarbitrary relationship between form and sense. -
Hand-To-Hand Combat, Or Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation?
BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2003) 26, 199–260 Printed in the United States of America From mouth to hand: Gesture, speech, and the evolution of right-handedness Michael C. Corballis Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. [email protected] Abstract: The strong predominance of right-handedness appears to be a uniquely human characteristic, whereas the left-cerebral dom- inance for vocalization occurs in many species, including frogs, birds, and mammals. Right-handedness may have arisen because of an association between manual gestures and vocalization in the evolution of language. I argue that language evolved from manual gestures, gradually incorporating vocal elements. The transition may be traced through changes in the function of Broca’s area. Its homologue in monkeys has nothing to do with vocal control, but contains the so-called “mirror neurons,” the code for both the production of manual reaching movements and the perception of the same movements performed by others. This system is bilateral in monkeys, but pre- dominantly left-hemispheric in humans, and in humans is involved with vocalization as well as manual actions. There is evidence that Broca’s area is enlarged on the left side in Homo habilis, suggesting that a link between gesture and vocalization may go back at least two million years, although other evidence suggests that speech may not have become fully autonomous until Homo sapiens appeared some 170,000 years ago, or perhaps even later. The removal of manual gesture as a necessary component of language may explain the rapid advance of technology, allowing late migrations of Homo sapiens from Africa to replace all other hominids in other parts of the world, including the Neanderthals in Europe and Homo erectus in Asia. -
The Language Skills of Singaporean Deaf Children Using Total Communication Mandy Phua Su Yin National University of Singapore 20
THE LANGUAGE SKILLS OF SINGAPOREAN DEAF CHILDREN USING TOTAL COMMUNICATION MANDY PHUA SU YIN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2003 THE LANGUAGE SKILLS OF SINGAPOREAN DEAF CHILDREN USING TOTAL COMMUNICATION MANDY PHUA SU YIN (B.A.(Hons.), NUS) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE (PSYCHOLOGY) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK AND PSYCHOLOGY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2003 i Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to: ❖ A/P Susan Rickard Liow, Department of Social Work and Psychology, National University of Singapore, for your advice and patient guidance. ❖ The Principal, Mrs Ang-Chang Kah Chai, staff and students of the Singapore School for the Deaf for participating in this study and for teaching me much about the Deaf community. ❖ A/P Low Wong Kein, Head, Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, and colleagues in the Listen and Talk Programme for always being quick to provide instrumental aid. ❖ Ms Wendy Tham and Mr Tracey Evans Chan for your helpful suggestions and comments on the thesis. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Table of Contents ii List of Tables vi List of Figures vii Summary viii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1. Deaf Education Worldwide 1 1.1.1. Definitions and Terminology 1 1.1.2. Language and Literacy 2 1.1.3. Approaches to Deaf Education and Programmes 3 1.1.3.1. Auditory-Verbal Approach 4 1.1.3.2. Bilingual-Bicultural Approach 4 1.1.3.3. Cued Speech 5 1.1.3.4. Oral Approach 5 1.1.3.5. Total Communication 5 1.2.