DOCSLIB.ORG

1 Introduction 2 Understanding Applied Sign Linguistics 3 Sign

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Notes 1 Introduction 1. See video clip presented in American Sign Language (with captions) comparing hearing privilege with white privilege: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=P071B5sPCvg 2 Understanding Applied Sign Linguistics 1. www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/ 2. www.ifhoh.org 3. http://wfdeaf.org/whoarewe/mission-and-objectives 4. http://edl.ecml.at/FAQ/FAQsonsignlanguage/tabid/2741/Default.aspx 5. European Union of the Deaf (2014). 6. See: www.un.org/disabilities/countries.asp?id=166 7. A separate study by Vermeerbergen and Leeson (2011) reports that analysis of European publications from the 1980s and early 1990s reveals two different tradi- tions in approaching sign language research. Following Karlsson (1984), they label these the ‘oral language compatibility view’ and the ‘sign language differen- tial view’, which map onto Woll’s ‘modern’ and ‘postmodern’ phases. 8. Bergman, Brita. 1973. Teckenspråkets lingvistiska status. In von der Lieth (ed.), Lars. Psykologisk skriftserie nr 4. Köpenhamns universitet, 211–215. 3 Sign Language in Action 1. See: www.deafhoodfoundation.org 2. See: www.gallaudet.edu/about_gallaudet/mission_and_goals.html 3. See: http://limpingchicken.com/2014/05/09/why-jim-cromwell-argues-hearing- people-should-sign-for-themselves-even-when-interpreters-are-present/ 4. See for example, British deaf man John Walker’s blog ‘Deaf Capital’: http://deaf- capital.blog.com/2013/02/11/my-journey-to-capital-deaf/ 5. See, for example: www.alldeaf.com/deaf-education/30217-making-plans-nigel- erosion-identity-mainstreaming-dr-paddy-ladd.html 6. See, for example: www.sciencesigns.ac.uk 7. www.wfdeaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Statement-on-the-Unification-of- Arab-Sign-Languages-FINAL-091.pdf 4 Learning and Teaching Sign Languages 1. See also “Children create new sign language”: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/ tech/3662928.stm 2. See: www.unm.edu/~wilcox/UNM/univlist.html 3. See: www.coe.int/t/cm/home_en.asp 4. www.signature.org.uk 277 278 Notes 5. http://dsps.wi.gov/LicensesPermitsRegistrations/Credentialing-Division-Home- Page/Health-Professions/Sign-Language-Interpreter/Sign-Language-Interpreter- License-Information 6. www.cdhh.state.nm.us/Licensure.aspx 7. www.kbi.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx 8. www.enpsit.eu 9. www.nrcpd.org.uk 5 Sign Language in Everyday Life 1. See: www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ba_hons_british_sign_language_and_deaf_studies. php 2. See: www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/our-schools-and-institutes/faculty-of-social-sciences/ school-of-social-historical-and-political-studies/undergraduate-subject-areas/ interpreting-and-deaf-studies/deaf-studies/ 3. See: www.deafacademics.org/about_us/index.php 4. See these blog posts: https://lifeinlincs.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/sign- language-research-deaf-hearing-involvement-and-research-ethics/, https://tiger- deafie.wordpress.com/?s=academic&submit=Search 5. See, for example: www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/edward-connors- homeless-deaf-drug-5218679 6. www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/ subtitles.html 7. http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/tv-access- services/code-tv-access-services-2013/ 8. www.sfgate.com/news/article/CNN-sued-over-lack-of-closed-captioning-on- website-3002228.php 9. http://flashinglights.co.uk 10. See http://h3world.tv 11. www.eud.eu/Insign_Project-i-716.html 6 Sign Language in (Professional) Practice 1. See: www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/nelson-mandela-fake-sign-language- 2921028 2. See: http://terpatron9000.com/the-spectacle-of-sign-language-interpreting/ 3. See: www.3aw.com.au/news/eurovision-sign-language-interpreter-steals-the- show-20150317–1m1mif.html 4. See, for example: www.signpostbsl.com 7 Conducting Research in Applied Sign Linguistics 1. See: www.bslcorpusproject.org/events/digging-workshop/ 2. See: www.bu.edu/asllrp/SignStream/ 3. See: https://tla.mpi.nl/tools/tla-tools/elan/ 4. See: http://deafcitizenship.com 5. See: http://dsdj.gallaudet.edu 6. See: www.deafacademics.org/conferences/index.php References Adam, R. (2012a). Language contact and borrowing. In R. Pfau, M. Steinbach, & B. Woll (Eds), Sign language: An international handbook (pp. 841–861). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. Adam, R. (2012b). Unimodal bilingualism in the Deaf community: Contact between dialects of BSL and ISL in Australia and the United Kingdom (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University College London. Adam, R. (2015). Dissemination and transfer of knowledge to the Deaf community. In E. Orfanidou, B. Woll, & G. Morgan (Eds), Research methods in sign language studies: A practical guide (pp. 41–52). London: Wiley Blackwell. Adam, R., Aro, M., Druetta, J. C., Dunne, S., & af Klintberg, J. (2014). Deaf inter- preters: An introduction. In R. Adam, C. Stone, S. D. Collins, & M. Metzger (Eds), Deaf interpreters at work: International insights (pp. 1–18). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. Adam, R., Carty, B., & Stone, C. (2011). Ghostwriting: Deaf translators within the Deaf community. Babel, 57(4), 375–393. Adams, S. (2008). Characteristics of the Coda experience in 21st century contem- porary culture. In M. Bishop & S. Hicks (Eds), Hearing, Mother Father deaf: Hearing people in Deaf families (pp. 261–292). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. Ahrbeck, B. (1995). Problems of Identity Development of Deaf Children. Paper presented at the 18th International Congress on Education of the Deaf, Tel Aviv, Israel, 16–20 July 1995. Available: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED391330.pdf Ahrens, B. (2013). Interpreting techniques and modes. In C. A Chapelle (Ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics. doi:10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0570 Al-Fityani, K. (2010). Deaf people, modernity, and a contentious effort to unify Arab Sign Languages (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of California, San Diego. Allen, C. (2013). Equality for Deaf people: How do we get there? Centre for Deaf Studies Occasional Lecture Series, Trinity College, Dublin. Allen, T. E., & Enns, C. (2013). Psychometric study of the ASL Receptive Skills Test when administered to deaf 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Sign Language Studies, 14(1), 58–79. Alley, E. (2012). Exploring remote interpretation. International Journal of Interpreter Education, 4(1), 111–119. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Pub. L. No. 101–336, § 2, 104 Stat. 328 (1991). Angelelli, C. (2010). A professional ideology in the making: Bilingual youngsters interpreting for the communities and the notion of (no) choice. Translation and Interpreting Studies, 5(1), 94–108. Ann, J. (2001). Bilingualism and language contact. In C. Lucas (Ed.), The sociolinguis- tics of sign languages (pp. 33–60). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Antonini, R., & Torresi, I. (2012). Italian child language brokers’ perspectives on ad-hoc interpreting. Paper presented to the International Association of Translation & Intercultural Studies conference, Belfast, July 2012. 279 280 References Aramburo, A. (1989). Sociolinguistic aspects of the Black Deaf community. In C. Lucas (Ed.), The sociolinguistics of the Deaf community (pp. 103–21). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Armstrong, D. (1983). Iconicity, arbitrariness, and duality of patterning in signed and spoken language: Perspectives on language evolution. Sign Language Studies, 38 (Spring 1983), 51–83. Armstrong, D. (1988). Review article: The world turned inside out. Sign Language Studies, 61, 419–428. Armstrong, D. F., Stokoe, W. C., & Wilcox, S. (1995). Gesture and the nature of language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Arnot, M., & Reay, D. (2007). A sociology of pedagogic voice: Power, inequality and pupil consultation, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 28(3), 311–325. Atkinson, J. (2006). The perceptual characteristics of voice-hallucinations in deaf people: Insights into the nature of subvocal thought and sensory feedback loops. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32(4), 701–708. Atherton, M., Turner, G. H., & Russell, D. (2000). Deaf united: A history of football in the British Deaf community. Coleford: Douglas McLean. Bahan, B. (1997, July). Developing the Deaf Nation. Keynote paper presented to the Deaf Nation Symposium at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK. Bahan, B. (2008). Upon the formation of the visual variety of the human race. In H.-D. L. Bauman (Ed.), Open your eyes: Deaf Studies talking (pp. 83–99). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Bahan, B., & Nash, J. (1995). The formation of signing communities. In J. Mann (Ed.), Deaf Studies IV conference proceedings (pp. 1–16). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University College of Continuing Education. Bailey, R. (2007). Black studies in historical perspective. In N. Normont Jr. (Ed.), The African American Studies reader (2nd ed., pp. 302–310). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Baker, A., & Van den Bogaerde, B. (2005). Eye gaze in turntaking in sign language inter- action. Paper presented at the 10th International Congress for Study of Child Language, Berlin, July 2005. Baker, A., & Van den Boegarde, B. (2012). Communicative interaction. In R. Pfau, M. Steinbach, & B. Woll (Eds), Sign language: An international handbook (pp. 489–512). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. Baker, A., & Van den Bogaerde, B. (2014). KODAS: A special form of bilingualism. In D. Quinto-Pozos (Ed.), Multilingual aspects of signed language communication and disorder (pp. 211–234). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. Baker, C. (1977). Regulators and turn-taking in American Sign Language discourse. In L. Friedman (Ed.), On the
Recommended publications
  • Sign Language Typology Series

    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
  • Learn to Use Signpuddle 1.0 on The

    Learn to Use Signpuddle 1.0 on The

    Some Dictionaries: ™ SignPuddle Online American Sign Language www.SignBank.org/signpuddle Arabic Sign Languages Brazilian Sign Language British Sign Language Colombian Sign Language Czech Sign Language Danish Sign Language Finnish Sign Language Flemish Sign Language French Sign Language German Sign Language Greek Sign Language International Sign Languages Irish Sign Language Italian Sign Language Japanese Sign Language Maltese Sign Language Come Splash in a Sign Puddle! Netherlands Sign Language 1. FREE on the web! Nicaraguan Sign Language Northern Ireland Sign Language 2. Search Sign Language Dictionaries. Norwegian Sign Language 3. Create your own signs and add them. Polish Sign Language 4. Send email in SignWriting®. Quebec Sign Language 5. Translate words to SignWriting. Spanish Sign Language 6. Create documents with SignWriting. Swiss Sign Languages 7. Have fun sharing signs on the internet! Taiwan Sign Language ...and others... http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle Search by Words 1. Click on the icon: Search by Words 2. In the Search field: Type a word or a letter. 3. Press the Search button. 4. All the signs that use that word will list for you in SignWriting. 5. You can then copy the sign, or drag and drop it, into other documents. http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle Search by Signs 1. Click on the icon: Search by Signs 2. In the Search field: Type a word or a letter. 3. Press the Search button. 4. The signs will list in small size. 5. Click on the small sign you want, and a larger version will appear... http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle Search by Symbols 1.
  • Sign Language Endangerment and Linguistic Diversity Ben Braithwaite

    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).
  • How Does Social Structure Shape Language Variation? a Case Study of the Kata Kolok Lexicon

    How Does Social Structure Shape Language Variation? a Case Study of the Kata Kolok Lexicon

    HOW DOES SOCIAL STRUCTURE SHAPE LANGUAGE VARIATION? A CASE STUDY OF THE KATA KOLOK LEXICON KATIE MUDD*1, HANNAH LUTZENBERGER2,3, CONNIE DE VOS2, PAULA FIKKERT2, ONNO CRASBORN2, BART DE BOER1 *Corresponding Author: [email protected] 1Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium 2Center of Language Studies, Nijmegen, Netherlands 3International Max Planck Research School, Nijmegen, Netherlands Sign language emergence is an excellent source of data on how language varia- tion is conditioned. Based on the context of sign language emergence, sign lan- guages can be classified as Deaf community sign languages (DCSL), used by a large and dispersed group of mainly deaf individuals (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004) or as shared sign languages (SSL), which typically emerge in tight-knit communities and are shared by deaf and hearing community members (Kisch, 2008)1. It has been suggested that, in small, tight-knit populations, a higher degree of variation is tolerated than in large, dispersed communities because individuals can remember others’ idiolects (de Vos, 2011; Thompson et al., 2019). Confirm- ing this, Washabaugh (1986) found more lexical variation in Providence Island Sign Language, a SSL, than in American Sign Language (ASL), a DCSL. DC- SLs frequently exhibit variation influenced by schooling patterns, for instance seen in the differences between ages in British Sign Language (Stamp et al., 2014), gender in Irish Sign Language (LeMaster, 2006) and race in ASL (Mc- Caskill et al., 2011). It remains unknown how variation is conditioned in SSLs. The present study of Kata Kolok (KK) is one of the first in-depth studies of how sociolinguistic factors shape lexical variation in a SSL.
  • Signed Languages in Education in Europe – a Preliminary Exploration

    Signed Languages in Education in Europe – a Preliminary Exploration

    Signed Languages in Education in Europe – a preliminary exploration Lorraine LEESON PRELIMINARY STUDY Languages of Education Language Policy Division, Strasbourg www.coe.int/lang Signed Languages in Education in Europe – a preliminary exploration Lorraine LEESON, Centre for Deaf Studies, School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Science. Trinity College Dublin Intergovernmental Conference: Languages of Schooling: towards a Framework for Europe Strasbourg 16-18 October 2006 Language Policy Division The opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All correspondence concerning this publication or the reproduction or translation of all or part of the document should be addressed to the Director of School, Out of School and Higher Education of the Council of Europe (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex). The reproduction of extracts is authorised, except for commercial purposes, on condition that the source is quoted. Language Policy Division DG IV – Directorate of School, Out-of-School and Higher Education Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contents 1. Introduction........................................................................................6 2. The Linguistic Status of Signed Languages ....................................................7 3. Language Acquisition: Which Language is the Deaf Child’s First Language? .............7 4. Signed Languages as subjects – Approaches and implications for signed language use .......................................................................................9
  • A Lexical Comparison of South African Sign Language and Potential Lexifier Languages

    A Lexical Comparison of South African Sign Language and Potential Lexifier Languages

    A lexical comparison of South African Sign Language and potential lexifier languages by Andries van Niekerk Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters in General Linguistics at the University of Stellenbosch Supervisors: Dr Kate Huddlestone & Prof Anne Baker Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Department of General Linguistics March, 2020 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Andries van Niekerk March 2020 Copyright © 2020 University of Stellenbosch All rights reserved 1 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT South Africa’s history of segregation was a large contributing factor for lexical variation in South African Sign Language (SASL) to come about. Foreign sign languages certainly had a presence in the history of deaf education; however, the degree of influence foreign sign languages has on SASL today is what this study has aimed to determine. There have been very limited studies on the presence of loan signs in SASL and none have included extensive variation. This study investigates signs from 20 different schools for the deaf and compares them with signs from six other sign languages and the Paget Gorman Sign System (PGSS). A list of lemmas was created that included the commonly used list of lemmas from Woodward (2003).
  • 400 Years of Change In

    400 Years of Change In

    Digiti lingua: a celebration of British Sign Language and Deaf Culture Bencie Woll Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre UCL 1 Structure of this talk • Introduction to BSL: its history and social context • Historical sources • What kind of language is BSL? • Change in BSL • BSL in the future Introduction to BSL: its history and social context Some myths about sign language • There is one universal sign language • Sign language consists of iconic gestures • Sign languages were invented by hearing people to help deaf people • Sign languages have no grammar • BSL is just English on the hands Truths about sign language • There are many different sign languages in the world • Sign languages are just as conventionalised as spoken languages • Sign languages are natural languages, the creation of deaf communities • Sign languages have their own complex grammars BSL – language of the British Deaf community • An estimated 50,000-70,000 sign language people • Forms a single language group with Australian and New Zealand sign languages • Unrelated to American Sign Language or Irish Sign Language Social context of BSL • A minority language used by a community with historically low status • Non-traditional transmission patterns • Extensive regional lexical variation • A bilingual community, but with variable access to the language of the majority • Has experienced active attempts at suppression over many centuries Home sign • Gestural communication systems developed during communication between deaf children and hearing adults • Unlike sign
  • Negation in Kata Kolok Grammaticalization Throughout Three Generations of Signers

    Negation in Kata Kolok Grammaticalization Throughout Three Generations of Signers

    UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM Graduate School for Humanities Negation in Kata Kolok Grammaticalization throughout three generations of signers Master’s Thesis Hannah Lutzenberger Student number: 10852875 Supervised by: Dr. Roland Pfau Dr. Vadim Kimmelman Dr. Connie de Vos Amsterdam 2017 Abstract (250 words) Although all natural languages have ways of expressing negation, the linguistic realization is subject to typological variation (Dahl 2010; Payne 1985). Signed languages combine manual signs and non-manual elements. This leads to an intriguing dichotomy: While non-manual marker(s) alone are sufficient for negating a proposition in some signed languages (non- manual dominant system), the use of a negative manual sign is required in others (manual dominant system) (Zeshan 2004, 2006). Kata Kolok (KK), a young signing variety used in a Balinese village with a high incidence of congenital deafness (de Vos 2012; Winata et al. 1995), had previously been classified as an extreme example of the latter type: the manual sign NEG functions as the main negator and a negative headshake remains largely unused (Marsaja 2008). Adopting a corpus-based approach, the present study reevaluates this claim. The analysis of intergenerational data of six deaf native KK signers from the KK Corpus (de Vos 2016) reveals that the classification of KK negation is not as straightforward as formerly suggested. Although KK signers make extensive use of NEG, a negative headshake is widespread as well. Furthermore, signers from different generations show disparate tendencies in the use of specific markers. Specifically, the involvement of the manual negator slightly increases over time, and the headshake begins to spread within the youngest generation of signers.
  • “Danish Sign Language [Dsl] (A Language of Denmark)

    “Danish Sign Language [Dsl] (A Language of Denmark)

    “Danish Sign Language [dsl] (A language of Denmark) • Alternate Names: Dansk tegnsprog, DTS • Population: 5,000 in Denmark (2007). 24,500 (2014 IMB). • Location: Scattered. • Language Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2015, Law 61, amendment to Danish Language Council). • Dialects: None known. Faroe Islands, Greenland (2014 J. Zachariassen; Aldersson and McEntee-Atalianis 2007). Some signs are related to French Sign Language [fsl]. Intelligible with Swedish [swl] and Norwegian [nsl] sign languages with only moderate difficulty. Not intelligible with Finnish Sign Language [fse]. Signed Danish is distinct, but used in communication with some hearing people. • Typology: One-handed fingerspelling. • Language Use: First deaf school began in 1807. Used in all 6 state primary schools for the deaf. Interpreters are required in court, and may be used at important public events, in job training, social services, and mental health programs. • Language Development: Films. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 2013. • Other Comments: Fingerspelling system similar to French Sign Language [fsl]. Organization for sign language teachers. Instruction provided for parents of deaf children and other 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. Related Readings Aldersson, Russell, and Lisa McEntee-Atalianis 2008 A Lexical Comparison of Signs from Icelandic and Danish Sign Languages. Sign Language Studies 9(1): 45-87. Engberg-Pedersen, Elisabeth 2010 Expressions of Causation in Danish Sign Language. Sign Language & Linguistics 13(1): 40-67. Last Updated: April 13, 2015 .
  • Sign Languages in Contact

    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.
  • Sign Language Text Transcriptions and Analyses Using 'Microsoft Excel'

    Sign Language Text Transcriptions and Analyses Using 'Microsoft Excel'

    Sign Language Text Transcriptions and Analyses Using ‘Microsoft Excel’ Penny Boyes Braem Center for Sign Language Research, Basel ABSTRACT This is a short explanation of how we have used the commercial software program ‘Microsoft Excel’ for transcriptions of Swiss German Sign Language monologues and conversations. Although the transcription is not directly linked to video, it has the advantage that various kinds of searches and correlations can be carried out on it, that the same basic transcript can be expanded or reduced to be used for different kinds of analyses, and that the analyses can be easily represented and printed out in different forms (charts, graphs, etc.). Type and Purpose of the Sign Language Corpus The first study of Swiss German Sign Language ( D eutsch s chweizerische G ebärden s prache, DSGS) which involved large texts was carried out in 1990 - 19951. The purpose of this study was to compare the signed communication of three deaf early learners of DSGS and three deaf late learners. Videotapes signed data consisted of 3 to 5 minute monologues from all six subjects, as well as five 10-minute conversations between different combinations of the subjects.2 (Additional information about the methodology and subjects in this study can be found in Boyes Braem, 1995, 1999, 2000.) Why Excel was Initially Chosen The transcriptions of the signed data include German glosses for the manual signs, information about nonmanual signals used for grammatical and discourse purposes, ‘mouthings’, and a German translation of the signed text. At the time that these transcriptions were begun (1990), the computer software which would allow direct notation of videoclips on the computer screen, such as can now be done with programs such as SyncWriter, SignStream and MediaTagger, were in the process of being developed.
  • Possessive and Existential Constructions in Kata Kolok

    Possessive and Existential Constructions in Kata Kolok

    PAMELA PERNISS & ULRIKE ZESHAN 125 Chapter 6 Possessive and existential constructions in Kata Kolok Pamela Perniss and Ulrike Zeshan KATA KOLOK Kata Kolok (literally ‘language deaf’) is the sign language used in Desa Kolok (literally ‘village deaf’), a small traditional farming village in the north of Bali, Indonesia. Due to the spread of a recessive deafness gene throughout the village, Desa Kolok has had a high incidence of deafness for many generations. Among the total village population of approximately 2,200, there are currently 45 deaf people. This puts the rate of deafness in the village at nearly 2%, which is 20 times greater than the world’s average. There are deaf people (Balinese kolok) in all ten village clans, which means that the kolok are an integral part of the village population. As a result, all hearing people in Desa Kolok are accustomed to living with deaf people, and sign language is used not only among the deaf, but equally by the hearing vil- lage population. Due to its peculiar sociolinguistic setting, the vast majority of Kata Kolok users are L2 (second language) users. These are the hearing people in the village who use the sign language to communicate with the deaf villagers. They also use a range of spoken languages, most prominently spoken Balinese, for various formal, informal, and ritual purposes in everyday life. The only monolingual users of Kata Kolok are the deaf villagers, and since access to formal education for the deaf has been nonexistent or marginal at best, they are illiterate. Unlike deaf communities in many urban settings, the deaf community in Desa Kolok does not receive any oral education or training in articulation and lipreading.