Linguistics Of American Sign Language

New 4th Edition completely revised and updated with new DVD now available; ISBN 1-56368-283-4.

Completely reorganized to reflect the growing intricacy of the study of ASL linguistics, the 5th edition presents 26 units in seven parts, including new sections on Black ASL and new sign demonstrations in the DVD.

Now, deaf students, hearing students in Deaf studies programs, and students in interpreter training programs will find all they need to understand the structure of American Sign Language (ASL) in the new, expanded and revised Linguistics of American Sign Language: An Introduction. This unique resource presents authoritative readings on the most current linguistic concepts, including the fundamentals of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and the use of language. Individual chapters on these basics have been designed to stimulate discussion about the ongoing development of ASL linguistic theory. Linguistics of American Sign Language includes homework questions, themes for classroom interaction, and study sheets centering on a story signed in ASL on the course videotape. Each unit provides an exercise that requires students to view the story, then observe the use of specific signs isolated for close linguistic analysis, an invaluable process performed throughout the course.

Sign languages are of great interest to linguists, because while they are the product of the same brain, their physical transmission differs greatly from that of spoken languages. In this pioneering and original study, Wendy Sandler and Diane Lillo-Martin compare sign languages with spoken languages, in order to seek the universal properties they share. Drawing on general linguistic theory, they describe and analyze sign language structure, showing linguistic universals in the phonology, morphology, and syntax of sign language, while also revealing non-universal aspects of its structure that must be attributed to its physical transmission system. No prior background in sign language linguistics is assumed, and numerous pictures are provided to make descriptions of signs and facial expressions accessible to readers. Engaging and informative, Sign Language and Linguistic Universals will be invaluable to linguists, psychologists, and all those interested in sign languages, linguistic theory and the universal properties of human languages.

The standard introduction on ASL structure, now expanded with more information on linguistic fundamentals.

Sign Languages: Structures and Contexts provides a succinct summary of major findings in the linguistic study of natural sign languages. Focusing on American Sign Language (ASL), this book: offers a comprehensive introduction to the basic grammatical components of phonology, morphology, and syntax with examples and illustrations; demonstrates how sign languages are acquired by Deaf children with varying degrees of input during early development, including no input where children create a language of their own; discusses the contexts of sign languages, including how different varieties are formed and used, attitudes towards sign languages, and how language planning affects language use; is accompanied by e-resources, which host links to video clips. Offering an engaging and accessible introduction to sign languages, this book is essential reading for students studying this topic for the first time with little or no background in linguistics.

The videocassettes illustrate dialogues for the text it accompanies, and also provides ASL stories, poems and dramatic prose for classroom use. Each dialogue is presented three times to allow the student to "converse with" each signer. Also demonstrates the grammar and structure of sign language. The teacher's text on grammar and culture focuses on the use of three basic types of sentences, four verb inflections, locative relationships and pronouns, etc. by using sign language. The teacher's text on curriculum and methods gives guidelines on teaching American Sign Language and Structured activities for classroom use.

The uses and practices of sign languages are strongly related to scientific research on sign languages and vice versa. Conversely, sign linguistics cannot be separated from Deaf community practices, including practices in education and interpretation. Therefore, the current volume brings together work on sign language interpreting, the use of spoken and sign language with deaf children with cochlear implants and early language development in children exposed to both a spoken and sign language, and reports on recent research on aspects of sign language structure. It also includes papers addressing methodological issues in sign language research. The book presents papers by "more seasoned" researchers and "new kids on the block", as well as papers in which the two collaborate. The contributions will be of interest to all those interested in linguistics, sociolinguistics, cultural studies, interpreting and education. It will have particular relevance to those interested in sign linguistics, sociolinguistics of deaf communities, Deaf studies, Deaf culture, sign language interpretation, sign language teaching, and (spoken/signed) bilingualism. Given the scarcity of literature on "Deaf studies", the book will also appeal widely beyond the traditional academic milieu. As a result, it has relevance for those teaching and learning sign languages, for professional and student interpreters and for teachers of the deaf.