American Sign Language and ASL Linguistics

American Sign Language

and ASL Linguistics

LING 200

University of Washington

February 6, 2009

Lance Forshay, Presenter

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Agenda

Nature of ASL and relevant questions. American Deaf Culture Brief History of Sign Languages ASL and Deaf Studies at UW. ASL phonetics and phonology

Presenter

Lance A. Forshay, M.S. [email protected] ASL Lecturer and Program Coordinator

Department of Linguistics University of Washington, Seattle.

President of Washington ASL Teacher Association.

(National) ASL Teacher Association member. Washington State Association of the Deaf Board

Member at Large: Watchdog and Advocacy. Fourth of five Deaf generations.

The Nature of ASLThe Nature of ASLIs ASL…Is ASL…

A Visual-Gestural Language?

Yes.

ASL contains 60% Gestural-Body Language and Facial Expressions. However ASL is different from common gestures hearing people use.


A fully developed language?

Yes.

ASL contains all linguistic characteristics that make ASL a language different and independent from English language.


A language you can use to communicate complicated topics with philosophical ideas, politics, sports, education, science, comedy, or express in drama, storytelling, poetry or anything else like you do with English?Yes!… with no limitations.


A changing language?Yes. Like all languages, ASL does change over time and varies within regions (accents). Some old ASL signs disappear, simplify or assimilate with other word signs into new signs. (Compound and Contractions)


Universal?

No.

Almost every country has its own sign language just like spoken language. There are at least 70 known sign languages.


Used in other countries?

Yes, some.

ASL is used by Deaf people in Canada and few other countries with historical background of deaf education established by American educators and church missionaries for the deaf such as Nigera, Kenya, Philippines, Belize and some parts of India.


Used in British countries?

No.

ASL is totally different from British Sign Language used in the United Kingdom (Scotland, England, and Wales), Australia, and New Zealand.

American Deaf Culture

What is Deaf Culture?A group of Deaf people who uses American Sign

Language, lives by a set of norms and values of the Deaf community, shares the Deaf heritage and traditions, and involves as a member of Deaf community.

ASL is the key to the heart of Deaf culture and you have to understand Deaf culture to master ASL at higher level.

“D”eaf versus deaf. Matter of identity and belonging to Deaf

community. Not necessarily hereditary.

Brief Timeline History of ASLBrief Timeline History of ASL

Natural bodily and facial gestures and common gestural signs are on earth since the beginning of mankind.

Indian Sign Language, cross-tribal communications for trading purposes.


399 (?) B.C. Socrates quoted by Plato in “Cratylus” mentions the deaf who express themselves in gestures movement, depicting that which is light or a higher sphere by raising the hands or describing a galloping horse by imitating its motion.


In 1755, Abbe Charles Michel de L’Eppe of Paris founded the first free school for the deaf with sign language as a method of communication. This model of deaf school concept spread all over the European countries for the next hundred years.

In 1778, Samuel Heinicke of Leipzig Germany, promoted Oralism, a method of teaching deaf children spoken and written language through speech and lip-reading exclusively without use of sign language.


Thomas Gallaudet saw the need of education for deaf children. He went to Europe and

brought Laurent Clerc, a deaf teacher from deaf school in Paris, to America to start a deaf school together in 1817.


Laurent Clerc learned the old ASL used by deaf people in America and combined it with LSF (French Sign Language).

Eventually, he standardized the sign system at the

school into modern ASL as we know it today.


Alexander Graham Bell and the spread ofOralism took a strong grip on

deaf education in America and all over the world in 1880’s.

1880,the World Congress of the Educators of the Deaf met in

Milan, Italy and passed a resolution to promote Oralism in deaf education all over the world and dismiss all deaf teachers out of deaf schools.


The same year, National Association for the Deaf was founded and they fought long and hard for the rights touse sign language in deaf

community and education.www.nad.org

1900’s - 1960’s Oralism method proved failure in deaf education. Average deaf high school graduates ranks third grade in English.


1960’s William Stokoe, a non-conventional linguist, who taught English atGallaudet, recognized linguistic characters in ASL and started to have a deep interest to do research on sign. He eventually proved that ASL is a language. He

published his finding. 1970’s, Sign Language Studies, Classes,

Training, and Book materials began to emerge. Deaf culture recognized and defined with ASL.


1975, Sign Instructors Guidance Network. Today it is called ASL Teacher Association.

1970’s Sign language slowly returns to deaf education but in Englishized forms.

1988. Deaf President Now. 1990 ASL accepted as a foreign language

credit and course offered in many college and high school at explosive growth.

1990’s Many states legalize ASL as a foreign language course for HS and college.

ASL in Washington stateASL in Washington state

Washington State Law passed in July 1984 to recognize ASL as a language and that it may be used for foreign language credit in secondary and post-secondary level education. (WAC 180-51-025 for secondary and postsecondary.) For more information on other state legislations on ASL. http://www.aslta.org/legislation/index.html

ASL & Deaf Studies Program at UW

Regularly offered since Aut 2007 First year with one teacher. Two sections for each

class, ASL 101, 102 and 103. Nearly 300 students on waiting list for ASL 101

classes Fall 2008. Permanent funds from the state and private

foundations. ASL 305 Introduction to Deaf Studies. ASL 134 Intensive first year summer ASL course. Signing community with Deaf staff, students and

other ASL students. Future…

Phonetic parameters of ASL signs

Manual ways in which signs can differ Handshape Orientation Location Movement Number of hands

Non-manual ways in which signs can differ

Handshape

Minimal pairs LIKE vs. WHITE DORM vs. DEAF PEOPLE vs. BICYCLE NUMBER vs. INTERPRET

Signs which change handshape UNDERSTAND HOW MANY DIVORCED

Orientation

Minimal pairs MEET vs. I MEET YOU NAME vs. CHAIR SOCK vs. STAR YOUR vs. MY vs. CHILD

Signs which change orientation DIE/DEAD COMMUNITY CLASS

Location

Minimal pairs APPLE vs. ONION LUCKY vs. CLEVER SAME vs. NEW YORK CITY THIRTEEN vs. CUTE

Signs which change location DEAF FUN KING

Movement

Minimal pairs TOUGH vs. PHYSICS CAN vs. SHOES BROWN vs. BEER TURN AROUND vs. SINGLE

Different types of movement straight: SEPARATED angled: PERCENT looping: WASHINGTON wiggling: COLOR twisting: WHERE nodding: YES

Number of hands

One-handed signs MOTHER DEER COOL

Two-handed signs HERE BICYCLE

Minimal pairs PURPLE vs. PARTY BOY vs. TEACH

Non-manual expressions

Signs articulated with non-manual OH I SEE PROSTITUTE

Minimal pairs HERE vs. WHAT OLD vs. HOW-OLD HOT vs. VERY HOT

Assimilation

In handshape I NAME I AM NAMED I KNOW I KNOW

Symmetry condition

‘if both hands move independently during a given two-handed sign...then the specifications for handshape and movement must be identical, and the orientations must be either identical or polar opposites (reciprocals). Locations...must also be specifed either as symmetrical or as polar opposites.’ (Battison 1974)

If handshapes identical

One hand can move PAPER

Or both hands can move DIE/DEAD

But if handshapes not identical

Only one hand can move DRAW no signs where both hands move phonological restriction

Questions

Documents

American Sign Language and ASL Linguistics