Research Methods in Sign Language Studies is a landmark work on sign language research, which spans the fields of linguistics, experimental and developmental psychology, brain research, and language assessment. * Examines a broad range of topics, including ethical and political issues, key methodologies, and the collection of linguistic, cognitive, neuroscientific, and neuropsychological data * Provides tips and recommendations to improve research quality at all levels and encourages readers to approach the field from the perspective of diversity rather than disability * Incorporates research on sign languages from Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa * Brings together top researchers on the subject from around the world, including many who are themselves deaf

The book presents an empirical and theoretical investigation of lexical nonmanuals in German Sign Language including torso, head, and facial expressions. Three empirical studies demonstrate the relevance of nonmanuals for the wellformedness of signs, their meaning, and lexical processing. Moreover, implications for the theoretical implementation of lexical nonmanuals concerning, e.g., articulation patterns and phonological status are discussed.

Inquiry into signed languages has added to what is known about structural variation and language, language learning, and cognitive processing of language. However, comparatively little research has focused on communication disorders in signed language users. For some deaf children, atypicality is viewed as a phase that they will outgrow, and this results in late identification of linguistic or cognitive deficits that might have been addressed earlier. This volume takes a step towards describing different types of atypicality in language communicated in the signed modality such as linguistic impairment caused by deficits in visual processing, difficulties with motor movements, and neurological decline. Chapters within the book also consider communication differences in hearing children acquiring signed and spoken languages.

Inquiry into signed languages has added to what is known about structural variation and language, language learning, and cognitive processing of language. However, comparatively little research has focused on communication disorders in signed language users. For some deaf children, atypicality is viewed as a phase that they will outgrow, and this results in late identification of linguistic or cognitive deficits that might have been addressed earlier. This volume takes a step towards describing different types of atypicality in language communicated in the signed modality such as linguistic impairment caused by deficits in visual processing, difficulties with motor movements, and neurological decline. Chapters within the book also consider communication differences in hearing children acquiring signed and spoken languages.

This book looks at how the human brain got the capacity for language and how language then evolved. Its four parts are concerned with different views on the emergence of language, with what language is, how it evolved in the human brain, and finally how this process led to the properties of language. Part I considers the main approaches to the subject and how far language evolved culturally or genetically. Part II argues that language is a system of signs and considers how these elements first came together in the brain. Part III examines the evidence for brain mechanisms to allow the formation of signs. Part IV shows how the book's explanation of language origins and evolution is not only consistent with the complex properties of languages but provides the basis for a theory of syntax that offers insights into the learnability of language and to the nature of constructions that have defied decades of linguistic analysis, including including subject-verb inversion in questions, existential constructions, and long-distance dependencies. Denis Bouchard's outstandingly original account will interest linguists of all persuasions as well as cognitive scientists and others interested in the evolution of language.

This new study is a major contribution to sign language study and to literature generally, looking at the complex grammatical, phonological and morphological systems of sign language linguistic structure and their role in sign language poetry and performance. Chapters deal with repetition and rhyme, symmetry and balance, neologisms, ambiguity, themes, metaphor and allusion, poem and performance, and blending English and sign language poetry. Major poetic performances in both BSL and ASL -- with emphasis on the work of the deaf poet Dorothy Miles -- are analyzed using the tools provided in the book.

Come to Swan Harbor and discover acrobatic dragonflies, ancient lobsters, and sweet-smelling sea roses. Travel through the seasons to count baby robins as they wait for their springtime dinner and monarch butterflies as they rest during their autumn journey south. Young children will delight in counting the familiar and not-so-familiar flora and fauna of Swan Harbor, while older children will add to their store of intriguing nature facts. Laura Rankin's own Maine countryside provided the inspiration and research for this beautiful fictional harbor. At once a nature guide, a counting book, and a puzzle, Swan Harbor is first and foremost an exquisite work of art. Laura Rankin, the creator of the award-winning The Handmade Alphabet, lives in York Harbor, Maine.

In the sign languages of the deaf some signs can meaningfully point toward things or can be meaningfully placed in the space ahead of the signer. Such spatial uses of signs are an obligatory part of fluent grammatical signing. There is no parallel for this in vocally produced languages. This book focuses on American Sign Language to examine the grammatical and conceptual purposes served by these directional signs and demonstrates a remarkable integration of grammar and gesture in the service of constructing meaning.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the International Workshop on Gesture and Sign Languages in Human-Computer Interaction, GW 2001, held in London, UK, in April 2001.The 25 revised full papers and 8 short papers were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the post-proceedings. The papers are organized in topical sections on gesture recognition, recognition of sign languages, nature and notations of sign languages, gesture and sign language synthesis, gestural action and interaction, and applications based on gesture control.

Once signed languages are recognized as natural human languages, a world of exploration opens up. Signed languages provide a powerful tool for investigating the nature of human language and language processing, the relation between cognition and language, and the neural organization of language. The value of sign languages lies in their modality. Specifically, for perception, signed languages depend upon high-level vision and motion processing systems, and for production, they require the integration of motor systems involving the hands and face. These facts raise many questions: What impact does this different biological base have for grammatical systems? For online language processing? For the acquisition of language? How does it affect nonlinguistic cognitive structures and processing? Are the same neural systems involved?
These are some of the questions that this book aims at addressing. The answers provide insight into what constrains grammatical form, language processing, linguistic working memory, and hemispheric specialization for language. The study of signed languages allows researchers to address questions about the nature of linguistic and cognitive systems that otherwise could not be easily addressed.

Once signed languages are recognized as natural human languages, a world of exploration opens up. Signed languages provide a powerful tool for investigating the nature of human language and language processing, the relation between cognition and language, and the neural organization of language. The value of sign languages lies in their modality. Specifically, for perception, signed languages depend upon high-level vision and motion processing systems, and for production, they require the integration of motor systems involving the hands and face. These facts raise many questions: What impact does this different biological base have for grammatical systems? For online language processing? For the acquisition of language? How does it affect nonlinguistic cognitive structures and processing? Are the same neural systems involved?
These are some of the questions that this book aims at addressing. The answers provide insight into what constrains grammatical form, language processing, linguistic working memory, and hemispheric specialization for language. The study of signed languages allows researchers to address questions about the nature of linguistic and cognitive systems that otherwise could not be easily addressed.

Augmentative and alternative communication concerns the use of non-speech communication modes for people unable to use speech and for augmenting communication for people with limited spoken language. This book focuses on the use of manual and graphic communication systems for clinical populations with developmental disorders of speech and language, including children, adolescents and adults with autism, dysphsia, intellectual impairment and motor impairment. Among the topics covered are: augmentative and alternative communication in Europe; joint attention and communication; implications for assessment and alternative language intervention in autism and related disorders; language input and attention strategies; communication functions in aided language use; being an interesting conversation partner; a neurolinguistic approach to graphic language intervention; augmented telecommunication for people with intellectual impairment; improving communication and language skills of children with cerebral palsy; the social world of non-speaking people; and the psychology and sociology of introducing augmentative and alternative communication in Hungary.

British Sign Language (B.S.L.) is the visual gestural language of the Deaf community in Britain and is the first or preferred language of over 70,000 people. This is the first major B.S.L./English Dictionary to be published. It contains over 1,800 photographed sign entries ordered by linguistic principles according to the visual characteristics of the language. Each entry is notated with a description of how to produce the sign. A guide to the meaning(s) of each sign is provided in English. The dictionary will be of particular interest to hearing and Deaf people (and their tutors) engaged in learning B.S.L. or English as a second language. Whether you want to learn B.S.L or teach it - or just improve your vocabulary - the Dictionary of British Sign Language is the authoritative place to begin. The Dictionary of British Sign Language was compiled for the British Deaf Association by the Deaf Studies Research Unit at the University of Durham.

Fully illustrated and completely revised and updated with 32 pages of all-new signs for the digital age. The most convenient and concise way for learning commonly used phrases in sign language. Perfect for anyone-both deaf and hearing-from teachers and students to friends and family to anyone who wants to learn how to communicate better with hearing-impaired people. Features easy-to-follow instructions and simple, effective illustrations, and is conveniently arranged by topic, including: - Computer and technological terms - Greetings and introductions - Everyday expressions - Family and friends - Shopping and colors - Money and numbers - Leisure and sports - Food and restaurants - School, religion, and government - Time, holidays, and weather - Nature, science, and animals - Health conditions and medical emergencies

"Listen with your eyes . . .

Sign Language is a method of presenting thoughts via pictures made with one's hands."

People are adaptable. This trait is particularly useful when one of the five senses is weakened and another becomes more acute to compensate for the weakness. So the deaf, when they hear, hear with their eyes. To communicate to the deaf, then, is to translate the speech of the hearing world into the pictures of the seeing world.

"It is an amazing truth that Dr. Cathy Rice has had more influence on the ministry to the deaf, through her teaching of Sign Language and getting others to learn and teach it, than anyone else in the world. All around America, I have attended churches that have someone interpreting sermons for the deaf and teaching a class for the deaf. And in most cases, they learned the Sign Language at the Bill Rice Ranch and were taught by Dr. Cathy. I am so glad she has written this book. It is authoritative and important. God bless it." ―the late Dr. John R. Rice, Sword of the Lord Ministries, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

In 1953, the late Bill Rice, along with his wife, Cathy, founded the Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as a ministry to deaf individuals. Since then, the Ranch has been the headquarters for ministries reaching the deaf for Christ both in this country and abroad.

The Ranch still maintains camp and conference grounds in Tennessee and in Arizona where deaf young people can attend one of several weeks of camp free of charge. Also, the sign language school that Dr. Rice began continues to train people through classes held at the Ranch each year. Well over eight hundred churches have established deaf ministries as a result of training received at the Ranch.

With more than 100,000 copies in print, this easy-to-use pocket edition of Ameslan has become a classic in its field. Arranged in a dictionary format, the revised and expanded edition contains over 600 signing entries with accompanying directions, illustrations, and sample sentences.

The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Pedagogy is the first reference of its kind, presenting contributions from leading experts in the field of sign language pedagogy. The Handbook fills a significant gap in the growing field of sign language pedagogy, compiling all essential aspects of current trends and empirical research in teaching, curricular design, and assessment in one volume. Each chapter includes historical perspectives, core issues, research approaches, key findings, pedagogical implications, future research direction, and additional references. The Routledge Handbook of Sign Language Pedagogy is an essential reference for sign language teachers, practitioners, and researchers in applied sign linguistics and first, second, and additional language learning.

A concise overview of key findings and ideas in sign language phonology and its contributions to related fields, including historical linguistics, morphology, prosody, language acquisition and language creation. Working on sign languages not only provides important new insights on familiar issues, but also poses a whole new set of questions about phonology, because of the use of the visual communication modality. This book lays out the properties needed to recognize a phonological system regardless of its modality. Written by a leading expert in sign language research, the book describes the current state of the field and addresses a range of issues that students and researchers will encounter in their work, as well as highlighting the significant impact that the study of sign languages has had on the field of phonology as a whole. It includes lists of further reading materials, and a full glossary, as well as helpful illustrations that demonstrate the important aspects of sign language structure, even to the most unfamiliar of readers. A text that will be useful to both specialists and general linguists, this book provides the first comprehension overview of the field.

This product contains a book and DVD. Do you want to be able to understand and use British Sign Language confidently? All you need is this best-selling course. Learn everyday, useful BSL through real-life situations that make the grammar and vocabulary easy and memorable. Hundreds of line illustrations throughout the book and constant references to video clips on the DVD make learning fast and fun. British Sign Language (BSL) is used in the United Kingdom. The number of Deaf people in the UK using BSL has been put at about 50,000; there are in addition many more hearing people who use BSL to communicate with Deaf users. Sign languages are not related to spoken languages and BSL is completely different, for example, from American Sign Language. Sign language conveys meaning through the use of space and movement of the hands, body, face and head. We know that many hearing people are keen to learn BSL (it is a very popular evening class course, for example). But there is a lack of good teaching materials written in English for hearing learners of BSL, which this course fills. Get Started in British Sign Language follows the BSL curricula taught currently in colleges (Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People CACDP and Institute of BSL) and therefore will be able to be used as support material by learners, as well as providing a complete grounding in the structure and grammar of BSL. Flexible Learn in your own time and at your own pace Time saving Learn quickly with one- and five-minute essentials Expert Written by Deaf authors Informative Sections of Deaf culture Jargon-free Learn the grammatical features of BSL with ease Practical Reinforce your learning with examples and exercises Authentic Learn everyday BSL through real-life situations DVD (MP4 compatible) Video clips provided on a 60-minute DVD Teach Yourself British Sign Language includes: Chapter 1: Starting out with BSL structure Chapter 2: More about Deaf people Chapter 3: BSL Structures Chapter 4: Deaf culture and BSL etiquette Chapter 5: Introduction to facial expressions Chapter 6: Asking 'wh-' questions Chapter 7: Asking 'yes'/'no' questions Chapter 8: More about questions Chapter 9: How to use facial expressions Chapter 10: BSL mouth patterns Chapter 11: Starting out with fingerspelling Chapter 12: Learning to fingerspell Chapter 13: Reading fingerspelling Chapter 14: Fingerspelling signs Chapter 15: Using fingerspelling in conversation Chapter 16: Other fingerspelt words: months Chapter 17: Starting out with placement Chapter 18: Describing a room Chapter 19: Introduction to referent handshapes Chapter 20: Understanding switching Chapter 21: Describing a room from memory Chapter 22: Understanding someone describing a scene from memory Chapter 23: Starting out with directions Chapter 24: Directions - describing localities Chapter 25: Complex directions: adding more information Chapter 26: Using directions with landmarks Chapter 27: Colours Chapter 28: What next? Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years.

Visual-Gestural Communication is a truly unique volume in non-language communication devoted to the study of universal gestures, facial expressions, body language, and pantomime. Readers develop the skill and confidence to interact -- sans shared language -- with individuals, such as someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who speaks a foreign language. The text and accompanying online resources feature a wealth of icebreakers, sequenced yet modular activities and assignments, as well as resources, student exercises, and teacher-guided tasks that explore aspects and amalgamations of nonverbal communication, theatre, and sign language. It is a tremendous resource for students of visual-gestural communication, sign language interpretation, American Sign Language (and other foreign sign languages), nonverbal communication, theatre, and performance studies, as well as community educators in deaf awareness and advocacy. In addition to the text's vital use in the theatrical arena, it is also applicable to teachers who wish to help their students maximize the use of their facial expressions, gestures, and body language as a prerequisite to learning ASL.

The bestselling Parents' Choice Award Winner-now expanded with a new section on computer and technology terms. Fully illustrated in a large format with clear, easy-to-read instructions, "Signing for Kids" features the clearest instructions and easiest-to-follow illustrations of any signing book available. And, "Signing for Kids" is as relevant to today's young readers as it is easy-to-use, with a new 16-page section of computer and technology terms. With helpful hints and tips for better signing and an extensive index for easy reference, "Signing for Kids" is the best book for beginners or for those who want to brush up their sign language skills. Includes topics such as: - Pets & Animals - Snacks & Food - Family, Friends & People - Numbers, Money & Quantity - Sports, Hobbies & Recreation - Time, Days, Seasons & Weather - Travel & Holidays - Clothes, Colors & Home - Computers and Technology

An Intimate Journey into the Heart of the Deaf Community Don't Just "Sign..".Communicate prepares you to interact with the deaf and hard of hearing - in a knowledgeable and respectful way - by giving you an exclusive glimpse into this rich and diverse community. This eye-opening book will ignite your senses and eliminate any misconceptions you may have about the deaf community. Delve into this informative and entertaining collection of personal stories culled from the writings of talented Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, and late-deafened people. Experience the world from their perspectives and learn what questions and comments are best avoided and what common courtesies are most appreciated. By reading this book, you can immerse yourself in the textured world of the deaf community. Pulsing with vibrant stories, this carefully compiled anthology swings the door open wide and invites you in. Run with "Broken Ears," a Chippewa native whose struggle to triumph over discrimination is compounded by deafness. "Touch the sound of snowflakes" with percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Experience the isolation of "Deaf Brown Gurl," an exotic beauty yearning to fit in. And "follow the music through vibrations" with grand illusionist Sam Sandler. Get to know them and many others. Their stories will reach right off the page, grab you by the heart, and pull you in... This book is meant as a guide to equip ASL students, but it is so much more... It is a book for the masses - to be read and reread, to be savored - for it will resonate with you long after the last page is turned...