This is first comprehensive introduction to the linguistics of Auslan, the sign language of Australia. Assuming no prior background in language study, it explores each key aspect of the structure of Auslan, providing an accessible overview of its grammar (how sentences are structured), phonology (the building blocks of signs), morphology (the structure of signs), lexicon (vocabulary), semantics (how meaning is created), and discourse (how Auslan is used in context). The authors also discuss a range of myths and misunderstandings about sign languages, provide an insight into the history and development of Auslan, and show how Auslan is related to other sign languages, such as those used in Britain, the USA and New Zealand. Complete with clear illustrations of the signs in use and useful further reading lists, this is an ideal resource for anyone interested in Auslan, as well as those seeking a clear, general introduction to sign language linguistics.

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 2006 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.

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 2006 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 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

Even though more than half the world's population is bilingual, the study of bilinguals has lagged behind that of monolinguals. With this book, which draws on twenty-five years of the author's research, Francois Grosjean contributes significantly to redressing the balance. The volume covers four areas of research: the definition and characterization of the bilingual person, the perception and production of spoken language by bilinguals, the sign-oral bilingualism of the Deaf, and methodological and conceptual issues in research on bilingualism. While the author takes a largely psycholinguistic approach, his acute linguistic and sociolinguistic awareness is evident throughout and especially so in his reflections on what it means to be bilingual and bicultural. The book also defends increased co-operation among researchers in connecting fields such as the language sciences and the neurosciences.

This is the first detailed explanation of the way British Sign Language works and is the product of many years' experience of research and teaching sign linguistics to deaf and hearing people. It assumes no previous knowledge of linguistics or sign language, and is not structured around traditional headings such as phonology, morphology and syntax. Instead it is set out in such a way as to help learners and their teachers understand the linguistic principles behind the language. There are sections on BSL grammar and also on the use of BSL, including social acceptability in signing, variation, and poetry and humour in BSL. Technical terms and linguistic jargon are kept to a minimum, and the text contains many examples from English, BSL, and other spoken and sign languages. The book is amply illustrated and contains exercises, as well as a reading list for further study. An accompanying 90-minute video is available from CACDP, Durham University Science Park, Block 4, Mountjoy Research Centre, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3UZ. Tel: 0191 383 1155, or e-mail: [email protected]

Let's say there are three Scotlands. The Scotland of cityscapes, stunning and grim. The Scotland of open spaces, stunning and grand. The Scotland of the mind: inventors of television and telephone, proponents of the existence of underwater monsters, a world of jigs and reels and long traditions, a nation which was independent in heart and mind and stance long before it had its own new parliament. This book is a guide to the distinct Scots language, urban, rural and cultural. It is aimed both at native speakers of English and those who have learned English as a second language and at native Scots. It explains and exemplifies Scots vocabulary and usage and, on occasions, makes comparisons with English usage, particularly where the differences are likely to cause confusion.

The discovery of the importance of sign language in the deaf community is very recent indeed. This book provides a study of the communication and culture of deaf people, and particularly of the deaf community in Britain. The authors' principal aim is to inform educators, psychologists, linguists and professionals working with deaf people about the rich language the deaf have developed for themselves - a language of movement and space, of the hands and of the eyes, of abstract communication as well as iconic story telling. The first chapters of the book discuss the history of sign language use, its social aspects and the issues surrounding the language acquisition of deaf children (BSL) follows, and the authors also consider how the signs come into existence, change over time and alter their meanings, and how BSL compares and contrasts with spoken languages and other signed languages. Subsequent chapters examine sign language learning from a psychological perspective and other cognitive issues. The book concludes with a consideration of the applications of sign language research, particularly in the contentious field of education. There is still much to be discovered about sign language and the deaf community, but the authors have succeeded in providing an extensive framework on which other researchers can build, from which professionals can develop a coherent practice for their work with deaf people, and from which hearing parents of deaf children can draw the confidence to understand their children's world.

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

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.

Learning American Sign Language: Levels I & II--Beginning & Intermediate, Second Edition, is a major revision of the First Edition, designed to help learners successfully interact with deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users.

Written by two leading authorities in the field, the text is used as the basic text for a one-semester or full-year course in ASL. Lessons are structured around language needed for common-life situations, and examples are presented in the form of dialogues coupled with grammar and vocabulary instruction. Information is also included about the culture of Deaf people in the United States. The book is supported by a new videotape and an instructor's manual.

While many deaf organizations around the world have adopted an ethno-linguistic framing of deafness, the meanings and consequences of this perspective vary across cultural contexts, and relatively little scholarship exists that explores this framework from an anthropological perspective. In this book, Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway presents an accessible examination of deafness in Nepal. As a linguistic anthropologist, she describes the emergence of Nepali Sign Language and deaf sociality in the social and historical context of Nepal during the last decades before the Hindu Kingdom became a secular republic. She then shows how the adoption of an ethno-linguistic model interacted with the ritual pollution model, or the prior notion that deafness results from bad karma. Her focus is on the impact of these competing and co-existing understandings of deafness on three groups: signers who adopted deafness as an ethnic identity, homesigners whose ability to adopt that identity is hindered by their difficulties in acquiring Nepali Sign Language, and hearing Nepalis who interact with Deaf signers. Comparing these contexts demonstrates that both the ethno-linguistic model and the ritual pollution model, its seeming foil, draw on the same basic premise: that both persons and larger social formations are mutually constituted through interaction. Signing and Belonging in Nepal is an ethnography that studies a rich and unique Deaf culture while also contributing to larger discussions about social reproduction and social change.

The perfect guide to signing for everyone!
Never before has learning to sign been so simple and so much fun! Whether you are a teacher or a parent, this lively self-guided book of American Sign Language (ASL) will quickly become your kids' new favorite teacher!
Learn to Sign the Fun Way goes beyond the manual alphabet and teaches the beautiful language of sign—the United States' fourth most pervasive language—in a simple, interactive format. Signers-to-be will discover:
·Great games to make learning ASL an entertaining adventure
·Activities for both the individual and the classroom
·Cool groups of signs that appeal esspecially to kids
·And much more!
Kids love to sign, whether it be to communicate with a hearing-impaired individual or as a "secret" language with their friends. With this illustrated book they'll quickly and easily become signing superstars!
Inside are cool signs for kids, including:
·People signs
·Alphabet and numbers
·Animals
·Food and drinks
·Home signs
·Clothing
·Color
·Sports
·Activity signs
·Thoughts and feelings
·Action signs
·Body parts
·School talk
·Calendar signs
·Silly and fun signs

For artists, designers, and all with an interest in Buddhist and Tibetan art, this is the first exhaustive reference to the seemingly infinite variety of symbols found throughout Tibetan art in line drawings, paintings, and ritual objects. Hundreds of the author's line drawings depict all the major Tibetan symbols and motifs--landscapes, deities, animals, plants, gurus, mudras (ritual hand gestures), dragons, and other mythic creatures--ranging from complex mythological scenes to small, simple ornaments.

This new collection examines several facets of signed language interpreting. Claudia Angelelli's study confirms that conference, courtroom, and medical interpretation can no longer be seen as a two-party conversation with an "invisible" interpreter, but as a three-party conversation in which the interpreter plays an active role. Laura M. Sanheim defines different turn-taking elements in a medical setting as two overlapping conversations, one between the patient and the interpreter and the other between the interpreter and the medical professional. In her analysis of discourse at a Deaf revival service, Mary Ann Richey demonstrates how Deaf presenters and audiences interact even in formal settings, creating special challenges for interpreters. Jemina Napier shares her findings on the nature and occurrence of omissions by interpreters in Australian Sign Language and English exchanges. Elizabeth Winston and Christine Monikowski describe different strategies used by interpreters to indicate topic shifts when interpreting into American Sign Language and when transliterating. The study concludes with Bruce Sofinski's analysis of nonmanual elements used by interpreters in sign language transliteration.

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...