Sign Language and Gesture

Introduction to Applied Linguistics

Vivian Raithel

Remember the talk about gesture?

There are codified and non-codified gestures(among others)Non-codified gestures: beat gesturesCodified (conventionalized) gestures: symbolic gestures and deictic gestures

Deictic gestures are, for example:pointing, showing, giving,....Symbolic gestures are, for example:eat, drink,....

Where else would you find codified gestures?

In sign languages!

Applied Linguistics???

Is sign language the same as a spoken language?Do we find corresponding parts in a sign languageforlevels of expressionseparate lexiconseparate grammarphoneticsphonology?

How is sign language acquired?How do Deaf people learn to deal with non-DGSskills (German reading/writing, math)?How do you write a sign language dictionary?

Questions about Sign Language

Is sign language universal?no, it is not!every language community has its own sign language- German Sign Language- Austrian Sign Language - Irish Sign Language- Australian Sign Language - British Sign Language - American Sign Language- French Sign Language- ...

Sign Language is an officially recognized language in Germany (since May 2003)

Are there different dialects?

Yes, there are.e.g. there are different signs for some lexical items in Hamburg, Berlin, Aachen, Munich,...

Iconic Signs

Before we talked about symbolic gesturesIn sign language they are called iconic signs

Iconic Signs

Task I:Think of some iconic signs.How would you sign the following items:

- PROFESSOR- STUDENT- LINGUISTIK- PHONETIK- KURS- BIELEFELD

Iconic signs are also called “transparent“Task II:Why are also called transparent?

Examples:

ESSENHAUSSCHLAFEN...

Structure of Sign Language

Phonology (= Chirology)

Manual vs. non-manual componentsHandshapePosition of hand(s)Place of signingMovement of signManual dominance (one-handed and two-handed signs)

Phonology (= Chirology) ...

Manual vs. non-manual componentsHandshapePosition of hand(s) = place of articulationPlace of signingMovement of sign = manner of articulationManual dominance (one-handed and two-handed signs)

... Phonology (= Chirology)

Manual vs. non-manual componentsFacial expressionGazeHeadExpression of mouth (Mundbild)Upper body

... Phonology (= Chirology)

Manual vs. non-manual componentsFacial expressionGazeHeadExpression of mouth (Mundbild)Upper body

⎫⎪⎬ prosody⎪⎭

Morphology

Smallest meaningful linguistic unitClassifiers (Klassifikatoren)bicyclecar...

Singular – dual – pluralein Glas, zwei Gläser, viele Gläser (three or more glasses)

Comparativesmall, smaller, smallestto read, to read a lot...

Lexis

Directional verbskommen/gehenbringen/hintragen

Local prepositional objectsfahren nach...

Incorporating signslesen, schließen, tragen, anziehen,....

Syntax

Sentence typesdeclarative / interrogative / imperative / vocative /conditional→ facial expression

German Sign Language

Word order: S – O – V Du Apfel essen.Ich Buch lesen.

No verbal inflection the way we know itTense marking at the beginning of an utteranceMorgen ich Schule gehen.

German Sign Language

GSL (DSG) makes use of the 3-dimension signing space‚Ich treffe eine andere Person.‘‚Wir treffen einander.‘

Pronominal reference within the signing space.

Language Acquisition

Do Deaf and hearing children go through the same stages of language acquisition?

Language Acquisition

Yes, they do!!

Language Acquisition

Deaf children start with babbling and nonverbal communication

Facial expressions and gestures are very important

This repertoire is extended by Deaf children

Their interactional development is very often impaired

Hearing children on the other hand do not only use facial and manual gestures but also vocal gestures

Starting with three months hearing children produce more and more sounds without any relation to their mother tongue

These first three months with babbling can also be seen in Deaf children

At the time when hearing children start imitating the sounds of their mother tongue we see that Deaf children reduce their babbling drastically

Yet, children between the age of nine and 13 months use vocalization and gestures to the same extent regardless of their mother tongue (spoken or signed)

At the age of 12 months children start to use certain sounds in reference to their denoted objectsAt the age of 18 months children start to use two-word / -sign utterances (both using the gestural and acoustic modality)

But:

Hearing children will produce two-word utterances only - gestures will still be used but to a lesser extent- this will happen only in a hearing environment

Deaf children will produce two-sign utterances - this will happen only in a signed environment (regardless of whether the child is Deaf or hearing)

Consequently, we can say that words and signs ”appear“ at the same time andthat both hearing and Deaf children go through the same language acquisition stages

Language Acquisition Problems

Why is SL acquisition often difficult for Deaf children/people?

What is different from the acquisition of spoken languages?

Language Competence and Performance....

Deaf people are born with the same faculty for language learning as hearing children

Many Deaf children have hearing parents who do not "speak“ sign language

These children very often learn/encounter sign language for the first time when they enter elementary school

Up to then they have not had the chance of developing a full language system

Can you imagine not having a language to communicate in with your parents?Imagine they cannot understand you or you,them!Now in school you think everything is going to be better for Deaf children!

Ha!

Here children encounter the next problemThey are taught in spoken language and may not use sign language inside the classrooma few exceptions are possible

Why is that a problem?

Because they have to read from the teacher‘s lips or use hearing aids in order to activate the little that is left of their hearingDeaf children have to learn how to read and write a language that is not their own in a language that is not their own

remember: German Sign Language has a reversed word order and no inflections etc.

....Language Competence and Performance

If they have a sign language environment they will acquire (sign) language the way hearing children acquire spoken language

Question:

What can be done to help Deaf children learn how to read and write?

Project AILB(Aachener Internetlernsoftware zur

Qualifizierung berufsuchender Gehörloser)

What is the goal?

How can it be reached?

By the time young Deaf people leave school (usually Haupt- or Realschule) their reading skills are on the level of fourth graders and their math skills on the level of sixth gradersHow are these young people supposed to compete and survive in the working world?

The goal of AILB is to help these young people who are seeking a jobAILB is an internet platform which offers courses in German reading and writing (email, advertisement, information texts,...) as well as in „basic“ mathematical training (percentage calculation, fractions, units of measurement,...)

Applied Linguistics???Homework

Is sign language the same as a spoken language?Do we find corresponding parts in a sign languageforlevels of expressionseparate lexiconseparate grammarphoneticsphonology?

How is sign language acquired?How do Deaf people learn to deal with non-DGSskills (German reading/writing, math)?How do you write a sign language dictionary?