Introduction to BSL Linguistics Gary L Taylor Introduction to BSL Linguistics

What is BSL Linguistics? What is & What is not BSL? Iconicity Compounds Verbs Classifiers – SASS Fingerspelling Regional Sign Variations Borrowing & Name Signs What is BSL Linguistics?

What is BSL? BSL is not a word for word translation in English BSL is a visual language which uses handshapes, facial expression to express meaning It has its own Rules & Grammar BSL has regional variations, just as spoken English has accents and local dialects Fingerspelling is part of BSL What is BSL?

What is NOT BSL? Paget Gorman Signs Makaton Signed English (SE) Cued Speech Paget Gorman Signs Makaton Signed English (SE) Signed Support English (SSE) What is NOT BSL?

Language Language

Language Language 2

ICONICITY (VISUAL MOTIVATION HIGH - transparent, show full picture that reduced in scale of actual object or thing that is being copied in shape e.g. TREE, DRINK LESS - have explanation for signs but not very obvious e.g. HOUSE, TENNIS ARBITRARY (OR ABSTRACT) - no explanation for signs and not very obvious i.e. no reason and unknown for signs with no picture or link e.g. WHY, SISTER Group work – find 5 examples each? ICONICITY (VISUAL MOTIVATION

COMPOUNDS 2 different signs have their own meaning that form a new sign with different meaning SEQUENCE - 2 signs are used one after the other in order e.g. TENNIS, BLOOD, PEOPLE. SIMULTANEOUS - 2 signs are used at the same time e.g. FAX, PARACHUTE, PRISON. COMPOUNDS

Group work - pick which the above are sequence or simultaneous? COMPOUNDS MINICOM BELIEVE PARENTS MAINSTREAM INTERVIEW REMEMBER EXPERIENCE Group work - pick which the above are sequence or simultaneous? COMPOUNDS 2

VERBS NOUN - name of a thing or object VERB - action NOUN - CAR, BOOK, FOOD, BROOM VERB – DRIVE, READ, EAT, SWEEP VERBS

Group work – find 5 more examples? CLASSIFIERS Copy exact sign and reduce in size in location space. Signs represent things and objects. Handshapes: PERSON, PEOPLE, BALL Handling / Grasping: PRAM, WRITE, BRUSH Group work – find 5 more examples? CLASSIFIERS

FINGERSPELLING (3 GROUPS) Fingerspelling Signs: APRIL, BRAZIL, EDINBURGH Fingerspelling pattern: JOB, CLUB, BUS, NEWS Fingerspelling Initialised (first letter): Tapped Twice (same letter) - KITCHEN MOTHER, YELLOW FINGERSPELLING (3 GROUPS)

FINGERSPELLING (3 GROUPS) Circular - CLASS, VIDEO, GREY Movement to or from Body COMMUNICATION, CONVERSATION On the Body - CONFIDENT, COMFORTABLE Group work - find 5 examples each? FINGERSPELLING (3 GROUPS) Part 2

REGIONAL SIGN VARIATIONS (RSV) Social Class Age Men & Woman Ethnic group Religion groups Group work – Is there are Regional Sign Variation? REGIONAL SIGN VARIATIONS (RSV)

REGIONAL SIGN VARIATIONS (RSV) Numbers & Money Colours Clothes Day of the week Family People, Man, Woman, News, Birthday Group work – Why there are Regional Sign Variations? Deaf School (& residential), Deaf Clubs and Deaf Families (Generation) REGIONAL SIGN VARIATIONS (RSV)

Find – 5 examples of borrowing signs & fingerspelling? Loans into BSL from other language: I LOVE YOU, WOW, OK, ATTITUDE Loans Translations: ICELAND, GREENLAND Fingerspelling Loans: CONFIDENCE, DAUGHTER 1st letter Fingerspelling: Recommend, Proposal Find – 5 examples of borrowing signs & fingerspelling? Borrowing Signs

Name Signs Brand Names: Audi, Renault, Arsenal Places: Blackpool, Paris, Sydney Personal Names Signs: Nos.., Deaf School, Physical Character. Name Signs

Name Signs (Personal Names) School Numbers Physical Character - distinguishing features Character trait - temper, obsession Personal Information - person from other country or specific job, hobby Loan Translation - Kay, Mr Rice, Flora First / Second name - Alex, Margaret, Young Fixed names - Carpenter, Wood, Brown, Green Group work – find 3 examples each? Name Signs (Personal Names)

Glossary of Terms Accent Accuracy Adverbs Affirmation Ambiguities Aspect Auxiliaries Aspectual Model Basic Buoys Classifier Cohesion Colloquial(-ism) Complex Compound Conditional Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms Convention Context Dialect Discourse Cohesion Markers Enumerating Evaluate Everyday Expressions Extract Familiar Fluency Format Gist Grammar Idiom Glossary of Terms – Part 2

Glossary of Terms Imperative Infinitive Intonation or prosody Interrogative Lexicon Frozen Productive Manipulate Modification Modulation Negative Nuance Phatic Phrase Positive Presentation Glossary of Terms – Part 3

Glossary of Terms Proform Pronoun Pronunciation Register Role shift Routine Scan Sentence Setting Simple Simultaneity Situation Speed Specifier Structures Style Glossary of Terms – Part 4

Why is BSL Linguistics important to teaching BSL? 2 aims: To describe language as fully as possible To ask why language are the way they are Who needs to know the Linguistics of BSL? Learners: they can learn it better and can compare the language they know the language they are learning Teacher: they can explain when and why something a learner signs is wrong and how to sign it right Why is BSL Linguistics important to teaching BSL?

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