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Chapter 15 Gestures and Sign Languages
The Study of Language, 5th Edition George Yule
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Similarities and Differences between Gestures and Sign
Gestures and signs involve the use of hands and other parts of the body Differences Signs are like speech and used instead of speaking Gestures are used while speaking in order to transmit meaning
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Gestures Emblems are signals such as “thumbs up” that function like fixed phrases that generally depend on social knowledge Iconics echo the content of the spoken message or indicate something being referred to; replicate the meaning using gesture Deitics or “pointing” are gestures to point to things or people while talking Beats are short quick movements of hands or fingers that accompany the rhythm of speech, used to emphasize sections or mark a change in discourse
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Types of sign Languages
Alternate Sign Language is a system of hand signals developed for limited communication in a specific context when speech cannot be used; also known as gestural communication. The users of alternate sign languages speak another first language The Stock Market Crash of 1987 Primary Sign Language is the first language of a group of people who do not use a spoken language to each other American Sign Language British Sign Language French Sign Language
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Teaching Methods for Deaf Children
Oralism required deaf students to practice English speech sounds and develop lip- reading skills - Results were not positive: less than 10% could speak intelligible English; around 4% could lip-read American Sign Language (ASL) was culturally acquired by deaf children in contact with other deaf children, who had learned ASL from their parents Signed English (also called Manually Coded English of MCE) produces signs that correspond to the words in English sentence, in English word order. Designed to facilitate interaction between the deaf and the hearing communities Facilitates communication between hearing parents and deaf children Facilitates teaching of deaf children by hearing teachers, so that they can sign and interact simultaneously Facilitates simultaneous translation of public speeches or lectures for deaf audiences (
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Origin of American Sign Language
ASL developed from the French Sign Language A French teacher, Laurent Clerc, brought to the US by minister Thomas Gallaudet to establish a school for deaf children This imported version of sign language incorporated features of indigenous natural sign languages used by the American deaf that evolved into ASL
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American Sign Language: The Structure of Signs
ASL is designed for the eyes There are four key aspects of visual information: Articulatory Parameters - shape or configuration of the hand(s) (“flat hand”, “fist hand”, “cupped hand”) - orientation of hand (“palm up”, “palm down” or “palm towards signer”) - location or place of articulation in relation to the head and upper body of signer - movement or manner of articulation as for example, faster or slower movements affect meaning - primes or contrasting elements within these four general parameters - facial expressions accompany parameters and primes - finger spelling or hand configurations used conventionally to represent the letters of the alphabet
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ASL cont. Key difference between a system using the visual medium (ASL) and one using speech: - spoken language is linear - visual messages can incorporate a number of distinct elements simultaneously Signs have their meanings within the system of signs, not through reference to pictorial images Signs are represented with one line of manually signed words (in capital letters) including the extent of the facial expression that contributes to the message _______________________________q HAPPEN YESTERDAY NIGHT
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