1. Introduction to BSL Linguistics
Gary L Taylor
Introduction to BSL Linguistics

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. Language
Language

6. Language
Language 2

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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)

15. 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)

16. 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

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

18. 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)

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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?

24. My Logo