Sign language linguistics 378
Iconicity
• Relationship between the form of the sign in terms of parameters and its
meaning
• Arbitrary signs à no relationship
Steps in identifying iconicity in a sign
1. What does the sign mean?
2. Is the sign iconic in any way?
3. Where should the sign be placed on the spectrum (arbitrary to iconic)
4. If the sign is iconic, is it transparent or non-transparent? (Can it be guessed out
of context)
Parameters:
The aspects that every sign has:
1. Handshape
2. orientations
3. location/place of articulation
4. movement
5. non-manual components
Which features do we use to describe the phonological parameters?
handshape à selected fingers, finger position (spread or bent), 1 or 2 hands, contact
orientation à direction of palm
place/locationà head, upper body, neutral space, weak hand
movement à hand internal, orientation change, path movement, repetition
(non-manuals), lateral or horizontal
Two handed signs need to be described separately.
Deaf Culture:
What is culture?
Ideal of culture (human perfection)
• Example – the ideal of political democracy as the USA Claims
The products of intellectual and creative effort
• Example – the visual artwork as MOCAA in cape town
Social form of living
• Example – the way families are organized in Zulu Culture
1
, What is Deaf Culture?
Is there a deaf ideal?
• Ladd said: “free of the influence of hearing people” (audism)
Are there intellectual and creative expressions particular to deaf people?
• Poetry, film , theatre in different sign languages
Is there a specific social way of living?
• There is no single deaf way, each deaf group has its own rules.
Cultural Identity Deaf Cultural Identity
Feeling of commitment to cultural norms and Commitment to cultural norms and beliefs of a
beliefs of a group specific deaf group
Shared experiences in the group Often explicit distance from the hearing
community
How do deaf people identify themselves then?
• Not all people with hearing loss take on a deaf identity.
• Not all signers have a deaf identity.
• Two perspectives:
o Medical perspective:
§ deaf (small letter d) is defined in terms of something missing, a
handicap.
o Socio-cultural perspective:
§ Deaf (capital letter D) is defined as a cultural group (linguistic
minority)
§ There is current debate amongst the deaf community about the
distinction deaf vs Deaf
Acquiring a Deaf Identity?
• Exposure to the deaf community is essential.
• How does this happen for a:
o Deaf child in a deaf family?
§ Through parents and extended family
o Hearing child in a deaf family (codas)
§ Through parents and extended family
o Deaf child in a hearing family?
§ Through exposure to deaf adults (in school)?
o A Child with a cochlear implant?
§ Through exposure to deaf adults, however these children are often
sent to a hearing school, where do they get their exposure from?
• Exposure does not automatically mean integration.
2
, Thinking about Concepts (Ladd 2016)
Deafhood Deaf Culture
Process of affirming and having a positive All aspects of living in a deaf community
acceptance of being deaf
Hearing Audist
Having the ability to hear Thinking about deaf people only from a
hearing perspective (e.g. all must lip read)
Educational Colonialism
Organizing education for deaf children from a hearing perspective only (e.g. reducing the role of
a sign language)
Behaviours in Deaf Communities:
Turn- taking and attention strategies:
• Adults wait for eye contact before signing (implicit strategy)
• In child directed signing adults sometimes shift the signing space into the visual
field of the child (implicit strategy)
• Waving or tapping used to attract attention or sometimes to signal the desire to
take turn (explicit strategy)
Directness:
• E.g. signing NO rather than equivalent of “I don’t think I can do that.”
Questions about school rather than where live/work?
• Schools are very important for deaf children in forming social bonds.
Staying longer at gathering
• Deaf people frequently have few opportunities to meet and tend to stay with
each other as long as possible.
Deaf Culture: Poetry and Prose
Deaf Literature Sign Literature
Expression about deafness/deaf experience Expression by deaf people
3
Iconicity
• Relationship between the form of the sign in terms of parameters and its
meaning
• Arbitrary signs à no relationship
Steps in identifying iconicity in a sign
1. What does the sign mean?
2. Is the sign iconic in any way?
3. Where should the sign be placed on the spectrum (arbitrary to iconic)
4. If the sign is iconic, is it transparent or non-transparent? (Can it be guessed out
of context)
Parameters:
The aspects that every sign has:
1. Handshape
2. orientations
3. location/place of articulation
4. movement
5. non-manual components
Which features do we use to describe the phonological parameters?
handshape à selected fingers, finger position (spread or bent), 1 or 2 hands, contact
orientation à direction of palm
place/locationà head, upper body, neutral space, weak hand
movement à hand internal, orientation change, path movement, repetition
(non-manuals), lateral or horizontal
Two handed signs need to be described separately.
Deaf Culture:
What is culture?
Ideal of culture (human perfection)
• Example – the ideal of political democracy as the USA Claims
The products of intellectual and creative effort
• Example – the visual artwork as MOCAA in cape town
Social form of living
• Example – the way families are organized in Zulu Culture
1
, What is Deaf Culture?
Is there a deaf ideal?
• Ladd said: “free of the influence of hearing people” (audism)
Are there intellectual and creative expressions particular to deaf people?
• Poetry, film , theatre in different sign languages
Is there a specific social way of living?
• There is no single deaf way, each deaf group has its own rules.
Cultural Identity Deaf Cultural Identity
Feeling of commitment to cultural norms and Commitment to cultural norms and beliefs of a
beliefs of a group specific deaf group
Shared experiences in the group Often explicit distance from the hearing
community
How do deaf people identify themselves then?
• Not all people with hearing loss take on a deaf identity.
• Not all signers have a deaf identity.
• Two perspectives:
o Medical perspective:
§ deaf (small letter d) is defined in terms of something missing, a
handicap.
o Socio-cultural perspective:
§ Deaf (capital letter D) is defined as a cultural group (linguistic
minority)
§ There is current debate amongst the deaf community about the
distinction deaf vs Deaf
Acquiring a Deaf Identity?
• Exposure to the deaf community is essential.
• How does this happen for a:
o Deaf child in a deaf family?
§ Through parents and extended family
o Hearing child in a deaf family (codas)
§ Through parents and extended family
o Deaf child in a hearing family?
§ Through exposure to deaf adults (in school)?
o A Child with a cochlear implant?
§ Through exposure to deaf adults, however these children are often
sent to a hearing school, where do they get their exposure from?
• Exposure does not automatically mean integration.
2
, Thinking about Concepts (Ladd 2016)
Deafhood Deaf Culture
Process of affirming and having a positive All aspects of living in a deaf community
acceptance of being deaf
Hearing Audist
Having the ability to hear Thinking about deaf people only from a
hearing perspective (e.g. all must lip read)
Educational Colonialism
Organizing education for deaf children from a hearing perspective only (e.g. reducing the role of
a sign language)
Behaviours in Deaf Communities:
Turn- taking and attention strategies:
• Adults wait for eye contact before signing (implicit strategy)
• In child directed signing adults sometimes shift the signing space into the visual
field of the child (implicit strategy)
• Waving or tapping used to attract attention or sometimes to signal the desire to
take turn (explicit strategy)
Directness:
• E.g. signing NO rather than equivalent of “I don’t think I can do that.”
Questions about school rather than where live/work?
• Schools are very important for deaf children in forming social bonds.
Staying longer at gathering
• Deaf people frequently have few opportunities to meet and tend to stay with
each other as long as possible.
Deaf Culture: Poetry and Prose
Deaf Literature Sign Literature
Expression about deafness/deaf experience Expression by deaf people
3
