1. American Sign Language and ASL Linguistics
University of Washington
February 6, 2009
Lance Forshay, Presenter
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2. Agenda Nature of ASL and relevant questions. American Deaf Culture
Brief History of Sign Languages
ASL and Deaf Studies at UW.
ASL phonetics and phonology

3. Presenter Lance A. Forshay, M.S. LForshay@u.washington.edu
ASL Lecturer and Program Coordinator Department of Linguistics University of Washington, Seattle.
President of Washington ASL Teacher Association.
(National) ASL Teacher Association member.
Washington State Association of the Deaf Board Member at Large: Watchdog and Advocacy.
Fourth of five Deaf generations.

4. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
A Visual-Gestural Language?
Yes.
ASL contains 60% Gestural-Body Language and Facial Expressions. However ASL is different from common gestures hearing people use.

5. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
A fully developed language?
Yes.
ASL contains all linguistic characteristics that make ASL a language different and independent from English language.

6. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
A language you can use to communicate complicated topics with philosophical ideas, politics, sports, education, science, comedy, or express in drama, storytelling, poetry or anything else like you do with English?
Yes!… with no limitations.

7. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
A changing language?
Yes.
Like all languages, ASL does change over time and varies within regions (accents). Some old ASL signs disappear, simplify or assimilate with other word signs into new signs. (Compound and Contractions)

8. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
Universal?
No.
Almost every country has its own sign language just like spoken language. There are at least 70 known sign languages.

9. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
Used in other countries?
Yes, some.
ASL is used by Deaf people in Canada and few other countries with historical background of deaf education established by American educators and church missionaries for the deaf such as Nigera, Kenya, Philippines, Belize and some parts of India.

10. The Nature of ASL Is ASL…
Used in British countries?
No.
ASL is totally different from British Sign Language used in the United Kingdom (Scotland, England, and Wales), Australia, and New Zealand.

11. American Deaf Culture What is Deaf Culture?
A group of Deaf people who uses American Sign Language, lives by a set of norms and values of the Deaf community, shares the Deaf heritage and traditions, and involves as a member of Deaf community.
ASL is the key to the heart of Deaf culture and you have to understand Deaf culture to master ASL at higher level.
“D”eaf versus deaf.
Matter of identity and belonging to Deaf community.
Not necessarily hereditary.

12. Brief Timeline History of ASL
Natural bodily and facial gestures and common gestural signs are on earth since the beginning of mankind.
Indian Sign Language, cross-tribal communications for trading purposes.

13. Brief Timeline History of ASL
399 (?) B.C. Socrates quoted by Plato in “Cratylus” mentions the deaf who express themselves in gestures movement, depicting that which is light or a higher sphere by raising the hands or describing a galloping horse by imitating its motion.

14. Brief Timeline History of ASL
In 1755, Abbe Charles Michel de L’Eppe of Paris founded the first free school for the deaf with sign language as a method of communication. This model of deaf school concept spread all over the European countries for the next hundred years.
In 1778, Samuel Heinicke of Leipzig Germany, promoted Oralism, a method of teaching deaf children spoken and written language through speech and lip-reading exclusively without use of sign language.

15. Brief Timeline History of ASL
Thomas Gallaudet saw the need of education for deaf children. He went to Europe and brought Laurent Clerc, a deaf teacher from deaf school in Paris, to America to start a deaf school together in 1817.

16. Brief Timeline History of ASL
Laurent Clerc learned the old ASL used by deaf people in America and combined it with LSF (French Sign Language). Eventually, he standardized the sign system at the school into modern ASL as we know it today.

17. Brief Timeline History of ASL
Alexander Graham Bell and the spread of Oralism took a strong grip on deaf education in America and all over the world in 1880’s.
1880,the World Congress of the Educators of the Deaf met in Milan, Italy and passed a resolution to promote Oralism in deaf education all over the world and dismiss all deaf teachers out of deaf schools.

18. Brief Timeline History of ASL
The same year, National Association for the Deaf was founded and they fought long and hard for the rights to use sign language in deaf community and education.
1900’s ’s Oralism method proved failure in deaf education. Average deaf high school graduates ranks third grade in English.

19. Brief Timeline History of ASL
1960’s William Stokoe, a non-conventional linguist, who taught English at Gallaudet, recognized linguistic characters in ASL and started to have a deep interest to do research on sign. He eventually proved that ASL is a language. He published his finding.
1970’s, Sign Language Studies, Classes, Training, and Book materials began to emerge. Deaf culture recognized and defined with ASL.

20. Brief Timeline History of ASL
1975, Sign Instructors Guidance Network. Today it is called ASL Teacher Association.
1970’s Sign language slowly returns to deaf education but in Englishized forms.
Deaf President Now.
1990 ASL accepted as a foreign language credit and course offered in many college and high school at explosive growth.
1990’s Many states legalize ASL as a foreign language course for HS and college.

21. ASL in Washington state
Washington State Law passed in July 1984 to recognize ASL as a language and that it may be used for foreign language credit in secondary and post-secondary level education. (WAC for secondary and postsecondary.) For more information on other state legislations on ASL.

22. ASL & Deaf Studies Program at UW
Regularly offered since Aut 2007
First year with one teacher. Two sections for each class, ASL 101, 102 and 103.
Nearly 300 students on waiting list for ASL 101 classes Fall 2008.
Permanent funds from the state and private foundations.
ASL 305 Introduction to Deaf Studies.
ASL 134 Intensive first year summer ASL course.
Signing community with Deaf staff, students and other ASL students.
Future…

23. Phonetic parameters of ASL signs
Manual ways in which signs can differ
Handshape
Orientation
Location
Movement
Number of hands
Non-manual ways in which signs can differ

24. Handshape Minimal pairs Signs which change handshape LIKE vs. WHITE
DORM vs. DEAF
PEOPLE vs. BICYCLE
NUMBER vs. INTERPRET
Signs which change handshape
UNDERSTAND
HOW MANY
DIVORCED

25. Orientation Minimal pairs Signs which change orientation
MEET vs. I MEET YOU
NAME vs. CHAIR
SOCK vs. STAR
YOUR vs. MY vs. CHILD
Signs which change orientation
DIE/DEAD
COMMUNITY
CLASS

26. Location Minimal pairs Signs which change location APPLE vs. ONION
LUCKY vs. CLEVER
SAME vs. NEW YORK CITY
THIRTEEN vs. CUTE
Signs which change location
DEAF
FUN
KING

27. Movement Minimal pairs Different types of movement TOUGH vs. PHYSICS
CAN vs. SHOES
BROWN vs. BEER
TURN AROUND vs. SINGLE
Different types of movement
straight: SEPARATED
angled: PERCENT
looping: WASHINGTON
wiggling: COLOR
twisting: WHERE
nodding: YES

28. Number of hands One-handed signs Two-handed signs Minimal pairs MOTHER
DEER
COOL
Two-handed signs
HERE
BICYCLE
Minimal pairs
PURPLE vs. PARTY
BOY vs. TEACH

29. Non-manual expressions
Signs articulated with non-manual
OH I SEE
PROSTITUTE
Minimal pairs
HERE vs. WHAT
OLD vs. HOW-OLD
HOT vs. VERY HOT

30. Assimilation
In handshape I
NAME
I AM NAMED
KNOW
I KNOW

31. Symmetry condition
‘if both hands move independently during a given two-handed sign...then the specifications for handshape and movement must be identical, and the orientations must be either identical or polar opposites (reciprocals). Locations...must also be specifed either as symmetrical or as polar opposites.’ (Battison 1974)
Battison, Robbin Phonological Deletion in American Sign Language. Sign Language Studies 5:1-19.

32. If handshapes identical
One hand can move
PAPER
Or both hands can move
DIE/DEAD

33. But if handshapes not identical
Only one hand can move
DRAW
no signs where both hands move
phonological restriction

34. Questions