Chapter 15
Gestures and Sign Language
Similarities and Differences
between Gestures and Sign
Gestures and signs involve the use of
hands and other parts of the body
Signs are like speech and used instead of
speaking.
Gestures are used while speaking in
order to transmit meaning
Gestures
Emblems are signals such as “thumbs up” that function
like fixed phrases that generally depend on social
knowledge and do not depend on speech.
Iconics are gestures that seem to be a reflection of
meaning of what is said, as when we trace a square in
air with a finger while saying "I am looking for a small
box".
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.
Types of Sign Languages
Alternate Sign Language is a system of hand
signals developed for limited communication in a
specific context where speech cannot be used;
also known as gestural communication. The
users of alternate sign languages speak another
first language.
Primary Sign Language is the first language
of a group of people who do not use a spoken
language with each other. (American Sign
Language, British Sign Language, French Sign
Language)
Teaching Methods for Deaf
Children
Oralism: A method designed to teach deaf students to
speak and read lips rather than use sign language.
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
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
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 is an articulatory parameter in ASL describing the type of
motion used in forming signs. for example, faster or slower
movements affect meaning
Primes: the set of features that form 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
The Meaning of Signs
&
Representing Signs
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
Did it happen last night?
