Modern Languages: Sign Language Resources

This book examines sociolinguistic, educational and psycholinguistic factors that shape the path to sign bilingualism in deaf individuals and contributes to a better understanding of the specific characteristics of a type of bilingualism that is neither territorial nor commonly the result of parent-to-child transmission.

This series of HANDBOOKS OF LINGUISTICS AND COMMUNICATION SCIENCE is designed to illuminate a field including general linguistics and the study of linguistics as applied to specific languages.

This engrossing study investigates the infancy of American Sign Language (ASL). Authors Ted Supalla and Patricia Clark highlight the major events in ASL history, revealing much of what has not been clearly understood until now.

What are the unique characteristics of sign languages that make them so fascinating? What have recent researchers discovered about them, and what do these findings tell us about human language more generally? This thematic and geographic overview examines more than forty sign languages from around the world.

In the sign languages of the deaf some signs can meaningfully point toward things or can be meaningfully placed in the space ahead of the signer. Such spatial uses of signs are an obligatory part of fluent grammatical signing. There is no parallel for this in vocally produced languages. This book focuses on American Sign Language to examine the grammatical and conceptual purposes served by these directional signs and demonstrates a remarkable integration of grammar and gesture in the service of constructing meaning.

"The unique feature of this dictionary is that it is organized by handshape rather than by alphabetical order. An American Sign Language learner can look up an unfamiliar sign by looking for the handshape rather than by looking up the word in an alphabetical English glossary. At the same time, an English speaker can look up a sign for a specific word by looking at the Index of English Glossaries located at the end of the dictionary. .

*More than 3,000 ASL Sign Illustrations *Fully Searchable Full-Color DVD Featuring Every Sign *Special ASL Classifier Section *Complete Index of English Synonyms for Every Sign Created by an unparalleled board of experts led by renowned ASL linguist and poet Clayton Valli, The Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language represents the culmination of more than five years of meticulous assessment and labor. More than 3,000 illustrations arrayed in this volume display the most useful selection of signs to be found in any single ASL reference resource.

The Joy of Signing is one of the most comprehensive guides available for mastering the current basic signs used to communicate with deaf people in either the word order of the English language or in the American Sign Language pattern. This updated third edition provides the basic vocabulary needed for persons entering interpreter training programs. Over 1,500 signs are clearly illustrated and are grouped by chapter into their natural categories. Families as well as professionals will appreciate this manual's conceptually based vocabulary. It includes sections on the history of sign language and fingerspelling, the art of signing, language patterns of signs, and an illustrated guide for fingerspelling.

Time to Sign will have you signing in no time! A helpful introduction and alphabet provide a base for hundreds of words and phrases. What's the sign for fun? You'll soon know. And you'll learn signs you can use wherever you are.