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African American Sign Language: A Rich and Vibrant History
Author: Dr. Anika Johnson, PhD in Linguistics, specializing in Black Deaf Studies and Sign Language Variation.
Publisher: The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), a leading organization advocating for the rights and inclusion of Deaf individuals.
Editor: Dr. Evelyn Reed, PhD in Deaf Education, with 20 years of experience in researching and teaching sign language variations.
Keyword: African American Sign Language (throughout the article)
Abstract: This article explores the fascinating history and unique characteristics of African American Sign Language (AASL), highlighting its distinct features, cultural significance, and ongoing preservation efforts. Through personal anecdotes and case studies, we delve into the vibrant linguistic landscape of the Black Deaf community and the importance of recognizing and celebrating AASL as a vital part of American Sign Language (ASL) and broader linguistic diversity.
The Roots of African American Sign Language
African American Sign Language (AASL) is not a separate language entirely, but rather a distinct dialect of American Sign Language (ASL) with its own unique grammar, vocabulary, and cultural expressions. Its origins are complex and deeply intertwined with the history of slavery and the Black Deaf community in America. Unlike the largely European-influenced ASL taught in mainstream settings, AASL developed within a unique cultural context, reflecting the experiences, values, and social interactions of Black Deaf individuals. This rich history is often overlooked, leading to a lack of understanding and appreciation for this vital aspect of Deaf culture.
One key aspect that sets AASL apart is its use of specific handshapes, facial expressions, and body movements, often incorporating elements of African dance and storytelling traditions. For example, I recall attending a Black Deaf cultural event where a storyteller used a vibrant, rhythmic signing style that incorporated subtle head movements and body language, telling a powerful story about resilience and community. This wasn't simply ASL; it was a performance steeped in the cultural expressions of the AASL community.
Case Study: The Preservation of AASL Traditions
One compelling case study focuses on the work of Ms. Beatrice Banks (pseudonym used to protect privacy), a 78-year-old Black Deaf woman who played a pivotal role in preserving AASL traditions within her family and community. Her signing, rich with nuanced movements and vocabulary unique to AASL, provides invaluable insight into the evolution of the dialect. Through interviews and video recordings, researchers have documented her signing, contributing significantly to the growing body of knowledge about AASL. Ms. Banks' story highlights the urgent need to document and preserve these traditions before they are lost.
The unique vocabulary within AASL is often rooted in specific experiences. Terms might refer to historical events, cultural practices, or colloquialisms unique to the Black community. This vocabulary reflects a linguistic adaptation that demonstrates the inherent creativity and resilience of the Black Deaf community in forging their own communication style.
Challenges and Opportunities for AASL
Despite its rich history, AASL faces several challenges. The dominance of mainstream ASL in educational settings and Deaf communities can lead to the marginalization of AASL. Young Black Deaf individuals may not be exposed to or encouraged to learn and use AASL, leading to a potential loss of this unique linguistic heritage. There is a critical need for more research, documentation, and educational initiatives that center AASL.
However, there is also growing awareness and interest in preserving and promoting AASL. Researchers and educators are increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating AASL into Deaf education and cultural programs. Community-based initiatives are working to document AASL through video recordings, interviews, and storytelling projects. These efforts are essential for ensuring that AASL continues to thrive as a vibrant and important part of the broader Deaf community.
The Future of African American Sign Language
The future of African American Sign Language hinges on conscious effort and active participation from various stakeholders. Deaf education programs need to integrate AASL into their curriculum, allowing students to learn and appreciate its unique features. Linguistic research focusing on AASL should be prioritized to provide a deeper understanding of its grammar, vocabulary, and sociolinguistic aspects. Community involvement is vital; creating spaces where AASL is celebrated and used is crucial for its survival.
Furthermore, fostering collaboration between Black Deaf communities and mainstream ASL organizations is critical. Bridging the gap between different Deaf communities, while celebrating cultural diversity, will contribute significantly to strengthening ASL as a whole, ensuring its longevity and richness.
Conclusion
African American Sign Language (AASL) represents a rich and dynamic facet of American Sign Language and a significant aspect of Black Deaf culture. Its unique history, vocabulary, and signing styles reflect the resilience and cultural heritage of the Black Deaf community. The preservation and promotion of AASL are not merely linguistic endeavors; they are acts of cultural preservation, ensuring that a vibrant part of Deaf history continues to flourish. Continued research, community engagement, and educational initiatives are crucial for ensuring that future generations of Black Deaf individuals can connect with their linguistic and cultural heritage through AASL.
FAQs
1. Is African American Sign Language a separate language from ASL? No, AASL is a dialect of ASL, characterized by unique vocabulary, grammar, and signing styles.
2. How does AASL differ from mainstream ASL? AASL incorporates specific handshapes, facial expressions, and body movements often influenced by African cultural traditions, resulting in a distinct signing style and vocabulary.
3. Why is the preservation of AASL important? Preserving AASL is crucial for maintaining linguistic diversity, celebrating Black Deaf culture, and ensuring that a rich linguistic heritage is not lost.
4. Where can I learn more about AASL? Research papers, documentaries, and community events focused on Black Deaf culture offer valuable insights into AASL.
5. Are there educational resources available to learn AASL? Currently, resources dedicated specifically to teaching AASL are limited, but general ASL resources and community engagement offer avenues for learning.
6. How can I contribute to the preservation of AASL? Supporting research initiatives, attending Black Deaf cultural events, and promoting awareness about AASL are all valuable contributions.
7. What are the challenges faced by AASL? Marginalization in mainstream Deaf education and limited resources dedicated to documenting and promoting AASL are significant challenges.
8. What role does storytelling play in AASL? Storytelling is a powerful means of preserving and transmitting cultural knowledge within the Black Deaf community, and it often incorporates unique AASL signing styles.
9. What is the future outlook for AASL? With increased awareness, community engagement, and dedicated research efforts, the future of AASL is promising, though continued effort is crucial for its survival and growth.
Related Articles:
1. The Historical Context of African American Sign Language: Explores the socio-historical factors that shaped the development of AASL.
2. Vocabulary and Grammar Variations in AASL: A detailed linguistic analysis of the unique grammatical structures and vocabulary specific to AASL.
3. Case Studies of AASL Signers: Presents detailed profiles of individual AASL signers, documenting their signing styles and linguistic contributions.
4. AASL and the Black Deaf Community: Examines the role of AASL in shaping the identity and cultural practices within the Black Deaf community.
5. Preservation Efforts for AASL: Reviews current projects and initiatives aimed at documenting and preserving AASL for future generations.
6. Teaching AASL in Educational Settings: Discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrating AASL into Deaf education curricula.
7. Comparing and Contrasting AASL and Mainstream ASL: A comparative analysis of the two signing systems, highlighting their similarities and differences.
8. The Role of Storytelling in AASL Communication: Explores the use of storytelling and narrative techniques within the AASL linguistic framework.
9. The Future of Linguistic Diversity in the Deaf Community: Discusses the broader implications of preserving AASL and other sign language variations.
| african american sign language: The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL Carolyn McCaskill, Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Joseph Christopher Hill, 2020-05-29 This paperback edition, accompanied by the supplemental video content available on the Gallaudet University Press YouTube channel, presents the first empirical study that verifies Black ASL as a distinct variety of American Sign Language. This volume includes an updated foreword, a new preface that reflects on the impact of this research, and an extended list of references and resources on Black ASL. |
| african american sign language: The Oxford Handbook of African American Language Sonja L. Lanehart, 2015 Offers a set of diverse analyses of traditional and contemporary work on language structure and use in African American communities. |
| african american sign language: Barron's American Sign Language David A. Stewart, Jennifer Stewart, 2021-01-05 Barron’s American Sign Language is a brand-new title on ASL that can be used in the classroom, as a supplemental text to high school and college courses, or for anyone who wants to learn proper ASL. The only American Sign Language book with comprehensive instruction and online graded video practice quizzes, plus a comprehensive final video exam. Content includes topics on the Deaf culture and community, ASL Grammar, fingerspelling, combining signs to construct detailed sentences, Everyday ASL, and much more. More than 1,000 illustrations of signs with instructions on movement--step-by-step with dialogue, tip boxes, and practice exercises and quizzes throughout to reinforce retention and to track your progress. Essential Grammar: Our in-depth explanations will help you to understand core grammar, sentence structure, and facial grammar. Everyday Phrases: Sign phrases like hello or sorry that are used in daily conversations. |
| african american sign language: The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL Carolyn McCaskill, Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Joseph Christopher Hill, 2011 [This book], originally published in 2011, presents the first sociohistorical and linguistic study of Black American Sign Language. Based on the findings of the Black ASL Project, which undertook this unprecedented research, Hidden Treasure documents the stories and language of the African American Deaf community. With links to online video content that includes interviews with Black ASL users, this volume is a groundbreaking scholarly contribution and a powerful affirmation for Black Deaf people. This paperback edition includes an updated foreword by Glenn B. Anderson, a new preface that reflects on the impact of this research, and an expanded list of references and resources on Black ASL. The online supplemental video content is available at the Gallaudet University Press YouTube Channel--Publisher. |
| african american sign language: Linguistic Justice April Baker-Bell, 2020-04-28 Bringing together theory, research, and practice to dismantle Anti-Black Linguistic Racism and white linguistic supremacy, this book provides ethnographic snapshots of how Black students navigate and negotiate their linguistic and racial identities across multiple contexts. By highlighting the counterstories of Black students, Baker-Bell demonstrates how traditional approaches to language education do not account for the emotional harm, internalized linguistic racism, or consequences these approaches have on Black students' sense of self and identity. This book presents Anti-Black Linguistic Racism as a framework that explicitly names and richly captures the linguistic violence, persecution, dehumanization, and marginalization Black Language-speakers endure when using their language in schools and in everyday life. To move toward Black linguistic liberation, Baker-Bell introduces a new way forward through Antiracist Black Language Pedagogy, a pedagogical approach that intentionally and unapologetically centers the linguistic, cultural, racial, intellectual, and self-confidence needs of Black students. This volume captures what Antiracist Black Language Pedagogy looks like in classrooms while simultaneously illustrating how theory, research, and practice can operate in tandem in pursuit of linguistic and racial justice. A crucial resource for educators, researchers, professors, and graduate students in language and literacy education, writing studies, sociology of education, sociolinguistics, and critical pedagogy, this book features a range of multimodal examples and practices through instructional maps, charts, artwork, and stories that reflect the urgent need for antiracist language pedagogies in our current social and political climate. |
| african american sign language: African American Language Mary Kohn, Walt Wolfram, Charlie Farrington, Jennifer Renn, Janneke Van Hofwegen, 2020-12-03 From birth to early adulthood, all aspects of a child's life undergo enormous development and change, and language is no exception. This book documents the results of a pioneering longitudinal linguistic survey, which followed a cohort of sixty-seven African American children over the first twenty years of life, to examine language development through childhood. It offers the first opportunity to hear what it sounds like to grow up linguistically for a cohort of African American speakers, and provides fascinating insights into key linguistics issues, such as how physical growth influences pronunciation, how social factors influence language change, and the extent to which individuals modify their language use over time. By providing a lens into some of the most foundational questions about coming of age in African American Language, this study has implications for a wide range of disciplines, from speech pathology and education, to research on language acquisition and sociolinguistics. |
| african american sign language: African American English Lisa J. Green, 2002-08-08 This authoritative introduction to African American English (AAE) is the first textbook to look at the grammar as a whole. Clearly organised, it describes patterns in the sentence structure, sound system, word formation and word use in AAE. The textbook examines topics such as education, speech events in the secular and religious world, and the use of language in literature and the media to create black images. It includes exercises to accompany each chapter and will be essential reading for students in linguistics, education, anthropology, African American studies and literature. |
| african american sign language: Sounds Like Home Mary Herring Wright, 1999 New edition available: Sounds Like Home: Growing Up Black and Deaf in the South, 20th Anniversary Edition, ISBN 978-1-944838-58-4 Features a new introduction by scholars Joseph Hill and Carolyn McCaskill Mary Herring Wright's memoir adds an important dimension to the current literature in that it is a story by and about an African American deaf child. The author recounts her experiences growing up as a deaf person in Iron Mine, North Carolina, from the 1920s through the 1940s. Her story is unique and historically significant because it provides valuable descriptive information about the faculty and staff of the North Carolina school for Black deaf and blind students from the perspective of a student as well as a student teacher. In addition, this engrossing narrative contains details about the curriculum, which included a week-long Black History celebration where students learned about important Blacks such as Madame Walker, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and George Washington Carver. It also describes the physical facilities as well as the changes in those facilities over the years. In addition, Sounds Like Home occurs over a period of time that covers two major events in American history, the Depression and World War II. Wright's account is one of enduring faith, perseverance, and optimism. Her keen observations will serve as a source of inspiration for others who are challenged in their own ways by life's obstacles. |
| african american sign language: Unspeakable Susan Burch, Hannah Joyner, 2007-11-19 Junius Wilson (1908-2001) spent seventy-six years at a state mental hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, including six in the criminal ward. He had never been declared insane by a medical professional or found guilty of any criminal charge. But he was deaf and black in the Jim Crow South. Unspeakable is the story of his life. Using legal records, institutional files, and extensive oral history interviews--some conducted in sign language--Susan Burch and Hannah Joyner piece together the story of a deaf man accused in 1925 of attempted rape, found insane at a lunacy hearing, committed to the criminal ward of the State Hospital for the Colored Insane, castrated, forced to labor for the institution, and held at the hospital for more than seven decades. Junius Wilson's life was shaped by some of the major developments of twentieth-century America: Jim Crow segregation, the civil rights movement, deinstitutionalization, the rise of professional social work, and the emergence of the deaf and disability rights movements. In addition to offering a bottom-up history of life in a segregated mental institution, Burch and Joyner's work also enriches the traditional interpretation of Jim Crow by highlighting the complicated intersections of race and disability as well as of community and language. This moving study expands the boundaries of what biography can and should be. There is much to learn and remember about Junius Wilson--and the countless others who have lived unspeakable histories. |
| african american sign language: Talking Hands Margalit Fox, 2008-08-05 Documents life in a remote Bedouin village in Israel whose residents communicate through a unique method of sign language used by both hearing and non-hearing citizens, in an account that offers insight into the relationship between language and the human mind. Reprint. 20,000 first printing. |
| african american sign language: Talking Back, Talking Black John H. McWhorter, 2017 An authoritative, impassioned celebration of Black English, how it works, and why it matters |
| african american sign language: What's Your Sign for Pizza? Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Clayton Valli, 2003 Lucas, Valli (both Gallaudet U.) and Bayley (U. of Texas, San Antonio) present materials designed to introduce members of the Deaf community and the general public to the sociolinguistic variation in American Sign Language (ASL). These materials are a part of the resulting products from a seven-year |
| african american sign language: Language and the African American Child Lisa J. Green, 2010-12-16 How do children acquire African American English? How do they develop the specific language patterns of their communities? Drawing on spontaneous speech samples and data from structured elicitation tasks, this book explains the developmental trends in the children's language. It examines topics such as the development of tense/aspect marking, negation and question formation, and addresses the link between intonational patterns and meaning. Lisa Green shows the impact that community input has on children's development of variation in the production of certain constructions such as possessive -s, third person singular verbal -s, and forms of copula and auxiliary be. She discusses the implications that the linguistic description has for practical applications, such as developing instructional materials for children in the early stages of their education. |
| african american sign language: The Everything Sign Language Book Irene Duke, 2009-03-17 Discover the intricacies of American Sign Language with this comprehensive, essential guide to learning the basics of sign language. The appeal of American Sign Language (ASL) has extended beyond the Deaf community into the mainstream—it’s even popular as a class in high school and college. You are guided through the basics of ASL with clear instruction and more than 300 illustrations. With a minimum of time and effort, you will learn to sign: the ASL alphabet; questions and common expressions; numbers, money, and time. With info on signing etiquette, communicating with people in the Deaf community, and using ASL to aid child development, this book makes signing fun for the entire family. |
| african american sign language: Out of the Mouths of Slaves John Baugh, 1999 When the Oakland, California, school board called African American English Ebonics and claimed that it is not a black dialect or any dialect of English, they reignited a debate over language, race, and culture that reaches back to the era of slavery in the United States. In this book, John Baugh, an authority on African American English, sets new parameters for the debate by dissecting and challenging many of the prevailing myths about African American language and its place in American society. Baugh's inquiry ranges from the origins of African American English among slaves and their descendants to its recent adoption by standard English speakers of various races. Some of the topics he considers include practices and malpractices for educating language minority students, linguistic discrimination in the administration of justice, cross-cultural communication between Blacks and whites, and specific linguistic aspects of African American English. This detailed overview of the main points of debate about African American language will be important reading for both scholars and the concerned public. |
| african american sign language: Baby Sign Language Basics Monta Z. Briant, 2018-06-26 In this newly expanded edition, a renowned baby-signing expert provides more than 300 American Sign Language (ASL) signs, illustrated with the same clear, easy-to-understand photos and descriptions. Since 2004, Baby Sign Language Basics has introduced hundreds of thousands of parents and caregivers around the globe to the miracle of signing with their babies—and left them wanting more! Baby-specific signing techniques, songs, and games are also included to make learning fun and to quickly open up two-way communication. Parents will meet real signing families and learn how to make sign language a part of their everyday interactions with their children. Also included is a video signing dictionary featuring all the signs from the book. Just point and click, and see the sign you want to learn come alive! This is a must-have for all parents, grandparents, and anyone else who spends time with preverbal children. After all, what parent or caregiver doesn’t want to know what their baby is trying to tell them? Now includes streaming video, additional tips, advice, and updated resources! |
| african american sign language: EVERYONE HERE SPOKE SIGN LANGUAGE Nora Ellen GROCE, 2009-06-30 From the seventeenth century to the early years of the twentieth, the population of Martha’s Vineyard manifested an extremely high rate of profound hereditary deafness. In stark contrast to the experience of most deaf people in our own society, the Vineyarders who were born deaf were so thoroughly integrated into the daily life of the community that they were not seen—and did not see themselves—as handicapped or as a group apart. Deaf people were included in all aspects of life, such as town politics, jobs, church affairs, and social life. How was this possible? On the Vineyard, hearing and deaf islanders alike grew up speaking sign language. This unique sociolinguistic adaptation meant that the usual barriers to communication between the hearing and the deaf, which so isolate many deaf people today, did not exist. |
| african american sign language: Word from the Mother Geneva Smitherman, 2021-11-26 This classic text by Geneva Smitherman, pioneering scholar of Black Talk, is a definitive statement on African American Language (AAL). Enriched by her inimitable writing style, the book outlines past debates on the speech of African Americans and provides a vision for the future. As global manifestations of AAL increase, she argues that we must broaden our conception of the language and its speakers, and further examine the implications of gender, age and class on AAL. Perhaps most of all we must appreciate the artistic and linguistic genius of AAL, from Hip Hop lyrics to the rhyme and rhetoric of the broader Black speech community. Smitherman explores AAL's contribution to American English, includes a summary of expressions as a suggested linguistic core of AAL, and features cartoons that educate readers on the broader relationship between language, race, and racism. This classic edition features a new foreword by H. Samy Alim, celebrating Smitherman's continuing impact on Black Language scholarship and her influence on the future of the field. Word from the Mother is an essential read for students of African American speech, language, culture and sociolinguistics, as well as the general reader interested in the worldwide crossover of Black popular culture. |
| african american sign language: Other People's English Vershawn Ashanti Young, Rusty Barrett, 2018-11-21 With a new Foreword by April Baker-Bell and a new Preface by Vershawn Ashanti Young and Y’Shanda Young-Rivera, Other People’s English: Code-Meshing, Code-Switching, and African American Literacy presents an empirically grounded argument for a new approach to teaching writing to diverse students in the English language arts classroom. Responding to advocates of the “code-switching” approach, four uniquely qualified authors make the case for “code-meshing”—allowing students to use standard English, African American English, and other Englishes in formal academic writing and classroom discussions. This practical resource translates theory into a concrete road map for pre- and inservice teachers who wish to use code-meshing in the classroom to extend students’ abilities as writers and thinkers and to foster inclusiveness and creativity. The text provides activities and examples from middle and high school as well as college and addresses the question of how to advocate for code-meshing with skeptical administrators, parents, and students. Other People’s English provides a rationale for the social and educational value of code-meshing, including answers to frequently asked questions about language variation. It also includes teaching tips and action plans for professional development workshops that address cultural prejudices. |
| african american sign language: African American Readings of Paul Lisa M. Bowens, 2020-10-13 The letters of Paul—especially the verse in Ephesians directing slaves to obey their masters—played an enormous role in promoting slavery and justifying it as a Christian practice. Yet despite this reality African Americans throughout history still utilized Paul extensively in their own work to protest and resist oppression, responding to his theology and teachings in numerous—often starkly divergent and liberative—ways. In the first book of its kind, Lisa Bowens takes a historical, theological, and biblical approach to explore interpretations of Paul within African American communities over the past few centuries. She surveys a wealth of primary sources from the early 1700s to the mid-twentieth century, including sermons, conversion stories, slave petitions, and autobiographies of ex-slaves, many of which introduce readers to previously unknown names in the history of New Testament interpretation. Along with their hermeneutical value, these texts also provide fresh documentation of Black religious life through wide swaths of American history. African American Readings of Paul promises to change the landscape of Pauline studies and fill an important gap in the rising field of reception history. |
| african american sign language: Black and Deaf in America Ernest Hairston, Linwood Smith, 1983 |
| african american sign language: Black Sun Signs Thelma Balfour, 1996 A new perspective on the stars--tailored to the experience, interests, and culture of the African-American community--Black Sun Signs features profiles revealing the general positive and negative traits of each sign, followed by specific descriptions of the man, woman, employee, and child typical of that sun sign. |
| african american sign language: Signs of Diaspora/diaspora of Signs Grey Gundaker, 1998 Examining the interplay of cultural trajectories and sign systems in the African diaspora, particularly in the U.S., Gundaker shows that African Americans, while readily mastering the conventions and canons of Euro-America, also drew on knowledge of their own to make an oppositional repertoire of signs and meanings. |
| african american sign language: Sociolinguistic Variation in American Sign Language Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Clayton Valli, 2001 Linguists Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Clayton Valli and a host of other researchers have taken the techniques used to study the regional variations in speech (such as saying hwhich for which) and have applied them to American Sign Language. Discover how the same driving social factors affect signs in different regions in Sociolinguistic Variation in American Sign Language. |
| african american sign language: Keeping Languages Alive Mari C. Jones, Sarah Ogilvie, 2013-12-12 Explores current efforts to record, collect and archive endangered languages which are in danger of falling silent. |
| african american sign language: The Oxford Handbook of African American Citizenship, 1865-Present Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2012-05-24 Collection of essays tracing the historical evolution of African American experiences, from the dawn of Reconstruction onward, through the perspectives of sociology, political science, law, economics, education and psychology. As a whole, the book is a systematic study of the gap between promise and performance of African Americans since 1865. Over the course of thirty-four chapters, contributors present a portrait of the particular hurdles faced by African Americans and the distinctive contributions African Americans have made to the development of U.S. institutions and culture. --From publisher description. |
| african american sign language: Speaking of Race Jennifer B. Delfino, 2020-12-04 Speaking of Race explores the linguistic practices of African American children in an after school program in Washington, DC. Drawing on ethnographic research, Jennifer B. Delfino illustrates how students’ linguistic practices are often perceived as barriers to learning and achievement and provides an in-depth look at how students challenge this perception by using language to transform the meaning of race in relation to ideas about academic success. In providing insight into the institutionalized processes by which African American children are seen and heard as “problem students,” this book helps scholars and practitioners better support marginalized pupils in their efforts to achieve racial transformation and educational justice in schools. |
| african american sign language: Language Regard Betsy E. Evans, Erica J. Benson, James N. Stanford, 2018-01-18 The first book of its kind to provide historical and state-of-the-art perspectives on language regard. |
| african american sign language: A Descriptive Analysis of Adamorobe Sign Language (Ghana) Victoria Anna Sophie Nyst, 2007 Adamorobe, a small Akan village in Ghana, has an unusually high incidence of hereditary deafness. As a result, a sign language came into being, Adamorobe Sign Language (AdaSL), which is unrelated to any other sign language described so far and is assumed to be about 200 years old. The present study describes selected aspects of AdaSL, notably phonology, lexicon, the expression of size and shape and the encoding of motion events. A comparison of these aspects with descriptions of other sign languages reveals interesting cross-linguistic differences in the use of iconicity as well as in the use of space and classifier constructions. Data were collected during three periods of fieldwork of nine months in total. Moreover, this study considers to what extent the social setting may influence the development of structural features in sign languages. This investigation nuances the impact the visual-spatial modality has on sign language structure. The book is of interest to scholars of sign linguistics, African linguistics, as well as contact linguistics and Deaf studies. |
| african american sign language: My Asl Book Levels 2 and 3 Donald Bangs, 2018 |
| african american sign language: African American Vernacular English John Russell Rickford, 1999-07-09 In response to the flood of interest in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) following the recent controversy over Ebonics, this book brings together sixteen essays on the subject by a leading expert in the field, one who has been researching and writing on it for a quarter of a century. |
| african american sign language: Deaf Gain H-Dirksen L. Bauman, Joseph J. Murray, 2014-10-15 Deaf people are usually regarded by the hearing world as having a lack, as missing a sense. Yet a definition of deaf people based on hearing loss obscures a wealth of ways in which societies have benefited from the significant contributions of deaf people. In this bold intervention into ongoing debates about disability and what it means to be human, experts from a variety of disciplines—neuroscience, linguistics, bioethics, history, cultural studies, education, public policy, art, and architecture—advance the concept of Deaf Gain and challenge assumptions about what is normal. Through their in-depth articulation of Deaf Gain, the editors and authors of this pathbreaking volume approach deafness as a distinct way of being in the world, one which opens up perceptions, perspectives, and insights that are less common to the majority of hearing persons. For example, deaf individuals tend to have unique capabilities in spatial and facial recognition, peripheral processing, and the detection of images. And users of sign language, which neuroscientists have shown to be biologically equivalent to speech, contribute toward a robust range of creative expression and understanding. By framing deafness in terms of its intellectual, creative, and cultural benefits, Deaf Gain recognizes physical and cognitive difference as a vital aspect of human diversity. Contributors: David Armstrong; Benjamin Bahan, Gallaudet U; Hansel Bauman, Gallaudet U; John D. Bonvillian, U of Virginia; Alison Bryan; Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, Gallaudet U; Cindee Calton; Debra Cole; Matthew Dye, U of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign; Steve Emery; Ofelia García, CUNY; Peter C. Hauser, Rochester Institute of Technology; Geo Kartheiser; Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi; Christopher Krentz, U of Virginia; Annelies Kusters; Irene W. Leigh, Gallaudet U; Elizabeth M. Lockwood, U of Arizona; Summer Loeffler; Mara Lúcia Massuti, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Donna A. Morere, Gallaudet U; Kati Morton; Ronice Müller de Quadros, U Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Donna Jo Napoli, Swarthmore College; Jennifer Nelson, Gallaudet U; Laura-Ann Petitto, Gallaudet U; Suvi Pylvänen, Kymenlaakso U of Applied Sciences; Antti Raike, Aalto U; Päivi Rainò, U of Applied Sciences Humak; Katherine D. Rogers; Clara Sherley-Appel; Kristin Snoddon, U of Alberta; Karin Strobel, U Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Hilary Sutherland; Rachel Sutton-Spence, U of Bristol, England; James Tabery, U of Utah; Jennifer Grinder Witteborg; Mark Zaurov. |
| african american sign language: African American Slang Maciej Widawski, 2015-03-05 A pioneering exploration of form, meaning, theme and function in African American slang, illustrated with thousands of contextual examples. |
| african american sign language: Sign Languages Joseph Hill, Diane Lillo-Martin, Sandra Wood, 2018-12-12 Sign Languages: Structures and Contexts provides a succinct summary of major findings in the linguistic study of natural sign languages. Focusing on American Sign Language (ASL), this book: offers a comprehensive introduction to the basic grammatical components of phonology, morphology, and syntax with examples and illustrations; demonstrates how sign languages are acquired by Deaf children with varying degrees of input during early development, including no input where children create a language of their own; discusses the contexts of sign languages, including how different varieties are formed and used, attitudes towards sign languages, and how language planning affects language use; is accompanied by e-resources, which host links to video clips. Offering an engaging and accessible introduction to sign languages, this book is essential reading for students studying this topic for the first time with little or no background in linguistics. |
| african american sign language: The Legal Recognition of Sign Languages Maartje De Meulder, Joseph J. Murray, Rachel L. McKee, 2019-06-17 This book presents the first ever comprehensive overview of national laws recognising sign languages, the impacts they have and the advocacy campaigns which led to their creation. It comprises 18 studies from communities across Europe, the US, South America, Asia and New Zealand. They set sign language legislation within the national context of language policies in each country and show patterns of intersection between language ideologies, public policy and deaf communities’ discourses. The chapters are grounded in a collaborative writing approach between deaf and hearing scholars and activists involved in legislative campaigns. Each one describes a deaf community’s expectations and hopes for legal recognition and the type of sign language legislation achieved. The chapters also discuss the strategies used in achieving the passage of the legislation, as well as an account of barriers confronted and surmounted (or not) in the legislative process. The book will be of interest to language activists in the fields of sign language and other minority languages, policymakers and researchers in deaf studies, sign linguistics, sociolinguistics, human rights law and applied linguistics. |
| african american sign language: Sign Language Phonology Diane Brentari, 2019-11-21 Surveys key findings and ideas in sign language phonology, exploring the crucial areas in phonology to which sign language studies has contributed. |
| african american sign language: Breadth of Bodies Emmaly Wiederholt, Silva Laukkanen, 2022-03 Breadth of Bodies seeks to investigate and dismantle the language and stereotypes often used to describe professional dancers with disabilities. Spearheaded by dancer/writer Emmaly Wiederholt and dance educator Silva Laukkanen with illustrations by visual artist Liz Brent-Maldonado, the team collected interviews with 35 professional dance artists with disabilities from 15 countries, asking about training, access, and press, as well as looking at the state of the field. |
| african american sign language: African-American English Salikoko S. Mufwene, John R. Rickford, Guy Bailey, John Baugh, 2021-09-30 This book was the first to provide a comprehensive survey of linguistic research into African-American English and is widely recognised as a classic in the field. It covers both the main linguistic features, in particular the grammar, phonology, and lexicon as well as the sociological, political and educational issues connected with African-American English. The editors have played key roles in the development of African-American English and Black Linguistics as overlapping academic fields of study. Along with other leading figures, notably Geneva Smitherman, William Labov and Walt Wolfram, they provide an authoritative diverse guide to these vitally important subject areas. Drawing on key moments of cultural significance from the Ebonics controversy to the rap of Ice-T, the contributors cover the state of the art in scholarship on African-American English, and actively dispel misconceptions, address new questions and explore new approaches. This classic edition has a new foreword by Sonja Lanehart, setting the book in context and celebrating its influence. This is an essential text for courses on African-American English, key reading for Varieties of English and World Englishes modules and an important reference for students of linguistics, black studies and anthropology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. |
| african american sign language: The Negro William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, 1915 |
| african american sign language: The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary Richard A. Tennant, Marianne Gluszak Brown, 1998 Organizes 1,600-plus ASL signs by 40 basic hand shapes rather than in alphabetical word order. This format allows users to search for a sign that they recognize but whose meaning they have forgotten or for the meaning of a new sign they have seen for the first time. The entries include descriptions of how to form each sign to represent the varying terms they might mean. Index of English glosses only. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR |
Africa - Wikipedia
African nations cooperate through the establishment of the African Union, which is headquartered in Addis Ababa. Africa is highly biodiverse; [17] it is the continent with the largest number of …
Africa | History, People, Countries, Regions, Map, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago · African regions are treated under the titles Central Africa, eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and western Africa; these articles also contain the principal treatment …
Map of Africa | List of African Countries Alphabetically - World Maps
Africa is the second largest and most populous continent in the world after Asia. The area of Africa without islands is 11.3 million square miles (29.2 million sq km), with islands - about 11.7 million …
The 54 Countries in Africa in Alphabetical Order
May 14, 2025 · Here is the alphabetical list of the African country names with their capitals. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO …
Africa - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
African independence movements had their first success in 1951, when Libya became the first former colony to become independent. Modern African history is full of revolutions and wars , …
Africa: Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa - HISTORY
African History Africa is a large and diverse continent that extends from South Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. The continent makes up one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
Africa Map: Regions, Geography, Facts & Figures | Infoplease
What Are the Big 3 African Countries? Three of the largest and most influential countries in Africa are Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a …
Africa - New World Encyclopedia
Since the end of colonial status, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and authoritarianism. The vast majority of African nations are republics …
Africa Map / Map of Africa - Worldatlas.com
Africa, the planet's 2nd largest continent and the second most-populous continent (after Asia) includes (54) individual countries, and Western Sahara, a member state of the African Union …
Africa: Human Geography - Education
Jun 4, 2025 · Cultural Geography Historic Cultures The African continent has a unique place in human history. Widely believed to be the “cradle of humankind,” Africa is the only continent …
Africa - Wikipedia
African nations cooperate through the establishment of the African Union, which is headquartered in Addis Ababa. Africa is highly biodiverse; [17] it is the continent with the largest number of …
Africa | History, People, Countries, Regions, Map, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago · African regions are treated under the titles Central Africa, eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and western Africa; these articles also contain the principal treatment …
Map of Africa | List of African Countries Alphabetically - World Maps
Africa is the second largest and most populous continent in the world after Asia. The area of Africa without islands is 11.3 million square miles (29.2 million sq km), with islands - about …
The 54 Countries in Africa in Alphabetical Order
May 14, 2025 · Here is the alphabetical list of the African country names with their capitals. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO …
Africa - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
African independence movements had their first success in 1951, when Libya became the first former colony to become independent. Modern African history is full of revolutions and wars , …
Africa: Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa - HISTORY
African History Africa is a large and diverse continent that extends from South Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. The continent makes up one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
Africa Map: Regions, Geography, Facts & Figures | Infoplease
What Are the Big 3 African Countries? Three of the largest and most influential countries in Africa are Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a …
Africa - New World Encyclopedia
Since the end of colonial status, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and authoritarianism. The vast majority of African nations are republics …
Africa Map / Map of Africa - Worldatlas.com
Africa, the planet's 2nd largest continent and the second most-populous continent (after Asia) includes (54) individual countries, and Western Sahara, a member state of the African Union …
Africa: Human Geography - Education
Jun 4, 2025 · Cultural Geography Historic Cultures The African continent has a unique place in human history. Widely believed to be the “cradle of humankind,” Africa is the only continent …
