Co-speech gesture in monolinguals has been linked to several cognitive processes: prompting memory stores, conveying spatial concepts, searching for lexical equivalents, and supporting rhythm and cohesion. The production of co-speech gesture also occurs in spoken language bilinguals. Studies have demonstrated that bilinguals fluent in American…

We present a study examining broadcast British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted weather forecasts. These are filmed against a green screen with a superimposed composite image broadcast including maps and satellite information, etc. that can be indexed. We examine the semiotic resources used when interacting with the available visible on-screen…

In this article, we provide an overview of the last twenty years of research on Indigenous sign languages, deaf community sign languages, co-speech gesture, and multimodal communication in the Australian context. From a global perspective, research on sign languages and on the gestures that normally accompany speech has been used as the basis for…

This paper, the fourth in a series concerned with the level of access afforded to students who use educational interpreters, focuses on the intelligibility of interpreters who use Signing Exact English (SEE). Eight expert receivers of SEE were employed to evaluate the intelligibility of transliterated messages that varied in accuracy and lag time.…

Sometimes parents just do not know where to begin once their child has been diagnosed as deaf or hearing impaired. This booklet helps answer some of the questions these parents might have. A resource section has been included for parents and professionals for future reference. One of the most important things to remember is that, once a child has…

This paper examines the ways in which parents of multilingual deaf children (are able to) participate in annual individualized education plan (IEP) meetings mediated by both signed and spoken language interpreters. Data are drawn from an ethnographic, discourse-analytic study conducted in a U.S. school district and informed by the ethnography of…

Once their child has been diagnosed as deaf or hearing impaired, parents may not know what to do. This booklet will help answer some of the questions these parents might have. A resource section has been included for parents and professionals on pages 43-44, for future reference. One of the most important things to remember is that, once a child…

Discusses deaf criminal suspects in two categories. The first involves deaf suspects who are proficient in the use of one or more of the following languages or modes: American Sign language, manually coded English, contact language, and indigenous or foreign sign languages. The second involves deaf suspects who are not proficient in any language.…

This paper explains how the hearing loss of deaf persons affects communication, describes methods deaf individuals use to communicate, and addresses the role of interpreters in the communication process. The volume covers: communication methods such as speechreading or lipreading, written notes, gestures, or sign language (American Sign Language,…

During their professional career, counselors may encounter a client who is deaf; however, they may feel unprepared to work effectively with this population. Counselors who have an understanding of individuals who are deaf through their history, language, and other important considerations might be better prepared to work with this unique and…

This paper attempts to outline some of the more obvious implications of the knowledge of a semantically related class of signs, signs relating to sexual behavior, for descriptive and theoretical sociolinguistic and anthropological studies and for applied research in the areas of language and education, medicine, and the law. (Author/CFM)

Reviews various methods of communication for hearing-impaired individuals, including American Sign Language (ASL) and a computer system which analyzes speech and flashes appropriate symbols onto a wearer's eyeglass lenses to aid in lipreading. Illustrates how an ASL sign can be changed to create a new word. (Author/JN)

This paper explores the link between sign language research and sociolinguistic theory. It demonstrates how sign language research benefits from a sociolinguistic approach and provides validation for sociolinguistic theory. Previous research on the sign language of the deaf is reviewed, and a distinction is made between "structure-oriented" and…

A collection of research materials on sign language and primatology is presented here. The essays attempt to show that: sign language is a legitimate language that can be learned not only by humans but by nonhuman primates as well, and nonhuman primates have the capability to acquire a human language using a different mode. The following…

College staff must understand the nature of hearing impairment, its effect on communication, and teaching methods that accommodate functional limitations in order to provide for the special needs of deaf students. Since the extent of a student's ability to communicate is determined by whether the student became deaf before or after he/she…