Sign Language Linguistics

27910/37910
Instructor: Jordan Fenlon (jfenlon@uchicago.edu)
Office hours: Thursdays, 10:45-11:45
Winter quarter: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00-10:20

The course introduces students to sign languages through the core areas of linguistics
(e.g., phonology, morphology, lexicon, syntax, semantics and pragmatics) and with a
focus on two sign languages: American Sign Language and British Sign Language.
The course will cover a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to the
study of sign languages and address questions such as: 'What impact does
communication modality have on language?', 'Why is the study of sign language
important for understanding linguistic universals?', and 'What is the relationship
between sign language and gesture?'. No previous knowledge of sign language is
assumed.

Course texts
Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds), Sign Language: An International
Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter,
Johnston, T. and A. Schembri, (2007). Australian Sign Language: An introduction to
sign language linguistics. Cambridge University Press.

Overview

Week Topic
1 Introduction to sign language and the deaf community
2 Phonology
3 Morphology
4 Lexicon
5 Sign language documentation (dictionaries and corpora)
6 Syntax
7 Semantics, pragmatics, and discourse
8 Bilingualism and language contact
9 Sociolinguistics
10 Issues in sign language research

Assessment
1) Classroom participation and attendance (10%)
2) one 1000-word report (worth 30%) on a journal article. Due date: Thurs – Week
5.
3) one 2000-word essay (worth 60%). Due date: Tuesday – Week 11.

Week 1: Introduction and history of sign language research

Topics covered: History of deaf community; different types of sign language
communities (micro/macro); Introduction to deaf culture (UK/US); issue of counting
the world’s sign languages; issue of counting the number of signers; sign language
and endangerment; history of sign language research
Tuesday’s readings
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 1

Thursday’s readings
McBurney, S. (2012), History of sign languages and sign language linguistics. In
Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds), Sign Language: An International
Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Johnston, T., (2004). Whither the Deaf Community? Population, Genetics and the
Future of Australian Sign Language. American Annals of the Deaf. 148(5), 358-
375.
^Mitchell, R.E., Young, T.A., Bachleda, B., & M. A. Karchmer, (2006). How many
people use ASL in the United States? Why Estimates Need Updating. Sign
Language Studies, 6(3), 306-335
^Woll, B., Sutton-Spence, R., & F. Elton, (2001). Multilingualism: The global
approach to sign languages. In C. Lucas (ed.), The Sociolinguistics of Sign
Languages, Cambridge University Press, p8-32

Week 2: Sign language phonology

Topics covered: Sign language parameters; overview of different phonological
models; comparing spoken and signed languages; constraints on sign language
structure; sign language syllable; phonological processes; crosslinguistic comparison
of phonological variation

Tuesday’s readings
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 4

Thursday’s readings
Brentari, D. (2002). Modality differences in sign language phonology and
morphophonemics. In R.P. Meier, K. Cormier & D. Quinto-Pozos (eds.),
Modality and Structure in Signed and Spoken Languages. Cambridge University
Press. p35-64.

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Schembri, A., McKee, D., McKee, R., Pivac, S., Johnston, T., & D. Goswell (2009).
Phonological variation and change in Australian and New Zealand Sign
Languages: The location variable. Language Variation and Change, 21(02), 193
^Fenlon, J., Schembri, A., Rentelis, R., & K. Cormier, (2013) Variation in handshape
and orientation in British Sign Language: The case of the ‘1’ hand
configuration. Language and Communication, 33(1), 69-91.

Week 3: Sign language morphology

Topics covered: overview of different types of morphological processes; simultaneity
and sequentiality; inflection vs. derivational morphology; compounding; sign
language pronouns; different types of verbs in sign languages; factors underlying
directional modification of verbs.

Tuesday’s reading
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 5

Thursday’s reading
De Beuzeville, L., Johnston, T., & A. Schembri (2009). The use of space with
indicating verbs in Auslan: a corpus based investigation. Sign Language and
Linguistics, 12(1), 53-82.

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Lillo-Martin, D. & R. P. Meier, (2011) On the linguistic status of agreement in sign
languages. Theoretical Linguistics. 37(3-4), 95-141.
*Sandler, W. & D. Lillo-Martin, (2006). Sign Language and Linguistic Universals.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 3 & 4.
^Cormier, K. (2012). Pronouns. In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach & B. Woll (eds), Sign
Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. pp 227-244
^Aronoff, M., Meir, I., & W. Sandler, (2005). The paradox of sign language
morphology. Language, 81(2), 301-334.

Week 4: The sign language lexicon

Topics covered: Different types of signs; frequency of sign types; different models of
the sign language lexicon; characteristics of each component of the lexicon – how do
they differ; overview of fingerspelling in BSL and ASL; classifiers in spoken and
signed languages

Tuesday’s reading
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 6

Thursday’s reading
Zwitserlood, I., (2012). Classifiers. In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds), Sign
Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 158-185.

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

*Cormier, K., Schembri, A., & M. E. Tyrone (2008). One hand or two? Nativisation
of fingerspelling in ASL and BANZSL. Sign Language & Linguistics, 11(1), 3-
44.
^Schembri, A. (2003). Rethinking "classifiers" in signed langauges. In K. Emmorey
(Ed.), Perspectives on classifier constructions in sign languages. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 3-34.
^Schembri, A., Jones, C., & Burnham, D. (2005). Comparing action gestures and
classifier verbs of motion: evidence from Australian Sign Language, Taiwan
Sign Language, and nonsigners' gestures without speech. Journal of Deaf
Studies and Education, 10(3), 272-290.
*Cormier, K., Quinto-Pozos, D., Sevcikova, Z., & Schembri, A. (2012).
Lexicalisation and de-lexicalisation processes in sign languages: Comparing
depicting constructions and viewpoint gestures. Language and Communication,
32(4), 329-348.
^Fenlon, J., Schembri, A., Rentelis, R., Vinson, D., & Cormier, K. (2014). Using
conversational data to determine lexical frequency in British Sign Language:
The influence of text type. Lingua, 143, 187-202.

Week 5: Sign language dictionaries

Topics covered: different types of dictionaries, representing signs in print;
lemmatisation; online dictionaries; lexical databases; sign language

This week’s readings

Zwitserlood, I. 2010. ‘Sign Language Lexicography in the Early 21st Century and a
Recently Published Dictionary of Sign Language of the Netherlands.’
International Journal of Lexicography 23.4: 443-476.
Schembri, A., Fenlon, J., Rentelis, R., Reynolds, S., & Cormier, K. (2013). Building
the British Sign Language Corpus. Language Documentation and Conservation,
7, 136-154.

Suggested further readings (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Fenlon, J., Cormier, K., & A. Schembri, (submitted), Building BSL SignBank: The
lemma dilemma revisited. Available on Chalk.
^Johnston, T. and A. Schembri. 1999. ‘On Defining Lexeme in a Signed Language.’
Sign Language and Linguistics 2.2: 115-185.
^Kristoffersen, J. and T. Troelsgård. 2012. ‘Electronic Sign Language Dictionaries’ In
Granger, S. and M. Paqout (eds), Electronic Lexicography. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 290–312
^Zwitserlood, I., J. Kristoffersen and T. Troelsgard. 2013. ‘Issues in Sign Language
Lexicography’ In Jackson, H. (ed.), The Bloomsbury Companion to
Lexicography. London: Bloomsbury, 259-283.
Week 6: Syntax
Topics covered: Sentence types; clausal structure, topic and focus, interrogatives,
negation, non-manual markings, prosody

Tuesday’s readings
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 7

Thursday’s readings
Zeshan, U., (2006), Negative and interrogative constructions in sign languages: a case
study in sign language typology. In U. Zeshan (ed.) Interrogative and Negative
Constructions in Sign Language. Ishara Press, 28-68

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Bahan, B., Kegl, J., Lee, R., MacLaughlin, D., & Neidle, C. (2000). The licensing of
null arguments in American Sign Language. Linguistic inquiry, 31(1), 1-27.
*Nespor, M., & Sandler, W. (1999). Prosody in Israeli Sign Language. Language and
 Speech, 42(2-3), 143-176.
^Thompson, R., Emmorey, K., & Kluender, R. (2006). The Relationship between Eye
Gaze and Verb Agreement in American Sign Language: An Eye-tracking Study.
Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 24(2), 571-604.
*Sandler, W., & Lillo-Martin, D. (2006). Sign Language and Linguistic Universals.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Unit IV on Syntax)

Week 7: Semantics, pragmatics and discourse

Topics covered: iconicity; metaphor; pragmatics of conversation and interaction;
genre, style, register; politeness; turn-taking; constructed action

Tuesday’s reading
Johnston, T. & Schembri, A. (2007). Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An
introduction to sign language linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Chapter 8&9

Thursday’s readings
Taub (2012) Iconicity and metaphor. In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds),
Sign Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 388-
412

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Brennan, M. (2005). Conjoining Word and Image in British Sign Language (BSL):
An Exploration of Metaphorical Signs in BSL. Sign Language Studies, 5(3),
360-382.
*Meir, I. (2010). Iconicity and metaphor: Constraints on metaphorical extension of
iconic forms. Language, 86(4), 865-896.
^Mapson, R., (2014). Polite appearances: How non-manual features convey politeness
in British Sign Language. Journal of Politeness Research, 10(2), 157-184.
*Perniss, P., (2012) Use of sign space. In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds),
Sign Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 412-
431
^Taub, S. (2001). Language from the Body: Iconicity and Metaphor in American Sign
Language. Cambridge University Press (Chapter 5,6,7)
Quinto-Pozos, D., & Mehta, S. (2010). Register variation in mimetic gestural
complements to signed language. Journal of Pragmatics, 42, 557-584.

Week 8: Language contact and bilingualism

Topics: Mouthings; fingerspelling; code switching; code blending; international sign;
pidgins & creoles; language endangerment;

Tuesday’s reading
Adam, R. (2012). Language contact. In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds),
Sign Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 841-
862

Thursday’s reading
TBA

Suggested further readings (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

*Adone, D. (2012). Language emergence and creolisation In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach
and B. Woll (eds), Sign Language: An International Handbook. Berlin: Mouton
de Gruyter, 862-889
^Capek, C., Waters, D., Woll, B., MacSweeney, M., Brammer, M. J., McGuire, P. K.,
David, A. S., & R. Campbell, (2008). Hand and mouth: Cortical correlates of
lexical processing in British Sign Language and speech-reading English.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(7), 1220-1234.
^Crasborn, O., van der Kooij, E., Waters, D., Woll, B., & J. Mesch, (2008).
Frequency distribution and spreading behaviour of different types of mouth
actions in three sign languages. Studies in Language, 11(1), 45-67.
^Vinson, D. P., Thompson, R.L., Vigliocco, G., Skinner, R., Woolfe, T., & N. Fox,
(2010). The hands and mouth do not always slip together in British Sign
Language. Psychological Science, 21(8), 1158-1167
^Woll, B., (2001). The sign that dares to speak its name: echo phonology in British
Sign Language (BSL). In P. Boyes-Braem & R. Sutton-Spence (eds.), The
Hands are the Head of the Mouth: The Mouth as Articulator in Sign Languages,
Hamburg: Signum, 87-98

Week 9: Sociolinguistics and language change

Topics: lexical, morpho-syntax, syntactic variation; language change;
grammaticalisation; sociolinguistic typology

Tuesday’s reading
Schembri, A. & T. Johnston, (2012). Sociolinguistic aspects of variation and change.
In Pfau, R., M. Steinbach and B. Woll (eds), Sign Language: An International
Handbook. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 788-816

Thursday’s reading
Stamp, R., Schembri, A., Fenlon, J., Rentelis, R., Woll, B., & K. Cormier, 2014.
Lexical variation and change in British Sign Language. PLOS One, 9(4).

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^McKee, R., Schembri, A., McKee, D., & Johnston, T. (2011). Variable 'subject'
presence in Australian Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language.
Language Variation and Change, 23(3), 375-398
^Sutton Spence, R., Allsop, L., & B. Woll, (1990). Variation and recent change in
fingerspelling in British Sign Language. Language Variation and Change, 2(3),
313-330.
^Sutton-Spence, R. & L. Day (2001). Mouthings and mouth gestures in British Sign
Language (BSL). In P. Boyes-Braem & R. Sutton-Spence (eds.), The Hands are
the Head of the Mouth: The Mouth as Articulator in Sign Languages, Hamburg:
Signum, 66-87

Week 10: Issues in sign language and linguistics

Topics: Formalist vs. functionalist approaches to language; data collection; sign
language corpora; linguistic theories and sign language; multimodal approach to
language; pointing

Tuesday’s reading
Sandler, W., & D. Lillo-Martin, (2006). Sign language and linguistic universals.
Cambridge University Press. Chapter 25, 477-510

Suggested further reading (*Recommended, ^if you have time)

^Johnston, T. (2013). Towards a comparative semiotics of pointing actions in signed
and spoken languages. Gesture, 13(2), 109-142.
*Cormier, K., Schembri, A., & B. Woll (2013). Pronouns and pointing in sign
languages. Lingua, 137, 230-247.
^Stukenbrock, A. (2014). Pointing to an ‘empty’ space: Dexis am Phantasma in face-
to-face interaction. Journal of Pragmatics, 74, 70-93.