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Recognition of ASL as a language - Coggle Diagram
Recognition of ASL as a language
From gestures to sign language
Michael Corballis, wrote that gestural communication was much more effective than vocal communication among pre-human ancestors for 2 reasons.
Apes and early humans had great eyesight compared to hearing so it made seeing signs easier
Australopithecines communicated with each other using their hands to give directions or to ask for help in locating things such as tools.
Sign language and gestures were silent, so as not to alert prey of one's presence
Research on signing gorillas: Washoe, Tatu, and Koko. Koko had a sign language vocabulary of over 1,000 words, mostly in ASL.
Signed Language Engraved in Deaf History
James Woodward concluded that 60% of the signs used in America during the early 1800s originated with French signs. Other 40% came from unknown sources
Remaining 40% of the signs came from Martha's Vineyard, in addition to home signs within families and signs used by Native Americans
Baker and Padden stated that some signs that used to require one hand now require two hands, while others are now produced with one hand
Visual-Gestural Language
Baker and Cokely stated that ASL grammar involves the use of the signer's eyes, face, head, body posture, hands and arms
ASL is capable of expressing three-dimensional ideas
Gestures are enhanced by facial expressions, which add different shades of meanings.
Spoken and Signed Languages
Spoken words have consonants and vowels. Signed words have holds and movements
Spoken words are influenced by where the tongue is, where the lips are, and if the voice is on and off
Tree of language by Bob Johnson's illustrates a parallel between spoken language and signed language
Signed words are influenced by handshape, position of hand, and orientation of hand
Birth of ASL Research
Deaf community not supportive at all and thought this project/research was a waste of time
This didn't faze Stokoe, who along with 2 deaf colleagues, Carl Cronenberg, and Dorothy Casterline filmed deaf people signing and analyzed signs for patterns
With a grant Stokoe established the Linguistics Research Laboratory in 1957
Early 1960s, study of structural linguistics became more commonplace
Discovered that signs followed specific rules
Early Findings
"A Dictionary of American Sign Language" signs were listed by their translations in English and internal structure such as handshapes, location and movements
Stokoe and his team identified 19 handshapes, 12 locations and 24 movements
Research showed that sign language was a complete and complex language distinct from English. It was a true language
Stokoe considered the "Father of American Sign Language Linguistics"
Stokoe published his findings in a book, Sign Language Structure: An Outline of the Visual Communications Systems of the American Deaf