The History of ASL Recognition as a Language
History of Sign Language in American Deaf Culture
Difference between Spoken and Signed Languages
Whereas Signed Language, the words have movements that include the handshape. The position of the hand or even the placement orientation of the hand.
MVSL and its progression to ASL
ASL is a visual/gestural language as stated by Baker and Cokely.
In Spoken Language, we have vowels and consonants. Which it is influenced when we speak by the tip of the tongue or where the lips are.
Before 1817, signs were documented prior to Martha's Vineyard .
In 1995, at a Deaf Studies IV conference, Nancy Jo Frishberg, said MVSL signs were similar to ASL signs. As time moved on, the signs and expressions evolved as well.
The historical differences between ASL and MVSL
In ASL, the sign for MAD was one-handed. However, it is two-handed to sign.
In MVSL, the sign for MAD was only one-handed.
For example, in ASL, when hands come in contact with the face, two handed signs were used. However, now it is only one handed signs.
However, in MVSL, DEVIL and COW signs were two-handed.
William Stokoe Discoverings
Publications and Books
In 1960, Sign Language Structure: An outline of the visual communication systems of the American Deaf by Stokoe was published.
The research he had found was based on how sign language was more than gestures and its own entire language.
Stokoe had come to realize how ASL wasn't entirely translated exactly from English.
Furthermore, in 1965, Stokoe along with his teammates published the article, A Dictionary of the American SIgn Language.*
In that research, they found 19 handshapes, 12 locations, and 24 movements in the language.
However, the Deaf community were not pleased. They believed his energy and time were being wasted. Also a waste of money.
Why? Stokoe was a hearing man. Therefore, he had no involvement or cultural history with the Deaf community.
Until the 1950s and 1960s, people started to discover his research and begun to be open to the new information regarding ASL.
Public Reaction on Stokoe's book
At first, the public had a ton of thoughts about ASL. One of them being ASL was a part of English and extended from it.
Stokoe didn't pay attention to the criticism and carried on with his research and book publications. He also did lectures.
He is considered the "Father of American Sign Language Linguistics." In 2000, he passed away.
The beginning of ASL Research
The Gallaudet University English Department hired Stokoe in 1955.
Stokoe had no prior experience with sign language.
Although, Stokoe had a strong belief sign language had its own linguistics.
William Stokoe founded the Linguistics Research Laboratory in 1957.
What is exactly is ASL?
A language created by Deaf people in America and Canada.
It is a language that primarily focuses on the eyes and the body movement as well as facial expressions.
What is ASL?
A language created by Deaf people in American and Canada.
It is a language that primarily focuses on the eyes and the body movements along facial expressions.
ASL has studies on its phonology, morphology, and syntaxes.
ASL Phonology
Stokoe was one of the first who discovered the first three parameters of signs.
Handshapes, Location, and Movement.
10 years later, palm orientation was discovered. The placement of the hand's palm helped in determining signs.
The first parameter was the Non-manual markers.
ASL Morphology
It is essentially the study of how words are formed.
Deaf people never realized how similar patterns signs were.
An example, FLY and PLANE use the same parameters.
The difference is FLY is a verb. PLANE is a noun.
ASL and English also combine words into compounds. In ASL, signs are created from two signs. Eventually, it turns into one sign.
ASL Syntax Studies
Linguistics determined facial and body behavior help which sentence types in ASL.
Declarative sentences are not marked by a non-manual signal.
Three Types of Questions
YES/NO questions usually has the head tilted forward with the body. The eyebrows are raised and eyes big.
WH-Word Questions that end with WHAT, WHY, WHEN, Or WHO?
Rhetorical Questions which typically do no require an answer.
Followed by Conditionals, Negation/ Assertion, Commands, Topicalization and Relative Causes.
The sentence types are determined typically by Non-manual Markers.