<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Mr. Lee:<BR>
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Sign Language IS, indeed, a real language. I am working on a presentation in my phonology (linguistics) class this Wed. Dr. William Stokoe began research on American Sign Language in the 1960's. Many linguists have written books and papers since declaring that sign language is truly a real language. These linguists pulled it apart and used many of the same criteria as they do with spoken languages. Below are some of my resources, and I believe you will find them very interesting.<BR>
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Vicki Johnson<BR>
Interpreter for the deaf (and English as a Second Language graduate student)<BR>
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Bridges. B. and Metzger, M. (1996). Deaf Tend Your, Non-Manual Signals<BR>
In ASL. Silver Spring, Maryland: Calliope Press.<BR>
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Burling, R. (1992). Patterns of Language. San Diego, California: Academic <BR>
Press.<BR>
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Collins, S. and Petronio, K. (1998). What Happens in Tactile ASL? In<BR>
C. Lukas (ed.), Pinky Extension & Eye Gaze. Washington, DC:<BR>
Gallaudet University Press.<BR>
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Grieve-Smith, A. (1999, May 12). Sign Synthesis and Sign Phonology. <BR>
University of New Mexico. Retrieved 10, April 2003:<BR>
http://www.unm.edu/~grvsmth/portfolio/sssp.html<BR>
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Liddell, S. Nonmanual Signals and Relative Clauses in American Sign<BR>
Language. P. Siple (ed.), Understanding Language Through Sign<BR>
Language Research. (1978). New York, New York: Academic Press<BR>
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Neidle, C., Kegl, J., MacLaughlin, D., Bahan, B., Lee, R. (2000). The<BR>
Syntax of American Sign Language. Cambridge, Massachusetts:<BR>
The MIT Press.<BR>
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Padden, C. (1988). Interaction of Morphology and Syntax in American Sign<BR>
Language. New York: Garland Publishing.<BR>
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Snitzer, J., McIntire, M. and Bellugi, U. Baby Face: A New Perspective on <BR>
Universals in Language Acquisition. P. Siple and S. Fischer (eds.) in<BR>
Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research. (1991). Chicago: <BR>
The University of Chicago Press.<BR>
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Tamar-Jackson, R., Orton, R. and Un, P. A Comparison of Non-Manual<BR>
Signals Among Hearing, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf Signers. <BR>
Retrieved 30, March, 2003:<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/rebaorton/rough.htm<BR>
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Valli, C. and Lucas, C. (2000). Linguistics of American Sign Language. <BR>
Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.<BR>
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