<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Hi
all,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>This
will be my last email on glossing. I am creating a forum on PUDL's website
to discuss the issue so that those who are interested can participate. <A
href="http://www.pudl.info/forum">www.pudl.info/forum</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>PUDL's
dictionary has 4 sign languages. And it is possible to use the translation
and email feature for each language, not just ASL. These tools will become
more useful as the dictionaries grow.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>However, only the ASL and German Sign Language have the alphabet loaded,
so only those langauges will show any fingerspelling for signs that do not
exist.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Question... Do other sign languages use fingerspelling? And why is
the German letter y so crazy with facial expression? I've seen some fast
fingerspelling, and I can't image the facial expressions keeping up with the
hand. And I can't imagine paying attention to the shape of the mouth when
the fingers are blurring along. But then again, my brain has not been
conditioned from birth to interpret visual information into language. But
<SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I
digress...</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>In
simple terms, the translation feature uses the sign names that are in the
dictionary for each language. So the translation simply changes individual
words into signs. But signs are more than just words.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=969582319-02042004><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004>The definition that I have been using for signed
language is "expressive concepts in space". It is impossible to use a
single word to describe many signs. So for glossing, a dash - is used to
connect words, such as me-help-him. However, this gloss only explains the
concept, but not the expression or the space. For some signs, it would
take a whole paragraph to desribe exactly what a sign would mean. A more
comples example of a gloss: me-happy-help-him-right. This gloss contains
expression, concept and space.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004>So to take full advantage of PUDL's translation feature
the signs must exist in the dictionary with an adequate gloss name. And
the person using the translation feature must know the names of the signs in the
dictionary.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004>But if glossing is only used in the US and Canada, how
can glossing be used with other sign languages? It shouldn't be too
hard. The key to glossing with PUDL is naming the signs in such a way that
they contain information that is expressive, conceptual, and spatial. And
if this naming scheme is understandable, then the glossing should be relatively
easy to use.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004>-Stephen Slevinski</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=969582319-02042004><A
href="http://www.pudl.info">www.pudl.info</A></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>