Is Sign Language a Language?

[Vicki Johnson]

Mr. Lee:

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.

Vicki Johnson
Interpreter for the deaf (and English as a Second Language graduate student)





Bridges. B. and Metzger, M. (1996). Deaf Tend Your, Non-Manual Signals
     In ASL.  Silver Spring, Maryland:  Calliope Press.

Burling, R. (1992). Patterns of Language. San Diego, California:  Academic

     Press.

Collins, S. and Petronio, K. (1998). What Happens in Tactile ASL?   In
     C. Lukas (ed.), Pinky Extension & Eye Gaze.  Washington, DC:
     Gallaudet University Press.

Grieve-Smith, A. (1999, May 12).  Sign Synthesis and Sign Phonology.
    University of New Mexico.  Retrieved 10, April 2003:
    http://www.unm.edu/~grvsmth/portfolio/sssp.html

Liddell, S.  Nonmanual Signals and Relative Clauses in American Sign
     Language.  P. Siple (ed.), Understanding Language Through Sign
     Language Research.  (1978). New York, New York:  Academic Press

Neidle, C., Kegl, J., MacLaughlin, D., Bahan, B., Lee, R. (2000). The
     Syntax of American Sign Language.  Cambridge, Massachusetts:
     The MIT Press.

Padden, C. (1988). Interaction of Morphology and Syntax in American Sign
     Language. New York:  Garland Publishing.

Snitzer, J., McIntire, M. and Bellugi, U. Baby Face: A New Perspective on
     Universals in Language Acquisition. P. Siple and S. Fischer (eds.) in
     Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research. (1991).  Chicago:
      The University of Chicago Press.

Tamar-Jackson, R., Orton, R. and Un, P. A Comparison of Non-Manual
     Signals Among Hearing, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf  Signers.
     Retrieved 30, March, 2003:
     http://www.geocities.com/rebaorton/rough.htm

Valli, C. and Lucas, C. (2000). Linguistics of American Sign Language.
     Washington, DC:  Gallaudet University Press.

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