What are you teaching in your "sign linguistics" course?

[Albert Bickford]

I think I'd basically agree with this way of using Lucas's text, and that in
fact is how we used it.  So, there's more agreement in our use of the book
than might appear at first glance.

--Albert

Albert Bickford
----- Original Message -----
From: "Grushkin, Donald A" <grushkind at CSUS.EDU>
To: <SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 9:41 AM
Subject: Re: What are you teaching in your "sign linguistics" course?


I reviewed Lucas's Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages.  While I think it is
a good start, I don't think it goes into enough depth as a main text.  There
are not enough supplementary readings reinforcing the concepts discussed,
for example.  Some topics could use much more coverage, but are not given
enough in the book.  There are references to studies which are not explained
in detail and are not accessible to those outside of Gallaudet (one was an
unpublished paper by a student at Gallaudet's linguistics program, I think).
I think it would work best as a text that is teacher-driven (explained and
expanded upon in class), with supplementary readings provided to the
students for a better "handle" on the ideas discussed.

Donald A. Grushkin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor/Coordinator, ASL Program
Eureka Hall Rm. 312 (Campus Zip # 6079)
California State University, Sacramento 95819
(916) 278-6622 Voice; 278-3465 TTY



> -----Original Message-----
> From: For the discussion of linguistics and signed languages.
> [mailto:SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA]On Behalf Of Albert Bickford
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 5:15 PM
> To: SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA
> Subject: Re: What are you teaching in your "sign linguistics" course?
>
>
> I helped teach a set of courses on signed languages a year
> ago.  I don't
> know whether you're planning to include any of the sociolinguistics of
> signed languages in your course, but I found Ceil Lucas's book The
> Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages. (2001, Cambridge
> University Press) to be
> very helpful for the sociolinguistics course. I'll hold off on making
> recommendations about syntax and phonology, as I'm also
> interested in what
> others with more experience than I would recommend. But, I
> feel confident
> enough about Lucas's book to recommend it. It was readable,
> covered a lot of
> ground, drew out similarities and differences with spoken
> languages, and
> worked well as the major text for a 3 semester-hour course.
>
> --Albert
>
> Albert Bickford
>