[sw-l] BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA, Volume 1

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
October 5, 2004

A MESSAGE FROM FERNANDO CAPOVILLA IN BRAZIL:

Dear Valerie and colleagues.
I am delighted to bring you some great news:
The Volume 1 (EDUCATION) of the BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA 
has just
been released. It is divided into 2 parts. The first one (pages 1-300) 
describes all Libras
signs pertaining to Education (along with the SW rendition of each 
one). The
second one (pages 301- 678) describes a comprehensive standartization 
study in
which 1.158 Brazilian deaf students (aged 6-45, from 6 elementary 
schools) were
assessed in a thorough battery made of 11 language development tests. 
Volume 1
maps the development of signing, reading, and spelling skills from 1st 
to 11th
grade. In addition to that, volume 1 describes all the 11 tests along 
with
standartization and cross-validation data. Now, thanks to that, we are 
finally capable of assessing the impact of different
teaching methods and materials (including SW, of course!) on the 
development of
signing, reading, and spelling skills! Valerie has given us the honor 
of having her Foreword published in Volumes 1, 2
and 3. Volume 1 has just been released. Volumes 2 and 3 are in print.
Today I have just finished Volume 4 (1,100 pages), in which I analyze 
the
sublexical structure of Libras signs at a morphemic level. I have 
identified 30
out of the main  metaphorical morphemes of Libras, as well as almost 
1,000 signs
in which they take part. Volume 4 is going to print next week and shall 
be
released by the University of Sao Paulo Press within the next 2 months.
Each of the 11 tests has been perfected and the new perfected versions 
are being
used to assess a population of 8,000 deaf students over the entire 
Brazilian
territory. I already have assessed 3,500 students. As soon as I reach 
8,000 in
all states I shall gather the data and publish a new edition of the just
released Libras Encyclopedia. There is a very promising future ahead 
for Brazilian deaf. And SW is a nice part
of it. Cheers.

Fernando Capovilla, Ph.D.
Professor University of Sao Paulo
capovilla at usp.br

PS1: I have donated all the rights to fund research and development to 
the
benefit of the deaf.
PS2: attached, please find directions (publisher´s e-mail and homepage) 
on how
to order your volume 1, in case you may be interested.


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