This longitudinal pilot study examined the pointing behavior of two Israeli Deaf mothers and one hearing mother over the course of their infant's signed/spoken language acquisition. Three aspects were analyzed: (a) frequency of use; (b) function; and (c) pointing form. The findings indicated that the Deaf mothers used pointing more frequently than…

This article argues that poetry written by nineteenth-century British and American deaf poets played an important role in the period's sign language debates. By placing the publication of this poetry in the context of public exhibitions of deaf students, I suggest that the poetry was mobilized to publicly defend the linguistic and intellectual…

A survey indicated that out of 1,888 teachers of hearing-impaired students, 140 use American Sign Language (ASL) in their classrooms. Further investigation reduced this number to 25 who actually use ASL and 6 who probably do. (Author/CB)

Describes systematic communication systems developed by two deaf children of hearing parents who were placed in an oral education program at the time their deafness was diagnosed. Children did not have access to spoken or signed language model. Evidence shows children develop a communication system based on inconsistently used gestures of hearing…

Videotaped interaction of six infants, some deaf and some hearing, shows comparable stages and sequences of communicative development; the use of performative gestures or single vocalizations; use of referential gestures; combination of signs, gestures, and words; and signs combined with signs or words with words. (MSE)

Proposes the use of semantic phonology, a simple method of sign phonology. Semantic phonology invites one to look at a sign--a word of a primary sign language--as a marriage of noun and verb. (GLR)

Explores the process of language acquisition, including such aspects as pre-language, speaking and signing, and cultural influences, focusing on the resulting language acquisition differences and needs of children whose language ability and medium do not correspond with those of their family. (CB)

Discusses factors that have delayed the development of basic research on both sign language and the deaf community in South Africa and presents findings of a study conducted to determine effective sign language communication between deaf and hearing signers in South Africa, the SimCom project. (14 references) (GLR)

This article investigates the ways in which an experienced deaf teacher is able to extend the discourse in his classroom and enable his students to participate. We saw that he employs several approaches, some but not all of which depend on his native competence in ASL. Further research with other native signing teachers could lead to the…

The article elaborates on the assumption that since sign languages are received and initially processed by the visual system, then the rules for the formation of signs of a sign language would be constrained by the limits of the visual system. (Author/NCR)

In a study of sign language interpretive skills, data provided evidence of a definite relationship between lag time and miscue occurrence. As the degree of temporal synchrony between the sign language message and the target language interpretation increased, so did the frequency of miscues. (CB)

Systematic sampling was done of signing between five home-reared chimpanzees who had had 4-7 years of complete immersion in integrating their signing interaction into their nonverbal communication. Eight-eight percent of all signs reported fell into the social categories of reassurance, social interaction, and play. (SL)

Native signs used as basic kin terms in 20 sign languages from several sign language families are examined. (Author/NCR)

Attempts to prove that users of American Sign Language (ASL) do perform within a closed system of manual and nonmanual sign production features (phonemes and distinctive features). Deaf signers are quite capable of creating nonsense words as well as communicating with signers of other languages through pantomime and other paralinguistic features.…

Studies the attitudes toward deaf society of two new deaf Gallaudet students who had been raised in an "oralist" tradition with biases against deaf culture. Their attitudes are compared with those of a deaf graduate oralist who had become acculturated into the deaf community. (PJM)