Japanese Sign Language (JSL) is currently in a state of transition as various elements within and outside the Deaf community contest the creation of new terms. Represented by the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, the older generation is creating new words in order to compete with the national public television service while at the same time fending…

This comment attempts to identify different "semiotic perspectives" proposed by the authors of this special issue according to the problems they discuss. These problems can be distinguished as problems concerning the representation of mathematical knowledge, the definition and objectivity of meaning, epistemological questions of learning and…

This paper explores discourse features of Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and the need for sign language interpreting students to acquire an understanding of, and skills in, a range of discourse genres in Auslan in order to effectively carry out the work required in their profession. Discourse features of spoken English are outlined and compared…

This longitudinal study looked at how communication developed in seven deaf infants (ages 6-18 months) with either deaf or hearing parents. The children were video- recorded in interactional settings with their parents in their home every second month. A parallel study was conducted with seven blind infants and three severely visually impaired…

The study assessed the use of Blissymbols in the spoken and signed language development of 10 school-aged (mean age 11.5 years) children with developmental dysphasia of whom four also were mildly retarded. The students' expressive abilities in signed and spoken words were initially assessed before the Bliss teaching began, and then again after 1…

The author discusses the difference between the use of a sign language (which has its own lexico-semantic, syntactic, and expressive rules) and the use of signs as codes representing English in various ways; he urges use of sign language to provide early natural language experience for deaf children. (Author/LS)

In a 6 weeks' unit on traffic education using flannel graphs, filmstrips and models, 12 special class students (IQ 55-82) ages 7- to 11-years-old learned six basic skills including crossing a road, obeying traffic lights and walking on country roads. (CL)

A study compared the performance of congenitally deaf signers (N=39) and hearing individuals (N=39) on a bilateral tachistoscopic task. Subjects were exposed to pretested linguistic and nonlinguistic stimuli during the task. Analysis of response time indicated that deaf subjects were slower to respond than were hearing subjects across all…

The study assessed parent-child interactions of five normal hearing children and five hearing-impaired children, aged 3-5. The mothers and fathers were administered the Mother-Child Relationship Evaluation (MCRE) to evaluate parental attitudes. Each parent and child participated in a 10-minute interactive play activity. The child's language level…

Presented are 22 papers given at a 1975 symposium on language and communication research problems with the deaf. Major papers have the following titles and authors: "Manual English--What We Know and What We'd Like to Know" (G. Gustason); "Communication with Foreign Deaf Signers--Attitudes, Experiences, and Observations" (R. Battison and K.…

This paper examines historical processes in American Sign Language (ASL) and shows that there is a tendency for signs to change in the direction of arbitrariness, rather than maintaining a level of iconicity. Changes at the formational level are seen as contributing to language-internal consistency, at the expense of transparency. (Author/CLK)

Intended for speech and language pathologists, teachers, and others, the book serves as an introduction to the use of total communication with autistic and other severely impaired populations. A brief introduction addresses sign language adaptation, criteria for choosing a core vocabulary, and a hierarchy of receptive and expressive skills.…

Emphasizing the importance of the development and maintenance of a system of signs to make the library patron aware that a reliable pattern of information exists within the library, this report includes a selection of statements excerpted from Sign Systems for Libraries, a collection of papers on visual guidance systems in various types of…

Illustrations depict 465 new manual signs for use in high school and college instruction of deaf students. The signs represent words or phrases, usually made up of many letters, which are important to the following subject matters; sciences and mathematics (general terms), biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, psychology, humanities (general…