Linguistics of American Sign Language

An introduction to the linguistics of American Sign Language (ASL). Students will be introduced to linguistic theories in general, and of sign languages in particular. It aims to introduce basic concepts involved in the study of the ASL phonology, morphology, morphosyntax, non-manual expressions, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. ASL will be analyzed from a cross-linguistic and cross-modal point of view. Attention will be focused on how sign language phonology interacts with the perceptual and production system involved in the visual-gestural modality on the one hand, and other areas of grammar such as morphology and syntax on the other. Focus will be given to how the morphological structure of sign languages is shaped and influenced by their modality-specific features, such as the use of space, availability of paired manual articulators, as well as the simultaneous layering of non-manual signals with the manual ones. Major inflections and derivations, and other aspects in ASL such as basic word order, sentence types, constituent order in simple and complex clauses, interrogatives, fronting, negation and confirmation, will also be discussed and compared with those of other selected sign and spoken languages. The students will perform linguistic analysis of ASL including individual signs, sign utterances and sign discourses to develop the skills to identify and code ASL linguistic categories and levels. The course will not satisfy the foreign language requirement.

Fall, Spring

034030