Search results for "sign language"
showing 10 items of 101 documents
Clausal coordination in Finnish Sign Language
2016
This paper deals with the coordination of clauses in Finnish Sign Language (FinSL). Building on conversational data, the paper first shows that linking in conjunctive coordination in FinSL is primarily asyndetic, whereas in adversative and disjunctive coordination FinSL prefers syndetic linking. Secondly, the paper investigates the nonmanual prosody of coordination: nonmanual activity is shown both to mark the juncture of the coordinand clauses and to draw their contours. Finally, the paper addresses certain forms of clausal coordination in FinSL that are sign language-specific. It is suggested that the sign language-specific properties of coordination are caused both by the fact that signe…
The more you move, the more action you construct : a motion capture study on head and upper-torso movements in constructed action in Finnish Sign Lan…
2020
Abstract This paper investigates, with the help of motion capture data processed on corpus principles, the characteristics of head and upper-torso movements in constructed action and regular narration (i.e., signing without constructed action) in FinSL. Specifically, the paper evaluates the validity of two arguments concerning constructed action: that constructed action forms a continuum with regular narration, and that constructed action divides into three subtypes (i.e., overt, reduced, and subtle). The results presented in the paper support the first argument but not directly the second one. Because of the ambiguous position of reduced constructed action in between subtle and overt const…
Ohjaava opetuskeskustelu suomalaisella viittomakielellä : tapaustutkimus kuuron oppilaan matematiikan opetuksesta
2014
Suomalaisen viittomakielen pro gradu –työssäni tarkastelen kuuron oppilaan viittomakielistä opetusta vuorovaikutuksen näkökulmasta. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu kahdesta matematiikan yksilöopetustunnista. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on ollut selvittää, millaisia muotoja ohjaava opetuskeskustelu saa kuuron oppilaan suomalaisella viittomakielellä toteutetussa opetuksessa. Tapaustutkimuksen kautta yksilöidään ja luokitellaan myös viittomakielisen ohjaavan opetuskeskustelun osatekijöitä. Tutkimusaineiston analyysi perustuu Vygotskyn (1978) sosiokulttuuriseen teoriaan ja siihen liittyviin käsitteisiin oppimisen oikea-aikainen tukeminen ja lähikehityksen vyöhyke. Videotaltiointien analy…
Finnish Sign Language
2019
This chapter discusses ellipsis in Finnish Sign Language (FinSL). First, in order to provide a necessary background for the discussion, an overview is given of both the basic grammar of FinSL (Section 2) and the larger role ellipsis plays in FinSL (Section 3). After this (Sections 4–6), several elliptical phenomena discussed in this book (nominal ellipses, conjunction reduction, VP-ellipsis, sluicing, gapping, stripping, and fragment answers) are introduced and described for FinSL, together with other elision phenomena (e.g. argument ellipsis, also known as pro drop). Not all the phenomena can be discussed in equal depth, nor can all the phenomena presented in the book be addressed, because…
Interpreter-mediated Interactions: Parent Participation in Individualized Education Plan Meetings for Deaf Students from Multilingual Homes
2020
This paper examines the ways in which parents of multilingual deaf children (are able to) participate in annual individualized education plan (IEP) meetings mediated by both signed and spoken langu...
First language acquisition in deaf children : with a special focus on the Norwegian educational system
2011
Masteroppgave i engelsk- Universitetet i Agder 2011
Sign Languages Recognition Based on Neural Network Architecture
2017
In the last years, many steps forward have been made in speech and natural languages recognition and were developed many virtual assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Google Now and Microsoft Cortana. Unfortunately, not everyone can use voice to communicate to other people and digital devices. Our system is a first step for extending the possibility of using virtual assistants to speech impaired people by providing an artificial sign languages recognition based on neural network architecture.
Signs and transitions: Do they differ phonetically and does it matter?
2013
The point of departure of this article is the cluster of three pre-theoretical presuppositions (P) governing modern research on sign languages: (1) that a stream of signing consists of signs (S) and transitions (T), (2) that only Ss are linguistically relevant units, and (3) that there is a qualitative (e.g., phonetic) difference between Ss and Ts. Of these, the article focuses on the relatively untested P3, which is used to back up P1 and P2, and investigates the velocity and acceleration properties of Ss and Ts on the basis of continuous motion-capture data from Finnish Sign Language. The main finding of the study is that the speed of Ss is slower (and varies less) than that of Ts but tha…
Head movements in Finnish Sign Language on the basis of Motion Capture data
2015
This paper reports a study of the forms and functions of head movements produced in the dimension of depth in Finnish Sign Language (FinSL). Specifically, the paper describes and analyzes the phonetic forms and prosodic, grammatical, communicative, and textual functions of nods, head thrusts, nodding, and head pulls occurring in FinSL data consisting of a continuous dialogue recorded with motion capture technology. The analysis yields a novel classification of the kinematic characteristics and functional properties of the four types of head movement. However, it also reveals that there is no perfect correspondence between form and function in the head movements investigated.
Raising the Profile of Sign Language Teachers in Finland
2016
Sign language teaching in Finland has a long history. In contrast, sign language teacher training programs and research into the sign languages of Finland both know a short history. Due to this contrast, the field of sign language teaching nowadays can be seen as the ‘Wild West’. Till today, teachers from different backgrounds do teach sign language. We do not have a clear picture of what knowledge or competencies are expected from these teachers. In this article we would like to share our opinions about what the profile of a sign language teacher could look like in order to raise and advance the discussion and improve the quality of sign language teaching in Finland. nonPeerReviewed