Adverbial Morphemes in Tactile ASL - Gallaudet University

PDE – Steven D. Collins
Methods
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A variety of data collection methods were considered prior to the pilot. One option was to
use the taping method used in the 1998 pilot study but would change the environment: the
taping would occur during a social event with naturally occurring conversations. However, this
option has three possible drawbacks. The first is related to respect for the privacy of individuals.
It would not be ethical to videotape persons in signed conversation when they are unaware of the
taping activity. This would be particularly true for deaf-blind persons since they would very
likely be totally unaware of the cameras. The second drawback is the likelihood that the
conversation might not contain the type of desired data. A third drawback is that multiple
cameras would be needed in order to capture unobstructed views necessary for the analysis.
The final controlled session, as developed from the pilot, was unique in that the learner
was able to obtain the individual subjects’ permission and they were aware of the videotaping.
In this manner, the privacy of the individuals was maintained. During the videotaping session,
the subjects occasionally lapsed into conversation that, in fact, did discuss information of a
private nature. The goal of the data collection effort relates primarily to capturing certain
formational aspects of the conversation and not to the actual content of the conversation.
Consequently, the full videotape session will be kept confidential and only short pertinent video
clips showing the desired results will be released as part of the study. In addition to providing
the above-mentioned controls to insure privacy, the subjects were given the suggested topics for
their conversation. However, the subjects were not informed of the specific observations that
were being made. In this way, they would not be predisposed to any of the target structures.
The duration of the sessions were approximately 50 minutes of conversation followed by
an opportunity for the researcher to interview the subjects to collect the information on the
questionnaire.
Once the videotaped sessions were completed, the entire piece of discourse was
transcribed into a glossed format. The transcript, in conjunction with video footage, was then
analyzed to determine whether or not any assimilations or adaptations occurred with regard to
the adverbials under study. The pool of adverbial expressions was then classified according to
function. The transcription of the full conversation session shows the features and functions of
the adverbials in tactile sign language. The full transcription is provided in Appendix D.
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