Adverbial Morphemes in Tactile ASL - Gallaudet University

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PDE – Steven D. Collins Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations This study has demonstrated that grammatical variation exists between visual ASL and Tactile ASL. It has, for a long time, been recognized that non-manual signals are a significant component of a full and rich communication in ASL. It has been demonstrated here that a specific class of Deaf-Blind individuals, those with Usher’s Syndrome Type I, compensate for their inability to observe these non-manual signals with a system of specific and consistent variations in their use of Tactile ASL. Non-manual signals are important in all areas of ASL structure including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse. For example, in morphological structure the signals can have independent meaning and may attach to a variety of signs. The mouth configuration glossed as “MM” has the meaning of regularity or normalness and can be produced with many different verbs such as drive, study, read, and walk. A different mouth configuration glossed as “TH” can be used with these same verbs, and many others, and carry a meaning of carelessness. Non-manual signals are, similarly, important for ASL discourse, that is, at the level of language above the individual sentence either in a one-way communication such as a speech or lecture, or in a two-way conversation where they play an important part in turn-taking or topic control. The subjects of my research, Deaf-Blind individuals with Usher’s Syndrome Type I, were selected because persons in this group almost always begin in early life as Deaf and sighted and then, later in life, the onset of blindness occurs often leaving them completely blind by mid-life. As a consequence of this factor, these individuals are skilled at visual ASL and are familiar with the non-manual signals that are a part of their language. This provides a basis for them to compensate for the non-manual signals with a system of “tactile non-manual signals” as they lose their ability to observe the visual non-manual signals. Through this adaptive pattern, the subjects in this study are quite capable of a full conversation and are able to understand each other very well in spite of the fact that they no longer can observe the non-manual signals. In this study, I focused on the non-manual signals associated with six types of adverbs used in everyday conversation: 71
PDE – Steven D. Collins Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Adverbs of manner or degree Adverbs of time Adverbs of frequency Adverbs of duration Adverbs of location or position Adverbs of purpose, place, or direction The transcripts of an extended conversation between two subjects were analyzed in detail and each adverb phrase in one of the above categories was compared to the way a visual ASL signer would sign the sequence and the way the subjects of the study altered the language to compensate for the lack of non-manual signals. In order to collect the data, a carefully controlled setup of five video cameras was used to capture each and every handshape, motion and nuance of the signing technique. This extensive detail was then captured in the transcripts of the conversation. Analysis depended both on the written transcripts and the actual videotape footage of the conversation. The findings from the analysis were significant in that they demonstrated that in almost all cases, the Tactile ASL signers had a specific and consistent system of compensations for each of the categories of adverbs observed. This is clear evidence of sociolinguistic variation. For example, in the case of adverbs of manner or degree, there is a specific pattern of extra movement of the signing hand with a marked tenseness of the hand and finger muscles. This motion and tenseness does not occur in the same sign produced by a visual ASL signer. In adverbs of time and frequency as used in TASL shows that there is a pattern of making a sign clear by the insertion of an additional word or repeating a word as a compensation for the nonmanual signal. As a result of many years of experience with working with Deaf-Blind persons, this researcher has set out to formulate and demonstrate the validity of a theory of a system of nonmanual signals transposed into Tactile ASL communication. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the effectiveness of communication for people who want to work with persons in the Deaf-Blind community, especially with those who have Usher’s Syndrome Type I. It is my 72
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ADVERBIAL MORPHEMES IN TACTILE AMER
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Adverbial Morphemes in Tactile ASL - Gallaudet University

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