NRA
LNGN 451 Syllabus
Fall 2014
LINGUISTICS 451:
STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
(Last Updated: 9/21/14)
INSTRUCTOR: Natasha Abner
EMAIL: [email protected]
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesdays 3:30-5pm & Thursdays 9:30-11am
COURSE MEETING TIME & PLACE
Tuesdays & Thursdays Schmitt Hall
1:-00-2:15pm
204
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course approaches American Sign Language (ASL) from a
linguistic perspective. Students will explore how their previous knowledge of linguistics (e.g.,
phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics) applies to a signed language as well as aspects of
language structure that are specific to signed languages, such as the use of space for
grammatical purposes. The course will also discuss acquisition, psycholinguistic, and
sociolinguistic aspects of signed languages such as American Sign Language. Students will also
be introduced to variation across signed languages by comparing American Sign Language to
other established and developing signed languages. Knowledge of American Sign Language is
not required. LNGN 210 (or equivalent) is a prerequisite.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Valli, Lucas, Mulrooney, Villanueva. Linguistics of American Sign Language. 5th Edition.
(Used w/o DVD is acceptable but discouraged for students of ASL.)
Please note that this textbook also includes supplementary readings in general linguistics,
should you feel that you need that at anytime during the course.
COURSE WEBSITE: The course website will be located through the Montclair State University
Canvas system. This website will host any and all additional materials for the course, including
readings and assignments – you are encouraged to visit it frequently.
OFFICE HOURS: If you cannot come to my regularly scheduled office hours, please e-mail me
to set up another time. If you plan to come during regular office hours, you do not need to
make an appointment or send me an e-mail – the idea behind office hours is that they are a
walk-in sort of thing. Office hours are intended for you to have an opportunity to talk to me
about anything related to the class or linguistics in general. Don’t feel that you need to have a
particular issue in mind when stopping by; just developing a habit of talking with your
instructors will benefit you!
COURSE QUESTIONS & COMMUNICATION: If you have any questions about the content of this
course, they will only be answered in person (class, office hours, meetings) or on the course
website discussion forum. Questions about course content will not be answered over e-mail.
Your classmates may have the same or similar questions and this allows everyone to benefit
from the discussion of these questions.
GRADING RUBRICS, FEEDBACK & ANSWER KEYS: Rubrics and point values will be clearly
stated on individual assignments. Written feedback on assignments may be minimal and
answer keys will be made available in person for each assignment. For more extensive feedback
on an assignment, please see me.
NRA
LNGN 451 Syllabus
Fall 2014
COURSE GRADES: Course grades will be determined as outlined below. Deviations from this
grading scheme are at the discretion of the instructor.
Participation:
Homeworks:
Final Paper (Proposal, Annotated Bibliography):
Final Paper (Class Presentation):
Final Paper:
10%
40%
15%
10%
25%
PARTICIPATION EXPECTATIONS: Attendance and participation in lecture is a mandatory part
of this course. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the lecture; it is highly suggested
that you come on time lest you be marked absent. Unless other arrangements have been made,
early departures will count as an absence. You are expected to have completed the assigned
reading by the date listed and will likely need to re-visit the reading after lecture and while
completing course assignments.
HOMEWORKS: Homework assignments will be posted by Tuesday and due the following
Tuesday in class. Homework assignments may be graded partially on completion. Students are
encouraged to work together on homework assignments but must turn in written work
individually. When homeworks are assigned, a portion of Thursday’s class will be devoted to
working on the homework assignment. Homework assignments may be cumulative.
Homework assignments may require internet access for multimedia files.
FINAL PAPER: To engage in independent research and think critically about the material, you
will be expected to prepare a final paper comparing the linguistic structure of ASL with that of
another signed language. More information about final papers will be given in Week 11. You
will be required to submit final paper proposals and annotated bibliographies of research
references in Week 13. You will be expected to give a class presentation on your final paper in
Week 15, soliciting feedback and questions from your peers. Feedback on final paper drafts and
outlines will be given through December 16th. Feedback on drafts and outlines is optional, but
encouraged. Final papers are due by 5:00pm, December 18th.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS & MISSED ACTIVITIES: As a general rule, late assignments
will not be accepted and make-ups for missed activities will not be granted. Deviations from
this are at the discretion of the instructor and may require official documentation.
ACCOMMODATIONS: If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a
disability, please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please also be sure to be in
contact with the Disability Resource Center (Webster Hall, Room 100).
A NOTE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS: If you are a graduate student seeking credit for this
course, you will be assigned additional readings and activities throughout the course. You will
also be given a modified rubric for the final paper.
NRA
LNGN 451 Syllabus
Fall 2014
Course Schedule
Week 1
(Subject to change. Please see Canvas for up-to-date syllabus.)
Thurs
9/4
Topics
Background
on Linguistics
and Signed
Languages
Week 2
Phonetics
Tues
9/9
Week 3
Activities
LASL U1, U2
Stokoe, Casterline, & Croneberg, Introduction to A
Dictionary of ASL (LASL p254)
LASL U3, U4, U5, U6
Homework #1
Assigned
Battison, “Signs Have Parts: A Simple Idea” (LASL
p242)
*Stokoe, “Sign Language Structure”
Thurs
9/11
Phonetics,
cont.
Phonology
LASL U7, U8
Homework #1 Due
Liddell & Johnson, “American Sign Language: The
Phonological Base” (LASL p292)
Tues
9/16
*Frishberg, “Arbitrariness and iconicity: Historical
Change in American Sign Language”
Thurs
9/18
Tues
9/23
Week 4
Readings
Daniels, “Nine Ideas About Language”
Phonology,
cont.
Phonology
(Sonority &
Syllable
Structure)
Morphology
Perlmutter, “Sonority and Syllable Structure in
American Sign Language”
*Sandler, “A Sonority Cycle in American Sign
Language”
LASL U9, U10, U11, U12, U13
Klima & Bellugi, “The structured use of space and
movement: Morphological processes”
Thurs
9/25
Week 5
*Fischer, “Two Processes of Reduplication in
American Sign Language”
Morphology,
cont.
Tues
9/30
Homework #2
(Phonology &
Morphology)
Assigned
NRA
Thurs
10/2
LNGN 451 Syllabus
Morphology
(Nominalization)
Week 6
Abner, “Two-for-One Special: Resolving Ambiguity
of Nominalizing Reduplication in American Sign
Language”
*Supalla & Newport, “How Many Seats In A
Chair?”
Syntax
Tues
10/7
LASL U14, U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, U20
Homework #2 Due
Emmorey, “The Confluence of Space and Language
in Signed Languages” (LASL p348)
Homework #3
(Syntax) Assigned
*Benedicto & Brentari, “Where Did All the
Arguments Go? Argument-Changing Properties of
Classifiers in ASL”
Thurs
10/9
Tues
10/14
Week 7
Fall 2014
Syntax, cont.
Syntax
(Verb
Agreement)
Semantics/
Pragmatics
Thurs
10/16
Lillo-Martin & Meier, “On the linguistic status of
agreement in sign languages”
*Padden, “Verb Agreement”
LASL U21, U22
Homework #3 Due
Mid-Course
Evaluations
Zucchi, “Formal Semantics of Sign Languages”
Week 8
*Davidson, “’And’ or ‘or’: General use coordination
in ASL”
Tues
10/21
Thurs
10/23
Semantics/
Pragmatics,
cont.
Semantics/
Pragmatics
(Role Shift)
Week 9
Language
Acquisition
Tues
10/28
Homework #4
(Semantics/Pragm
atics) Assigned
Lillo-Martin, “Utterance reports and constructed
action”
*Dudis, “Body Partitioning and Real-Space Blends”
(LASL p390)
Emmorey, “Sign Language Acquisition”
Emmorey, “The Critical Period Hypothesis and the
Effects of Late Language Acquisition”
*Chen Pichler, “Using early ASL word order to shed
light on word order variability in sign language”
Thurs
10/30
Language
Acquisition,
cont.
Homework #4 Due
NRA
Week 10
Tues
11/4
Thurs
11/6
Week 11
Tues
11/11
LNGN 451 Syllabus
Language
Acquisition
(Non-Manual
Markers)
Language
Emergence &
Evolution
Anderson & Reilly, “The Puzzle of Negation: How
Children Move from Communication to
Grammatical Negation in ASL”
*Reilly & Bellugi, “Competition on the face: affect
and language in ASL motherese”
LASL U23, U24
Fall 2014
Homework #5
(Acquisition,
Language
Evolution)
Assigned
Goldin-Meadow, “Homesign: gesture to language”
*Senghas, Kita, & Ozyurek, “Children Creating
Core Properties of Language: Evidence from an
Emerging Sign Language in Nicaragua”
Language
Emergence &
Evolution
Language
Variation
Homework #5 Due
LASL U23, U24, U25
Final Paper
Instructions Given
Hoopes et al., “Analyzing Variation in Sign
Languages: Theoretical and Methodological Issues”
(LASL P470)
Thurs
11/13
*Lucas and Bayley, “Variation in Sign Languages:
Recent Research on ASL and Beyond”
Week 12
Tues
11/18
Thurs
11/20
Language
Variation
Sign
Language &
the Brain
Emmorey, “Psycholinguistic Studies of Sign
Perception, Online Processing, and Production”
Corina & Spotswood, “Neurolinguistics”
Week 14
Week 13
*Best et al. “Effects of sign language experience on
categorical perception of dynamic ASL
pseudosigns”
Tues
11/25
Tues
12/2
Sign
Language &
the Brain
Sign
Language
Arts
Final Paper
Proposals &
Annotated
Bibliographies Due
LASL U25
Klima & Bellugi, “The Heightened Use of
Language”
*Sutton-Spence, “Poetry”
Homework #6
(Language
Variation, Sign
Language & the
Brain, Sign
Language Arts)
Assigned
NRA
Week 15
Thurs
12/4
Tues
12/9
Thurs
12/11
LNGN 451 Syllabus
FormMeaning
Relationship
in Sign
Language
Fall 2014
Klima & Bellugi, “Iconicity in Signs and Signing”
Wilbur, “The semantics-phonology interface”
*Meir, “Iconicity and metaphor: Constraints on
metaphorical extension of iconic forms”
Final Paper
Presentations
Homework #6 Due
Final Paper
Presentations
Final Paper
Presentations
Final Paper
Presentations
Obligatory Final Meeting
Tuesday, December 16th
3:15-5:15pm
Final Papers Due
Thursday, December 18th
By 5:00pm
* Reading is for graduate students only