scholarly journals Asymmetry and Contrast: Coordination in Sign Language of the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Hartmann ◽  
Roland Pfau ◽  
Iris Legeland
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Parallel Structure ◽  
Coordination Pattern ◽  
Structure Constraint

This paper investigates coordination in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT). We offer an account for a typologically unusual coordination pattern found in this language. We show that the conjuncts of a coordinated structure in NGT may violate a constraint governing coordinated structures in spoken languages, which we refer to as the ‘Parallel Structure Constraint’. The violation consists in asymmetric topicalization to SpecTopP or SpecFocP in the second conjunct of a coordinated structure. We argue that a PSC violation is acceptable in NGT in order to express a contrast across the conjuncts, hence asymmetric reordering in the second conjunct yields the desired strength of marking.

10. In Pursuit of Legal Recognition of the Sign Language of the Netherlands

2019 ◽  
pp. 161-175
Author(s):  
Richard Cokart ◽  
Trude Schermer ◽  
Corrie Tijsseling ◽  
Eva Westerhoff
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Legal Recognition

Frequency distribution and spreading behavior of different types of mouth actions in three sign languages

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onno A. Crasborn ◽  
Els van der Kooij ◽  
Dafydd Waters ◽  
Bencie Woll ◽  
Johanna Mesch
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Spreading Behavior ◽  
British Sign Language ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
British Sign

In this paper, we present a comparative study of mouth actions in three European sign languages: British Sign Language (BSL), Nederlandse Gebarentaal (Sign Language of the Netherlands, NGT), and Swedish Sign Language (SSL). We propose a typology for, and report the frequency distribution of, the different types of mouth actions observed. In accordance with previous studies, we find the three languages remarkably similar — both in the types of mouth actions they use, and in how these mouth actions are distributed. We then describe how mouth actions can extend over more than one manual sign. This spreading of mouth actions is the primary focus of this paper. Based on an analysis of comparable narrative material in the three languages, we demonstrate that the direction as well as the source and goal of spreading may be language-specific.

Tweetaligheid en Alfabetisering Van Doven

1998 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Bob Kolsters
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Educational Method ◽  
Notation System ◽  
Schools For The Deaf ◽  
Metalinguistic Knowledge

Schools for the deaf in the Netherlands are currently looking for ways of converting their current education into bilingual education. The first language of prelingual deaf children in the Netherlands is Sign Language of the Netherlands (SLN); their second language is Dutch. In the first part of the thesis, the bilingual situation of prelingual deaf children is examined with the help of a theoretical framework designed by J. Cummins and a model designed by J. Kurvers. Cummins' theoretical framework takes a thorough look at language development in different bilingual situations. Kurvers' model examines the different ways for bilingual people to obtain literacy. Both theories support the view that in order to stimulate development of the first and the second language, sign language should be the language of instruction in schools for the deaf as well as the language in which prelingual deaf children obtain literacy. Since this implies the use of a notation system for sign language in deaf education, the second part of the thesis deals with the design of a prototype of an educational method that stimulates metalinguistic knowledge with the help of such a notation system.

scholarly journals Signing not (or not): A typological perspective on standard negation in Sign Language of the Netherlands

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marloes Oomen ◽  
Roland Pfau
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Negative Element ◽  
Grammaticality Judgment ◽  
Corpus Data ◽  
Typological Variation

AbstractThe expression of standard negation by means of manual and/or non-manual markers has been described for a considerable number of sign languages. Typological comparisons have revealed an intriguing dichotomy: while some sign languages require a manual negative element in negative clauses (manual-dominant sign languages), in others negation can be realized by a non-manual marker alone (in particular a headshake; non-manual-dominant sign languages). We are here adding data from Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) to the picture, and we demonstrate that NGT belongs to the latter group. Still, detailed comparison suggests that NGT patterns differently from other non-manual-dominant sign languages, thereby improving our understanding of the typological variation in this domain. A novel contribution of the present study is that it is based on naturalistic corpus data, showing more variation than often found in elicitation and grammaticality judgment studies of sign languages, but also presenting new problems of interpretation.

Weak hand holds in two sign languages and two genres

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sáfár ◽  
Vadim Kimmelman
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Genre Analysis ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Modality Effects ◽  
Corpus Data

In this paper, we provide a quantitative analysis of weak hand holds based on corpus data. We include both a cross-linguistic analysis of these holds in narrative data from Russian Sign Language (RSL) and Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), and a language-internal, cross-genre analysis comparing NGT narrative and conversational data. We classified the functions of all holds found in two corpora of RSL and NGT, and analyzed their formal characteristics. We found that holds in RSL and NGT have similar functions. However, holds are significantly more frequent in RSL than in NGT. In addition, we found that the distribution of holds across different functions varies between different genres in NGT. The similarities between RSL and NGT in the domain of holds may be attributed to modality effects. The differences in frequency of holds ask for a language-specific explanation, and we discuss several possible scenarios.

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