Single-parameter and parameter combination errors in L2 productions of Swiss German Sign Language

This article presents a study of errors committed by hearing adult L2 learners of Swiss German Sign Language (Deutschschweizerische Gebärdensprache, DSGS). As part of a statistical analysis of single-parameter errors, movement was found to be the parameter most susceptible to errors, followed by location, orientation, and handshape. An analysis of production errors with respect to combinations of manual parameters was also conducted, something that previously has not been undertaken. The parameter combination most frequently involved in errors was movement with location. Possible aspects contributing to the higher error rate for movement are suggested, among which are the inherent complexity of the movement parameter. Finally, the article discusses factors influencing the judging of errors.

A Head Movement Approach to Talmy’s Typology

We propose that the well-known verb-framed/satellite-framed variation observed by Talmy ( 1975 , 1985 , 2000 ) is a true syntactic parameter of a well-understood type: a head movement parameter. We claim that it depends on an uninterpretable feature bundled with the particular v head used in change-of-state constructions that forces the head of the Res(ult)P complement of v to undergo head movement to v in Italian. The technical apparatus employed is a feature-driven head movement parameter, of the same kind that accounts for the familiar V-to-T or T-to-C movement variation crosslinguistically. We argue that in Talmy’s class of verb-framed languages, head movement of the embedded Res head to change-of-state v is mandatory, just as head movement of v to finite T is mandatory in V-to-T movement languages. Unlike previous proposals, this approach does not ascribe a deficiency to verb-framed languages, either in their semantic composition inventory or in their inventory of structural operations, both deficiencies being prima facie implausible from a biolinguistic/Minimalist perspective.

Phonological substitution errors in L2 ASL sentence processing by hearing M2L2 learners

In the present study we aimed to investigate phonological substitution errors made by hearing second language (M2L2) learners of American Sign Language (ASL) during a sentence translation task. Learners saw sentences in ASL that were signed by either a native signer or a M2L2 learner. Learners were to simply translate the sentence from ASL to English. Learners’ responses were analysed for lexical translation errors that were caused by phonological parameter substitutions. Unlike previous related studies, tracking phonological substitution errors during sentence translation allows for the characterization of uncontrolled and naturalistic perception errors. Results indicated that learners made mostly movement errors followed by handshape and location errors. Learners made more movement errors for sentences signed by the M2L2 learner relative to those by the native signer. Additionally, high proficiency learners made more handshape errors than low proficiency learners. Taken together, this pattern of results suggests that late M2L2 learners are poor at perceiving the movement parameter and M2L2 production variability of the movement parameter negatively contributes to perception.

Pattern Recognition of Overhead Forehand and Backhand in Badminton Based on the Sign of Local Euler Angle

<p>Studying the badminton skill based on the arm movement is a challenge since the limitation of the sensor such as camera to record the movement parameter. This study proposed a new method to determine the pattern of arm movement for forehand and backhand strokes in badminton based on the sign of the local Euler angle gradient from four points of right arm segments. Each segments was identified by motion sensor attached to the dorsal surface of the hand (sensor 1), wrist (sensor 2), elbow (sensor 3) and shoulder (sensor 4). Three certified coaches participated in this research to determine the arm movement patterns for forehand and backhand strokes. Skills in forehand and backhand strokes from eight professional players and eight amateur players were observed to determint the pattern. The resulst showed that the local Euler angle can be used to recognize the arm movement pattern. Based on the observed patterns, the professional players had a higher similarity to the coaches’ patterns than those amateur players to the coaches’.</p>