Sign Languages Of Aboriginal Australia

Download or read book Sign Languages of Aboriginal Australia written by Adam Kendon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 563 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 1988 book was the first full-length study ever to be published on the subject of sign language as a means of communication among Australian Aborigines. Based on fieldwork conducted over a span of nine years, the volume presents a thorough analysis of the structure of sign languages and their relationship to spoken languages.

Download or read book The Use of Signing Space in a Shared Sign Language of Australia written by Anastasia Bauer and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2014-09-11 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, an Australian Aboriginal sign language used by Indigenous people in the North East Arnhem Land (Northern Territory) is described on the level of spatial grammar. Topics discussed range from properties of individual signs to structure of interrogative and negative sentences. The main interest is the manifestation of signing space - the articulatory space surrounding the signers - for grammatical purposes in Yolngu Sign Language.

Download or read book Australian Sign Language (Auslan) written by Trevor Johnston and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-18 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is first comprehensive introduction to the linguistics of Auslan, the sign language of Australia. Assuming no prior background in language study, it explores each key aspect of the structure of Auslan, providing an accessible overview of its grammar (how sentences are structured), phonology (the building blocks of signs), morphology (the structure of signs), lexicon (vocabulary), semantics (how meaning is created), and discourse (how Auslan is used in context). The authors also discuss a range of myths and misunderstandings about sign languages, provide an insight into the history and development of Auslan, and show how Auslan is related to other sign languages, such as those used in Britain, the USA and New Zealand. Complete with clear illustrations of the signs in use and useful further reading lists, this is an ideal resource for anyone interested in Auslan, as well as those seeking a clear, general introduction to sign language linguistics.

Download or read book The Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages written by Ceil Lucas and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2001-10-04 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an accessible introduction to the major areas of sociolinguistics as they relate to sign languages and deaf communities. Clearly organised, it brings together a team of leading experts in sign linguistics to survey the field, and covers a wide range of topics including variation, multilingualism, bilingualism, language attitudes, discourse analysis, language policy and planning. The book examines how sign languages are distributed around the world; what occurs when they come in contact with spoken and written languages; and how signers use them in a variety of situations. Each chapter introduces the key issues in each area of inquiry and provides a comprehensive review of the literature. The book also includes suggestions for further reading and helpful exercises. The Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages will be welcomed by students in deaf studies, linguistics and interpreter training, as well as spoken language researchers, and researchers and teachers of sign language.

Download or read book The Habitat of Australia's Aboriginal Languages written by Gerhard Leitner and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2008-08-22 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The languages of Aboriginal Australians have attracted a considerable amount of interest among scholars from such diverse fields as linguistics, political studies, archaeology or social history. As a result, there is a large number of studies on a variety of issues to do with Aboriginal Australian languages and the social contexts in which they are used. There is, however, no integrative reader that is easily accessible to the non-specialist in any of the areas concerned. The collection edited by Leitner and Malcolm fills this gap. Looking at Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and their changing habitats from pre-colonial times to the present, the book covers languages from a structural and functional linguistic perspective, moves on to the issue of cultural maintenance and then turns to language policy, planning and the educational and legal dimensions. Among the many themes discussed are: the social and linguistic history of language contact after 1788 (including the Macassans); the demographic base of indigenous languages; traditional indigenous languages; results of language contact such as the modification of traditional languages and the rise of contact languages (pidgins, creoles, esp. Kriol, Torres Strait Creole, and Aboriginal English); the impact of the Aboriginal languages on mainstream Australian English; maintenance, shift, revival and documentation of indigenous and contact languages; language planning; language in education; language in the media; language in the law courts. The contributors are leading experts in their fields. The book can serve as a reader for university courses but also as a state-of-the-art work and resource for specialists like applied linguists or educational planners.

Download or read book The Study of Signed Languages written by William C. Stokoe and published by Gallaudet University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text contains papers that were presented at an October 1999 conference at Gallaudet University in honor of the 80th birthday of William C. Stokoe, one of the most influential language scholars of the 20th century. Twenty-two international specialists contribute 12 chapters on the historical con

Download or read book A Handbook of Aboriginal Languages of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory written by James William Wafer and published by Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Cooperative. This book was released on 2008 with total page 872 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The handbook is a guide to Aboriginal languages, with illustrative vocabularies. It is divided into two parts: the first part, which includes maps, is a survey of the Indigenous languages of NSW and the ACT, giving information about dialects, locations, and resources available for language revitalisation; the second part provides word-lists in practical spelling for 42 distinct language varieties. There is also useful information on contact languages, sign languages and kinship classification, as well as an appendix on placenames. The handbook is a valuable reference and educational resource, useful to Aboriginal people who want to revitalise their language.