Sign Languages : Structures and Contexts

Sign Languages: Structures and Contexts provides a succinct summary of major findings in the linguistic study of natural sign languages. Focusing on American Sign Language (ASL), this book:

• offers a comprehensive introduction to the basic grammatical components of phonology, morphology, and syntax with examples and illustrations;
• demonstrates how sign languages are acquired by Deaf children with varying degrees of input during early development, including no input where children create a language of their own;
• discusses the contexts of sign languages, including how different varieties are formed and used, attitudes towards sign languages, and how language planning affects language use;
• is accompanied by e-resources, which host links to video clips.

Offering an engaging and accessible introduction to sign languages, this book is essential reading for students studying this topic for the first time with little or no background in linguistics.

Joseph C. Hill is Assistant Professor in the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education at the National Technical Institutes for the Deaf in Rochester Institute of Technology, USA.

Diane C. Lillo-Martin is Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the University of Connecticut and a Senior Research Scientist at Haskins Laboratories, USA.

Sandra K. Wood is Assistant Professor of Linguistics and ASL Program Coordinator at the University of Southern Maine, USA.