Constructed Action in American Sign Language

A Look at Second Language Learners in a Second Modality

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5901104
AutoresKim B Kurz (0000-0002-5175-5046, Rochester Institute of Technology, autor correspondente), Kellie Mullaney (Rochester Institute of Technology), Corrine Occhino (0000-0002-4459-5937, Rochester Institute of Technology)
Ano2019
Volume4
Fascículo4
Páginas90
Data de publicação2019-11-12
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoLanguages (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages4040090
OpenAlexW2984480831
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas28

Constructed action is a cover term used in signed language linguistics to describe multi-functional constructions which encode perspective-taking and viewpoint. Within constructed action, viewpoint constructions serve to create discourse coherence by allowing signers to share perspectives and psychological states. Character, observer, and blended viewpoint constructions have been well documented in signed language literature in Deaf signers. However, little is known about hearing second language learners' use of constructed action or about the acquisition and use of viewpoint constructions. We investigate the acquisition of viewpoint constructions in 11 college students acquiring American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language in a second modality (M2L2). Participants viewed video clips from the cartoon Canary Row and were asked to "retell the story as if you were telling it to a deaf friend". We analyzed the signed narratives for time spent in character, observer, and blended viewpoints. Our results show that despite predictions of an overall increase in use of all types of viewpoint constructions, students varied in their time spent in observer and character viewpoints, while blended viewpoint was rarely observed. We frame our preliminary findings within the context of M2L2 learning, briefly discussing how gestural strategies used in multimodal speech-gesture constructions may influence learning trajectories

Action (physics · American Sign Language · Art · Character (mathematics · Gesture · Linguistics · Modality (human–computer interaction · Narrative · Sign language · Viewpoints · Computer Science · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Mathematics · Psychology · Artificial Intelligence