 11:5
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bump! Bump! Jump! Jump!
A New Primer Helps Beginning Readers Improve
Their
Comprehension of Both English and American Sign Language
Written by renowned linguistics professor and author Donna Jo Napoli and
certified interpreter Doreen DeLuca,
Handy Stories
to Read and Sign takes a fun, illustrated approach to help beginning
readers, deaf and hearing, improve their comprehension of both English and
American Sign Language (ASL).
Each of the five stories presented takes place in a different month of the
school year, September through January, which helps children build on real-life
experiences. The stories increase in complexity as the child’s vocabulary and
reading skills grow during the school year. The first story, for example, is
told entirely in single-word sentences, prompting new readers to use rhymes and
rhythm to memorize it until they can match the words they hear or the signs they
see with the words printed on the page. The last story contains several
complete sentences. A new reader, therefore, can focus on the act of reading and
on building recognition skills before having to learn how written English is
different from ASL or any other language. In this way, the stories are organized
to welcome all new readers of English, regardless of their native language.
Also available is the
Handy Stories to Read and Sign Companion DVD. The
DVD features Adrian Blue, a native ASL-signer and accomplished actor, signing
each story exactly as depicted in the textbook. The 30-minute DVD also displays
the full text of each story. After Blue’s performances, student Janiah Mitchell
signs all of the stories again in a more personal interpretation, showing that
there are many ways to render these delightful tales in ASL. The Handy
Stories DVD is an indispensable aide to learning and reading English and ASL
for all students!
Reserve your copies of
Handy Stories to Read and Sign and the
Handy Stories DVD
today, and receive a savings of 20% off with your exclusive subscriber discount.
When ordering online, type “MAY2009”
in the box labeled “use promo code” located next to the “checkout” button. You
may also order by
mail.
 As
noted by editors Debra Russell and Sandra Hale,
Interpreting
in Legal Settings, the fourth volume in the
Studies in
Interpretation series, “endeavors to bring [forth] evidence-based practices from
both signed and spoken language interpreter
researchers with a particular focus on the work that occurs in legal
settings.” Library Bookwatch, the library newsletter of The Midwest
Book Review, commends this
collection:
“How does one who cannot hear, or cannot speak, represent themselves in a legal
procedure? Interpreting in Legal Settings is a legal exploration of the
rights of the deaf, in procedures where they must use an interpreter to
speak to lawyers, judges, jury, and other officials. Ethics play a big part in
this world, and authors Debra Russell and Sandra Hale, both professors in
studies of deafness in their respective schools, draw into established legal
cases for examples of well-handled and improperly handled situations with
deaf plaintiffs and defendants. Interpreting in Legal Settings is a
must-read for both those in the avenues of law and those dealing with deaf people.” Read chapter two,
Interpreting in Asylum Appeal Hearings:
Roles and Norms Revisited, and
order
Interpreting in Legal Settings.
 Language
and the Law in Deaf Communities, edited by Ceil Lucas, garnered the following acclaim from the
The Sign Language Translator and Interpreter in a recent review: “This
volume attempts to untangle the complicated web of language used in legal
settings that so often poses a perilous barrier to the Deaf Community and other
minority language users. Chapter One introduces a fascinating insight into the
world of forensic linguistics [and] draws to a close appropriately with the contribution of
George Castelle who is no stranger to human rights and the exposure of injustice.” Read the complete review
here.
The ninth volume in the
Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities series, Language and the Law
spotlights the field of forensic linguistics and reveals how deaf people who use
American Sign Language are at a distinct disadvantage in legal situations. Read
more about these difficult experiences in chapter two,
“Trampling Miranda:
Interrogating Deaf Suspects,” and
order
Language and the Law.
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