Symmetry in Sign Language Poetry
This paper considers the range of ways that sign languages use geometric
symmetry temporally and spatially to create poetic effect. Poets use this
symmetry in sign language art to highlight duality and thematic contrast, and to
create symbolic representations of beauty, order and harmony.
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Sociolinguistic Variation in the Use
of Fingerspelling in Australian Sign Language: A Pilot Study
This article presents the results from a preliminary investigation into the use
of fingerspelling in Australian Sign Language (Auslan), drawing on data
collected as part of the Sociolinguistic Variation in Australian Sign Language
project (Schembri and Johnston 2004; Schembri, Johnston, and Goswell in press).
This major project is a replication in the Australian deaf community of
quantitative investigations into variation in American Sign Language (ASL)
conducted by Lucas, Bayley, and Valli (2001). In this specific study, we
consider variation in the use of the two-handed manual alphabet in Auslan, based
on an analysis of 2,667 utterances collected from 205 deaf signers of Auslan in
five sites across Australia (i.e., Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and
Adelaide). The results indicate that the variation in the frequency of
fingerspelling use most strongly correlates with signers� age, but may also vary
according to region, as has also been reported for British Sign Language (BSL)
(Sutton-Spence, Woll, and Allsop 1990).
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