ENGL300-1: Emilie Russell
ENGL300-2: Rebecca Borowiak for extra credit
Due by class time on: Friday, Sept. 30th, 2011
The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Monday, Oct. 3rd, 2011
The text you need to read is here.
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by Emilie Russell:
In this article, the author opens up by explaining what ASL is. ASL is "a visual-gestural language which incorporates facial grammatical markers, physical affect markers, spatial linguistic information and fingerspelling, as well as signs made with the hands. In ASL, grammar means how a language works or its system of use. The author talks about how many people cannot cite grammatical details where their native language is concerned yet are fluent users of it. The article then talks about how a child acquires fluency through exposure and use. The child needs constant exposure and immersion. They don’t learn how to speak through academics but instead, they learn naturally.
In this article, the author demonstrates the importance of grammar and its use. The grammar of a language is its infrastructure, without grammar, language is reduced to simply words that cannot extend meaning. Linguistics does not consider a string of vocabulary to be a true language if no distinct and consistent rules are in place. This is true for ASL as well.
ASL differs from verbal communication because signs, in accordance with their individual functions, work together to form a phrase or sentence. Sentences, in accordance with their functions, work together to form paragraphs, and so on. The author goes on to explain the ASL parts of speech which include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. ASL does not use passive voice and there are no articles expressed. ASL uses the same tense, subject, predicate, object, and particle as verbal communication.
I agree with the way this article talks about grammar. Grammar is the skeleton of any language; without grammar a language can't work. I've never thought about grammar in ASL. ASL has always been very interesting to me and although I have never studied it, I love to watch it. The grammar aspect of ASL is very interesting. To think that there are no articles in ASL and a different word order seem puzzling. These things in ASL defiantly make for a "syntactic chaos" for first time students (as the article says). From reading this article, it seems that being an ASL interpreter is a lot more intricate than I thought it would be. I think it's good to be aware of grammar in ASL because that awareness helps me better appreciate English grammar.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit my ignorance about ASL, as I had no idea that there was no passive voice--though I can see how that makes sense. I also had no idea about the complex grammar that ASL uses--and how different it is from American English. I think it's very strange to not have articles, though I imagine that if articles were to be employed when using sign language, it would cause a whole lot of confusion. It is fascinating to think that the physicality in the nature of sign language has probably dictated certain aspects of the grammatical structure.
ReplyDeleteI know very little of ASL, the only thing I how to spell my name that's about it. The article taught me a lot about ASL that I did not know. Like all the tenses and how close the person's hands to their body. I also did not know there was a whole different word order than people who don't use ASL.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article and the way it talks about grammar. There wouldn’t be a language without grammar. Even in sign language, grammar is important. ASL is just as important as any other language and the grammar is just as important also. Sign language has always been interesting because of how complex it seems and from reading this article it seems the ASL interpreters seem to have a difficult but fulfilling job in doing what they do.
ReplyDeleteGrammar is the heart of all languages. Without structuring instructions, which grammar provides, languages wouldn’t be teachable. I've never thought about using grammar in American Sign Language, however, the grammar aspect of ASL is very interesting. To think that there are no articles in ASL and a different word order seem puzzling. ASL may cause “syntactic chaos" for students using Sign language for the first time (as the article says).Signs work together to form a sentence or idea just like words work together to form a sentence or paragraph. It surprised me to know that ASL does not use a passive voice. Things must be express which seems almost as tough as sentence diagramming. I hope to learn sign language one day and the information from this article will be useful.
ReplyDeleteGrammar is the heart of all languages. Without structuring instructions, which grammar provides, languages wouldn’t be teachable. I've never thought about using grammar in American Sign Language, however, the grammar aspect of ASL is very interesting. To think that there are no articles in ASL and a different word order seem puzzling. ASL may cause “syntactic chaos" for students using Sign language for the first time (as the article says).Signs work together to form a sentence or idea just like words work together to form a sentence or paragraph. It surprised me to know that ASL does not use a passive voice. Things must be express which seems almost as tough as sentence diagramming. I hope to learn sign language one day and the information from this article will be useful.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read this article I assumed that ASL was just the same as regular English. I thought it had the same rules, but this article has told me differently. ASL is its own unique language, for example, ASL does not use articles. That surprised me very much, how different! I liked this article because I am currently trying to learn Spanish and related a lot of the information to that. It is true that a person must know the basic rules to string sentences together. Just knowing vocabulary can't allow you to actually convey anything.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article. A few years ago I started to learn ASL and it was very difficult at first. The structure is very different from how we speak, but like this article states it is important to understand grammar either way. If you don't understand grammar you wouldn't be able to construct sentences in ASL and you wouldn't be able to figure out their equivalent version to be spoken or written. ASL does a great job of saying a lot with fewer words than we use when speaking.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting and informal. I have never known much about ASL; to be honest I have never heard of it. It is a very useful tool though, that helps with sign language. I find it strange that they do not use articles; also, I think it would be quite difficult to learn this form of grammar. It is more impressive that people learn how to perfect this art of speaking
ReplyDeleteI have never been aware of ASL, but after reading this article I have learned that it is a very important key factor to our language. It is interesting that it is a more natural way of teaching a language, and it also helps communicate with those who are hearing impaired. I also find it very sad that there is not much awareness of ASL, because it is a good skill to know when communicating with others. I would like to learn ASL to better my communication skills.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anyone who uses sign language and I never thought about grammar being involved. I found this article to be very informative because it taught me that articles are never used in ASL, and it is always in the same tense. Overall, this article enforces learning ASL to broaden our communication skills. As a future teacher, it would probably be a beneficial skill to aquire.
ReplyDeleteAbout two years ago I was in an accident which caused some nerve damage and temporary hearing loss. At first, the doctors weren't sure if I'd ever regain my hearing, and so I was instantly introduced to ASL. Not that I really remember much of the language, but I do remember my instructor's emphasis on the language itself. Like the article stated, learning ASL is not about retaining grammar, but adapting and creating a sentence. "Without grammar, words do not a language make." I felt like a foreigner in the country I'd lived in my whole life just because I couldn't understand the only language I knew, and was as fluent as a newborn in ASL. I definitely fully relate to this article, and agree that a language is much more than its basic vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading, “ASL Grammar” I realized how much work goes into sign language. I used to be able to say my name and a few words. I had a family member who went to school for sign language and I used to always watch her. I never realized all the work that goes into the signing or the difficulty in understanding of what is being signed. I learned a lot about ASL that I did not know, such as the language does not have expressed articles and the word order is different than English in which time is said before anything else. To talk about tenses such as past, present, and future is identified by where you are signing from your body. For example, future tense is your arms are stretched out from the front of the body and present is your hands are closer to the front of the body .
ReplyDeleteReading ASL the article (American Sign Language) explains the long history behind the evolution of language itself. Grammar as well as language were given definitions to help establish the understandings of both, but also the differences as well. Grammar is considered the complex inter-workings of a language, language meaning the form of communication established within a society. In order to learn a language one was not at privilege of being surrounded by, its grammatical rules must first be known. Without rules and complex systems in order to elaborate a languages possibilities, words not only lose mean, but the language becomes inapplicable.
ReplyDeleteI love ASL. I am planning on getting certified in ASL along with getting my degree in English. I think ASL is fascinating and the fact that it has no passive voice. In order to learn this language one has to realize that the word order is different. ASL is a tough language to learn, but it is one of my favorite languages to learn.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite interested in the whole concept of ASL. Language and communication are key concepts in life and this opens up the place for communication for so many more people now. At one point, I wanted to join the ASL club at SIU but didn't really have the time for it. I do believe that it is crucial in making a way for all people to communicate with each other.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Sign Language is different from grammar. However, grammar is essential to structure a sentence properly in ASL. Sentence structure in ASL is different from sentence structure in English. ASL is always in the same tense and fewer words are used that we use in English. I would imagine learning ASL would be comparable to learning a foreign language. It would be challenging at first, but rewarding if successfully mastered.
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the different structures of language, and how it ties to grammar. It reflects from a previous article we've read. The author explains each part of speech are also important in sign language. The author also point out that syntax is important too. This article is great it shows how to enable writers and speakers to articulate f=flowing sentences.
ReplyDeleteI am an English major, therefore Grammar is very important to me. Although ASL is something I have never studied, I still am a believer in Grammar. I'm not the best at Grammar, but reading every one of these articles has completely helped my advancement in Grammar usage.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in third grade, there was a deaf person in my class so our class was taught a little bit of ASL to be able to communicate with the other student. Although I do not remember the majority of what I learned (I can still do the alphabet and a few other signs), I am grateful that I had that lesson. I love how expressive sign language is and I would love to be able to sign with other people. I do agree with this article, grammar is very important. It's not just for writing, but in our everyday speech, and even sign language. There must be some kind of organization to a language so that we know what the other person is talking about. Other languages have grammar as well, it just may be different that Standard American English. Even ASL has the grammar aspect to it.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the author explains about the aspects of ASL (American Sign Language). The article divulges that just like any other language, it takes constant exposure to learn how to speak it, or in this case, sign. The author also puts emphasis on grammar, and makes the statement that without it, language would just be a pile of works with no flow. Even ASL uses all the angles of grammar so the words of signs can have a consistent flow.
ReplyDeleteThis American Sign Language (ASL) article was very interesting. The author explained how grammar means how a language works, or its system of use. ASL uses facial grammatical markers, physical affect markers, spatial linguistic, information and fingerspelling, and signs made with hands. Sing language is not easy, there is a lot of work and specific details that people need to pay attention to actually understand. This is why grammar plays such an important role because it is language meaning the form of communication established within a society. Different tenses are known by the part of your body you first start signing from. This article showed how important it was to understand grammar for using sing language.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article I am sad to admit that I knew nothing about ASL. I found this article interesting. It seems to be that there are benefits to learning ASL, such as learning about grammar. I have to admit that my prior knowledge of grammar is lax and that I am just now learning the specifics. I feel that ASL is beneficial to learn and I now have a stronger knowledge base about ASL.
ReplyDeleteASL( American Sign Language) is about how important it is to know grammar to learn another language. So basically you need to know grammar in order to know a language. And how for the language to work it needs different support in order for it to work together. I have never studied sign language but I knew a little from the past and I think it is important to know because there are a lot of situations where it might come in handy.
ReplyDeleteI found this article interesting in that I did not know much about ASL before reading this article. From reading this article I now know that the word order was different.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin teaches ASL so I have been exposed to it a bit. It definitely takes a lot of support and a lot of exposure in order to be able to learn and keep up with American Sighn Language. THis article helped me understand how much grammar is important in learning something as complicated as ASL.
ReplyDeleteThe article makes a valid point. It states that "without grammar, words do not a language make." That shows that you cannot form a sentence without grammar. It simply doesn't make sense. There are also a number of critical components that go into proper grammar. Parts of speech such as verbs, nouns, and pronouns are key components.
ReplyDeleteASL (American Sign Language) is something that, even as an English major, I have no history with or any prior knowledge of. However, this article reminds us that something as foreign to us as an actual foreign language still has principles and structure that is necessary in its communication. Grammar is equally important in sign language just as it is in our everyday language. Learning sign language takes much exposure and strict grammatical procedures just as our language does.
ReplyDeleteI can say that I honestly say that I know nothing about ASL. And it is absolutely shocking to me that ASL has passive voice, but now thinking about it that makes sense. As far as articles go, it is an integral part of everyday talk and writing. I never thought about this being an actual language that has a different and required structure.
ReplyDeleteI've never exactly thought about grammar in ASL. Although I've never studied it, ASL has always been very interesting to me seeing how communication can exist non-verbally. That being said, contemplating the grammar aspect of ASL is also very intriguing. It seems puzzling to think that there are no articles in ASL and a different word order; but that's the case with many languages. After reading the article, it seems that having the job as an ASL interpreter is very complex. The grammar in ASL makes me more aware and better appreciate the English language for all its complexities.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article, because it shines light on a subject that many people never really think of. Grammar in ASL is very puzzling to me personally, because you are not formally writing, when one is speaking sign language, one is making gestures and symbols with their hands, so how can you establish a grammar structure for it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article. Just as it is hard to tell emotion through text sometimes, I can imagine how it would be hard to use "grammar" in sign language. I never really thought about grammar in sign language. You only think about the vocabulary such as dog, or hug, or even the letters.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about grammar in ASL language. I do agree with the article. Grammar is important in any language becuase it helps people understand eachother better. With out grammar rules i think it would be complicated for people who use ASL.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is deaf, and coming from a personal stand point, it is not so much about the grammatical structure but more about getting the overall point across. I do agree that grammar is important I just feel that it is not as strong in other forms of communication.
ReplyDeleteWhat defines a language is the grammar of that language. Even though that's the case I cannot disregard ASL as an actual language. ASL is an art form just like any language, but could image how difficult it would be end every signed sentence with punctuation. If you have ever seen someone sign along side someone speaking, it is pretty obvious that the grammar aspect isn't needed. When someone says Thank you, do you visualize a period or an exclamation point at the end? I surely don't. That is how I feel when it comes to ASL, it is a purely visual language where in this case grammar isn't important.
ReplyDeleteThis article talked about ASL and how it's differs from verbal speech and grammar. The article explains the sentence structure of ASL and how there are no articles. If spoken ASL would have a lot of syntax errors. ASL is more direct then passive grammar."Without grammar, words do not a language make." is an example taken from the text of how ASL sentences are structured. ASL is spoken in the same tense and too me, communicated like the way we diagram mar. if the sentence was verbal communicated it would be spoken like this "Without grammar, words do not make a language", but even that's sounds weird.
ReplyDeleteI have obviously heard of sign langauge, but was not aware of the technicall term. Any culture needs to communicate to survive. So it is important to develop a language that works best for the disability at hand. ASL is a good way to develop the best grammar techniques to someone who is impaired. They have the right to learn proper grammar techniques too.
ReplyDelete