Educational Coursework
Course Title: American Sign Language Discourse
Course Description
Students will: gain an understanding of discourse; recognize features of discourse used in American Sign Language, such as register, spatial mapping, prosody, discourse structures, rhetorical analysis, involvement and interaction strategies, coherence and cohesion, and framing; and enhance your use of ASL through incorporation of these features. Compare discourse features in English with those of ASL. Sample multicultural discourse styles and analyze how knowledge of discourse affects your work as an interpreter.
Work Sample
Below you can find Craig's final paper on Fingerspelling in ASL Discourse. In this project he examined the production norms and purposes of fingerspelling as a naturally occuring part of discourse used frequently and effortlessly by Deaf signers. It is available to be read in English or viewed in ASL.
FingerspellingInASLDiscoursePaper
Students will: gain an understanding of discourse; recognize features of discourse used in American Sign Language, such as register, spatial mapping, prosody, discourse structures, rhetorical analysis, involvement and interaction strategies, coherence and cohesion, and framing; and enhance your use of ASL through incorporation of these features. Compare discourse features in English with those of ASL. Sample multicultural discourse styles and analyze how knowledge of discourse affects your work as an interpreter.
Work Sample
Below you can find Craig's final paper on Fingerspelling in ASL Discourse. In this project he examined the production norms and purposes of fingerspelling as a naturally occuring part of discourse used frequently and effortlessly by Deaf signers. It is available to be read in English or viewed in ASL.
FingerspellingInASLDiscoursePaper
Course Response
"In this course, I had the opportunity to analyze American Sign Language discourse closely. So often in the course of interpreting studies the emphasis is on content of messages, but, in order to fully comprehend and produce nuanced native-looking interpretations, it is crucial to understand the elements that make up the form of messages. In class we examined numerous features of prosody (blinks, eye gaze, head tilts, body movements, pauses, etc.), discourse markers, fingerspelling, use of space, and more that contribute to fluency. We observed how native users implement these in online vlogs and were able to meticulously examine how these features were produced. I have been consciously trying to incorporate what I have observed into my own daily ASL use and will continue to work towards this goal of native-like fluency.
We also examined communication more generally through discussions of Deborah Tannen’s book, That’s Not What I Meant. One of the most important lessons I will take away from Tannen’s book is that regardless of differences in personality and perspective, obstacles to communication can be overcome if one is keenly aware of his own communication style and the styles of others. Metamessages carry as much weight, if not more weight, than the textual content of a message and must be monitored carefully to avoid miscommunication between interlocutors, especially if they are from different linguistic or cultural backgrounds. This is probably one of the most challenging parts of an interpreter’s work. So often we are taught to “drop form” and focus on the meaning of the message we are trying to interpret. We must take care to preserve the integrity of the metamessage in every utterance and find a dynamically equivalent interpretation if the two parties are to truly understand one another’s meaning, not just one another’s words.
It is critical that interpreters key into their own conversational styles in both languages and cultivate a flexibility to express a wide range of styles in both so that consumers are never left wondering whether or not they’re being satisfactorily understood. As we become more introspective and more observant of the communication practices and speech acts of others we will become more qualified to interpret. Navigating the obstacles that arise may never be simple, but the more perspectives we can store in our arsenal of communication styles, the more prepared we will be to make adjustments when necessary. As Tannen points out, sometimes the smallest adjustments to the way we communicate can radically change a relationship and what once felt like an impasse can suddenly seem trivial once communication is flowing smoothly. If interpreters can subtly make these adjustments, clients may experience something that feels almost like direct communication and mutual understanding despite their different cultures, languages, and communication styles."
"In this course, I had the opportunity to analyze American Sign Language discourse closely. So often in the course of interpreting studies the emphasis is on content of messages, but, in order to fully comprehend and produce nuanced native-looking interpretations, it is crucial to understand the elements that make up the form of messages. In class we examined numerous features of prosody (blinks, eye gaze, head tilts, body movements, pauses, etc.), discourse markers, fingerspelling, use of space, and more that contribute to fluency. We observed how native users implement these in online vlogs and were able to meticulously examine how these features were produced. I have been consciously trying to incorporate what I have observed into my own daily ASL use and will continue to work towards this goal of native-like fluency.
We also examined communication more generally through discussions of Deborah Tannen’s book, That’s Not What I Meant. One of the most important lessons I will take away from Tannen’s book is that regardless of differences in personality and perspective, obstacles to communication can be overcome if one is keenly aware of his own communication style and the styles of others. Metamessages carry as much weight, if not more weight, than the textual content of a message and must be monitored carefully to avoid miscommunication between interlocutors, especially if they are from different linguistic or cultural backgrounds. This is probably one of the most challenging parts of an interpreter’s work. So often we are taught to “drop form” and focus on the meaning of the message we are trying to interpret. We must take care to preserve the integrity of the metamessage in every utterance and find a dynamically equivalent interpretation if the two parties are to truly understand one another’s meaning, not just one another’s words.
It is critical that interpreters key into their own conversational styles in both languages and cultivate a flexibility to express a wide range of styles in both so that consumers are never left wondering whether or not they’re being satisfactorily understood. As we become more introspective and more observant of the communication practices and speech acts of others we will become more qualified to interpret. Navigating the obstacles that arise may never be simple, but the more perspectives we can store in our arsenal of communication styles, the more prepared we will be to make adjustments when necessary. As Tannen points out, sometimes the smallest adjustments to the way we communicate can radically change a relationship and what once felt like an impasse can suddenly seem trivial once communication is flowing smoothly. If interpreters can subtly make these adjustments, clients may experience something that feels almost like direct communication and mutual understanding despite their different cultures, languages, and communication styles."
