• Home
  • Textbooks
  • The Linguistics of British Sign Language
  • Extended use of language in BSL

The Linguistics of British Sign Language

Rachel Sutton-Spence, Bencie Woll

Chapter 14

Extended use of language in BSL - all with Video Answers

Educators

Chapter Questions

Problem 1

Watch the video 'Deaf Humour'.
(a) When does the humour rely upon 'slapstick'?
(b) When does the humour fely upon shared Life experiences?
(c) When is the humour based upon the extended use of BSL?

Check back soon!

Problem 2

Watch a video clip of a fiuent signer telling a story. Observe bow the signer identifies the characters in the story.
(a) When are they named explicitiy?
(b) When are they given a place in signing space that is pointed to?
(c) When is body shift (or shoulder, head, or eye-gaze shift) used to identify them?
(d) When does facial expression identify them?
(c) When does style of signing identify them?
(f) How do you know when the signer is in the role of narrator, and not in the role of a character?

Check back soon!

Problem 3

Watch a BSL poem. Analyse it, and pick out instances of the use of the following:
(a) signs with the same (or similar) handshapes, locations, of movement patins
(b) balance of both hands (i.e. the non-dominant hand is used unusually 'actively')
(c) smooth, fiuid movement
(d) specially created signs or signs that leave the conventional signing space.

Check back soon!