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Although the phonological description of spatial planes that configure signing space is very detailed (Brentari 1998; Liddell and Johnson 1989; Sandier 1989), our knowledge of their use and functions at the discourse level is still very limited. This article describes the use of the spatial planes in Catalan Sign Language (LSC). It provides a unified treatment of various linguistic phenomena (e.g., hierarchical relations and locatives) that have hitherto been described separately in the sign language literature and of other aspects (e.g., encoding of specificity) that have not yet been the subject of research in LSC or other signed languages. The features found in two of the three spatial planes as described in the phonological literature are also relevant beyond the sentence level and serve well-defined discourse functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some European countries, indirect or partial legal recognition of sign languages (SLs) has been granted in the last few decades through specific policies on deaf education, SL interpreting, or public media, but, in general, full legal recognition by dedicated laws has not been achieved. I present and analyze the recent legal initiatives for SLs in Spain (2007) and Catalonia (2006, 2010) (Spanish and Catalan SLs, respectively). They are shown to exemplify two different approaches to the reality of minority languages in the visual-gestural modality: The former act formulates SL recognition as part of the regulation of the accessibility means for deaf people, both signers and nonsigners; the latter regulates Catalan SL instead, leaving accessibility issues for deaf people for regulation by a separate bill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numeral-incorporating roots in the numeral systems of Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and Catalan Sign Language (LSC), as well as the main features of the number systems of both languages, are described and compared. Informants discussed the use of numerals and roots in both languages (in most cases in natural contexts). Ten informants took part in the LSC data collection, and six in the LSA data collection. The data were corroborated by analyzing the videos available at www.youtube.com/confargsordos (for LSA) and by videos and books provided by the ILLESCAT Foundation (for LSC), as well as by previous research. A general inventory of roots in both languages and specifically of roots in both numerals systems was carried out. The role of roots in the formation of ordinals and cardinals and the main features of both number systems are described. The data suggest that numeral-incorporating roots in these number systems are formed only from numerals that do not derive from manual counting. This assumption is discussed, and further research about this point is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the predicative verbal system of Catalan Sign Language (LSC) as it is used by Deaf people in the province of Barcelona. We also present a historical perspective of the research on this topic, which provides insight into the changes that have taken place over the last few decades in sign language linguistics. The principal differences between these languages and oral ones include the visual character of their linguistic units and the use of the space in front of the signer (neutral space) to describe events of the real world. This space is broadly exploited in the verb structure, which constitutes a complex gestural form that accumulates most of the information in the sentence and the discourse as a whole. For this reason, since the 1970s, descriptions of these verb systems have attracted the attention of numerous researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on sign language studies including the utilization of a finger spelling system representing Amharic ortography in Ethiopian sign language, the sign names and the customs of name allocation within the British Deaf community and a comparative analysis of the numeral systems of Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and Catalan Sign Language (LSC).

This section presents several abstracts of studies on sign language studies. For the study reported in the Deaf Parents' Perspective on Deaf Education, deaf couples were interviewed regarding their views on deaf education. Questions in the interviews focused on the parents' views of their preschool children's education as well as their opinion of their own school experiences. Additional topics dealt with the use of speech and hearing aids in school and the use of American Sign Language at home and at school. The article entitled The Verbal System of Catalan Sign Language (LSC) describes the predictive verbal system of LSC as it is used by deaf people in the province of Barcelona, Spain. It also presents a historical perspective of the research on this topic, which provides insight into the changes that have taken place over the last few decades in sign language linguistics.