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4. Rating the Vitality of Sign Languages

Author

Bickford, J. Albert, Lewis, M. Paul, and Simons, Gary F.

Abstract

The Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), developed by Lewis and Simons and based on work by Fishman, provides a means of rating "language vitality"--the level of development or endangerment--where "development" is understood as adding or preserving functions and "endangerment" as loss of function. In its original form, it did not take sign languages into account. This paper explains what adjustments are needed to accommodate signed and spoken languages on an equal basis, recognising and generalising over the sociolinguistic differences in the two types of language communities. Besides minor wording changes made to avoid giving the impression that EGIDS applied only to spoken languages, we offer substantive changes to accommodate different patterns of intergenerational transmission; to better reflect the role of literacy, education, literature, institutional support, and standardisation in language development; and to reflect factors other than classic language shift which can undermine a language's vitality. Clarifications are made to the role of interpreters in rating a language's vitality, and in the definition of a language of wider communication. Several of these changes provide further insights into factors that affect the vitality of spoken languages.

Published
2015
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6. Lexical Variation in Mexican Sign Language.

Author

Summer Inst. of Linguistics, Grand Forks, ND. and Bickford, J. Albert

Abstract

A study of dialectal variation in Mexican Sign Language (MSL), the primary language for a large segment of Mexico's deaf community, is presented. Signs used by nine different sources representing various locations, ages, and social groups are compared. The first section reviews a number of previous informal assessments of dialectal variation in MSL. The second section describes the study, in which individuals in five locations (two in Hermosillo, one in Cuernavaca, and two in Mexico City) were asked to provide signs for words from a list of 100. In addition, four published signing dictionaries were consulted. Identical, similar, and variant signs were then analyzed and compared with a similar analysis of the same 100 words with native English-speakers from the United States with different accents. Results are interpreted in the third section. It is concluded that the majority of the evidence suggests MSL is a single language, at least for the signers and dictionaries sampled. The moderate amount of dialectal variation is seen as not hindering effective communication. Further research on mutual intelligibility is recommended. The greatest variation appeared in the Monterrey dialect sample; explanations are offered. Implications of the findings for language planning are discussed. (MSE)

Published
1989

7. Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics 1989, University of North Dakota Session, Volume 33.

Author

Summer Inst. of Linguistics, Grand Forks, ND., Dooley, Robert A., Bickford, J. Albert, Dooley, Robert A., Bickford, J. Albert, and Summer Inst. of Linguistics, Grand Forks, ND.

Abstract

The volume represents in microcosm the sort of faculty-trainee-student interaction that is a priority at the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) at the University of North Dakota. Seven studies by faculty and students of SIL include the following: "Lexical Variation in Mexican Sign Language" (J. Albert Bickford); "Reflexives in Veracruz Huastec" (Peter G. Constable); "A Typology of Koine Relative Clauses" (Martin M. Culy); "Switch Reference in Mbya Guarani: A Fair-Weather Phenomenon" (Robert A. Dooley); "The Nahuatl Verb 'maka': A Cognitive Grammar Analysis" (David Tuggy); "Tonal Instability: Tone as Part of the Feature Geometry" (Stephen P. Walker); and "A Morphological Parser for Linguistic Exploration" (David Weber). (MSE)

Published
1989

8. Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics: University of North Dakota Session, Volume 39.

Author

Summer Inst. of Linguistics, Grand Forks, ND., Bickford, J. Albert, Bickford, J. Albert, and Summer Inst. of Linguistics, Grand Forks, ND.

Abstract

This volume contains an index to volumes 18-38 (1974-1994) of the "Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics" (Stephen A. Marlett and J. Albert Bickford) as well as the following 1995 papers: "Laryngeal Licensing and Syllable Well-formedness in Quiengolani Zapotec" (Cherly A. Black); "A Grammar Sketch of the Kaki Ae Language" (John M. Clifton); "Pronouns in Mexican Sign Language" (Marilyn Plumlee); and "Madija Predicates" (Pamela S. Wright). Each article contains references. (NAV)

Published
1995

12. THE ETHICS OF LANGUAGE IDENTIFICATION AND ISO 639.

Author

Bickford, J. Albert

Subjects
*LANGUAGE identification (Computational linguistics)
Abstract

The article discusses the evaluation of the principal ethical challenges and application of the International Standards Organization (ISO) 639 standard for language identification.

Published
2016
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