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This chapter focuses on the validity of tests of second language (L2) signed language learners. Test validity depends on how test developers take the language as well as the modality into consideration and how the test captures natural variation in local signed languages, which impacts the use of tests and interpretation of results. In this chapter, the argument-based approach to validation is used to evaluate claims that test developers make about the uses of tests. A sample of signed language tests for L2 learners is reviewed and discussed. Caution in the extrapolation and making decisions based on test results are discussed. The chapter ends with suggestions about how to evaluate the validity of future L2 signed language tests.

Bilingual bimodalism is a great benefit to deaf children at home and in schooling. Deaf signing children perform better overall than non-signing deaf children, regardless of whether they use a cochlear implant. Raising a deaf child in a speech-only environment can carry cognitive and psycho-social risks that may have lifelong adverse effects. For children born deaf, or who become deaf in early childhood, we recommend comprehensible multimodal language exposure and engagement in joint activity with parents and friends to assure age-appropriate first-language acquisition. Accessible visual language input should begin as close to birth as possible. Hearing parents will need timely and extensive support; thus, we propose that, upon the birth of a deaf child and through the preschool years, among other things, the family needs an adult deaf presence in the home for several hours every day to be a linguistic model, to guide the family in taking sign language lessons, to show the family how to make spoken language accessible to their deaf child, and to be an encouraging liaison to deaf communities. While such a support program will be complicated and challenging to implement, it is far less costly than the harm of linguistic deprivation., Peer Reviewed

This article presents a discussion about documentation of sign language, with special attention to the academic and social aspects, and a few recommendations as to what kinds of materials are considered relevant by Deaf communities in sign language documentation. First, we take a more philosophical approach in discussing the linguistic documentation of sign languages, after which we address technical and ethical aspects of compiling linguistic corpora of signed languages. As such, the first part of this article focuses on three basic questions: (1) what exactly constitutes documentation of sign languages; (2) why document sign languages at all; and (3) on whose behalf is it necessary to document sign languages. The second part of this article explores a number of exemplary practices in sign language documentation as executed in various countries that are highly valued and may serve as points of reference for diverse Deaf communities. Documentation practices will be presented, in particular, the creation of corpora to represent sign languages as they are used by Deaf communities; historical records of sign languages; literary production in sign languages; reference materials for teaching sign languages; records of bilingual-unimodal Deaf signers; and records of bilingual-bimodal signers. These issues carry with them numerous ethical implications, as the documentation of sign languages inevitably involves the Deaf communities of each respective language. As such, we close the article with a reflection on how these documentation practices relate to the academic and social interests of Deaf communities involved in such research., Este artigo apresenta uma discussão sobre a documentação de línguas de sinais, considerando motivações acadêmicas e sociais, assim como indicações de materiais que as comunidades surdas consideram relevantes integrarem tais documentações. Primeiramente, iremos apresentar uma discussão de ordem mais filosófica acerca da documentação linguística das línguas de sinais e, posteriormente, abordaremos as questões de ordem técnica e ética relativas à elaboração de corpora nessas línguas. A primeira parte do artigo, abordará três questões básicas: (1) o que constitui a documentação de línguas de sinais; (2) para quê documentar as línguas de sinais; (3) para quem é necessário documentar as línguas de sinais. A segunda parte do artigo trará práticas de documentação de línguas de sinais em diferentes países como referência de aproximação e valorização das comunidades surdas. Serão apresentadas práticas de documentação, em especial, a constituição de corpora de línguas de sinais enquanto língua das comunidades surdas; registro histórico das línguas de sinais; produções literárias em línguas de sinais; referências para o ensino de línguas de sinais; registro de produções de surdos bilíngues unimodais; registro de produções de bilíngues bimodais. Estas questões estão permeadas por aspectos éticos, uma vez que a documentação de línguas de sinais envolve as comunidades surdas que usam suas respectivas línguas de sinais. Ao final, faremos uma reflexão de como estas práticas de documentação se voltam para os interesses acadêmicos e sociais das comunidades surdas., Este artículo presenta una discusión general sobre la documentación de las lenguas de señas, considerando sus motivaciones académicas y sociales, así como algunas recomendaciones de materiales que las comunidades sordas consideran relevantes para integrar dicha documentación. En primer lugar, presentaremos una discusión más filosófica sobre la documentación lingüística de las lenguas de señas y, posteriormente, abordaremos cuestiones técnicas y éticas relacionadas con la elaboración de corpus en estas lenguas. La primera parte del artículo, abordará tres cuestiones básicas: (1) ¿qué constituye la documentación en lenguas de señas?; (2) ¿para qué documentar las lenguas de señas?; (3) ¿para quién es necesario documentar las lenguas de señas? La segunda parte del artículo traerá prácticas de documentación de lenguas de señas como referencia para acercarse y valorar a las comunidades sordas. Se presentarán prácticas de documentación, en particular, la constitución de corpus de la lengua de señas como la lengua de las comunidades sordas, registro histórico de las lenguas de señas, producciones literarias en lenguas de señas, referencias para la enseñanza de lenguas de señas, registro de producciones de sordos bilingües unimodales y registro de producciones de bilingües bimodales. Estos temas están atravesados por aspectos éticos, ya que la documentación de lenguas de señas involucra a las comunidades sordas que utilizan sus respectivas lenguas de señas. Al final, reflexionaremos sobre cómo estas prácticas de documentación abordan los intereses académicos y sociales de las comunidades sordas.

The international Sign Language Linguistics Society was founded by a group of sign language linguists in 2000 and aims to promote sign language research on an international scale and the maintenance of high scientific and ethical standards of research into the languages of deaf communities. SLLS encourages the exchange of information through meetings and publications, particularly the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR) conference series. SLLS signed a memorandum of understanding with the WFD in 2016. In this presentation, we will discuss some of the ways that SLLS members are involved in activities that support sign language rights for all. Many SLLS members work on research into sign language acquisition by deaf and hearing children (Chen Pichler et al., 2018), and on promoting linguistic human rights and the avoidance of language deprivation for deaf children (Humphries et al., 2016). Most SLLS members also work in other less obvious ways in supporting sign language rights, particularly in the linguistic description and documentation of the sign languages of deaf communities. In the last decade, we have seen the rise of corpus-based approaches to sign language linguistics. Corpora are large representative samples of language data that can be search by computer and which can provide a collection for many uses. We have also seen more online dictionaries of sign languages, many of them supported by the work done by sign language researchers. Linguists also work on reference grammars, and work with deaf communities in many parts of the world to document their sign languages, including many endangered village sign languages. Sign language researchers provide evidence to language policy makers, and work to promote linguistic and cultural diversity to government. Sign language corpora, reference grammars and online dictionaries provide invaluable resources to sign language teachers, students and trainee interpreters. The increased understanding of sign