Train-gone-sorry: the etiquette of conversations in American sign language

Autor/a: HALL, Stephanie
Año: 1989
Editorial: Silver Spring: Linstok Press, 1989
Tipo de código: Copyright
Soporte: Digital

Temas

Lingüística » Lingüística de otras Lenguas de Signos

Detalles

Deaf Americans using American Sign Language (ASL) often experience conflict with hearing Americans because of differing conventions of polite conversation. The ethnography of communication (Hymes 1964) is used here to discover the conventions of politeness in a Deaf social club, where polite language is related to contrasting attitudes toward ASL and signing that imitates English syntax. Polite conversation is outlined in detail, including saying hello, turning one's back, ensuring comprehension, taking a person's hands, sharing information, and saying goodbye. The pattern of the conversations is examined to demonstrate how it differs from the conversational patterns of English speaking, hearing Americans. Conversations in ASL begin informally, get to the point quickly, then conclude formally and slowly. Conversely, conversations among hearing Americans are apt to begin formally and slowly and conclude informally and quickly. From these results two of the underlying social attitudes that give rise to the conventions of politeness in ASL are inferred: one should facilitate communication and one should promote unity among the Deaf.

En: Wilcox, S. (ed.), American Deaf Culture: An Anthology, pp. 89-102