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Regional Sign Language Varieties in Contact: Investigating Patterns of Accommodation
Rose Stamp1, Adam Schembri2, Bronwen G Evans3
1University of Haifa, rose_stamp@hotmail.com.
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
|September 26, 2015
Summary
Younger British Sign Language (BSL) signers showed more lexical accommodation than older signers when interacting with regional BSL varieties. This study explores language contact and accommodation in BSL.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Sociolinguistics
- Sign Language Studies
Background:
- Linguistic accommodation is documented in spoken languages.
- Sign language research has not extensively studied regional variations and accommodation.
- British Sign Language (BSL) exhibits regional diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate lexical accommodation in British Sign Language (BSL) between regional varieties.
- To explore the influence of language contact on accommodation patterns in BSL.
- To examine age-related differences in accommodation.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 25 participants from four UK cities (Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle).
- Participants engaged in a "spot-the-difference" task with a conversational partner.
- Collected and analyzed sign data to identify instances of accommodation.
Main Results:
- Observed lexical accommodation between participants from different regional BSL backgrounds.
- Younger signers demonstrated significantly more accommodation than older signers.
- Data revealed contrasting regionally specific sign usage during the task.
Conclusions:
- Language contact in BSL facilitates lexical accommodation.
- Age is a factor influencing accommodation patterns in BSL.
- Findings contribute to understanding language change through contact and accommodation in sign languages.
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