The Study of Signed Languages: Essays in Honor of William C. Stokoe

Contents

C O N T E N T S List of Contributors viii Preface xi William C. Stokoe and the Study of Signed Languages David F. Armstrong and Michael A. Karchmer Introduction 1 Bill Stokoe: An ASL Trailblazer I. King Jordan PART 1: Historical Perspectives Introduction 9 John Vickrey Van Cleve 1 The Curious Death of Sign Language Studies 13 in the Nineteenth Century Douglas C. Baynton 2 Historical Observations on the Relationship 35 Between Research on Sign Languages and Language Origins Theory Adam Kendon v 3 Modality Effects and Conflicting Agendas 53 Scott K. Liddell PART 2: Language Origins Introduction 85 David F. Armstrong 4 Does Sign Language Solve the 89 Chomsky Problem? Frank R. Wilson 5 Continuity, Ethology, and Stokoe: How to 100 Build a Better Language Model Roger S. Fouts and Gabriel S. Waters 6 William C. Stokoe and the Gestural 118 Theory of Language Origins Sherman E. Wilcox PART 3: Diverse Populations Introduction 133 Michael A. Karchmer 7 The Impact of Variation Research on 137 Deaf Communities Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Mary Rose, and Alyssa Wulf 8 The Impact of Sign Language Research on 161 Black Deaf Communities in America Glenn B. Anderson vi Contents 9 Bilingualism and the Impact of Sign Language 172 Research on Deaf Education Britta Hansen 10 Sign Communication Training and Motor 190 Functioning in Children with Autistic Disorder and in Other Populations John D. Bonvillian 11 Gesture and the Nature of Language in Infancy: 213 The Role of Gesture as a Transitional Device En Route to Two-Word Speech Olga Capirci, M. Cristina Caselli, Jana M. Iverson, Elena Pizzuto, and Virginia Volterra Concluding Thoughts The Future of American Sign Language 247 Carol A. Padden and Jennifer Rayman Index 263 Contents vii ...