Course Overview

Different types of depiction in signed languages include role shifting, classifier constructions, and other iconic “uses of signing space.” Depictions are also performed by non-signers and in this context are generally considered to be kinds of gesture. This course introduces students to central notions in gesture studies and multimodal language research and a framework with which to identify and describe basic depiction types in language use. Throughout the semester students perform exercises in analyzing depiction observed in ASL.

Faculty