Overview

The meaning of any linguistic expression resides not only in the words, but in the way those words are conveyed. Miako N. P. Rankin explores this crucial interrelatedness of form and meaning in the context of American Sign Language, specifically in relation to the concept of non-agent focus - the ASL equivalent of the passive voice in English. Rankin has determined that the pattern of form-meaning correlation characteristic of non-agent focus is used prolifically in day-to-day language and that the recognition of the frequency of this pattern has wide implications for the acquisition of ASL, the development of curricula for teaching ASL, and the analysis of ASL discourse in effective interpretation.

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9781563685736

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Rankin's study gives us a welcome look at focus variability in ASL that has not been documented previously. The questions raised will appeal both to cognitive linguists, who might pursue further analyses of focus, profiling, and construal in ASL discourse, and to interpretation researchers, who strive to better understand the complex meanings that emerge from various grammatical constructions in ASL. --Terry Janzen Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Rankin's study gives us a welcome look at focus variability in ASL that has not been documented previously. The questions raised will appeal both to cognitive linguists, who might pursue further analyses of focus, profiling, and construal in ASL discourse, and to interpretation researchers, who strive to better understand the complex meanings that emerge from various grammatical constructions in ASL. --Terry Janzen Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Author Information

Miako N. P. Rankin is assistant professor of linguistics at Gallaudet University.

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