SASL Newsletter - Spring 2019 Issue Issue 13 - Spring 2019 | Page 12
“Black signers tend to be more theatrical,” he said later via telephone, using a video relay
service and an ASL interpreter to take the call. White signers, especially older people, may sign in a
smaller space because they were taught to be discreet.
Hill had a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation for his linguistic studies at
Gallaudet, where he got his Ph.D. Although there are deaf psychologists who study linguistic issues,
Hill believes he is one of only about 15 deaf linguists in the United States, and a few more in Europe.
“I know one in Italy, there’s one in England, I know of one in Germany,” he says. “The study of ASL
linguistics started in 1965,” he adds, “so it’s fairly young.”
He hopes that as American deaf linguists become better known, deaf people here and in other
countries may be inspired. “We would like to see more people in the field,” says Hill, who hopes not
just to attract researchers to the Black ASL Project but to spark interest in other sign-language
subcultures, too.
(Original source: Percolator, a blog published on the website of The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 9, 2014,
https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/a-deaf-linguist-explores-black-american-sign-language/33817, reprinted by permission)
The video Through Your Child's Eyes: American Sign Language produced in 2011 serves
as an excellent resource for introducing a concept of language acquisition that is most suitable for deaf
children. ASL is targeted as the accessible language for consideration. Unlocking a deaf child's mind
for natural language acquisition serves as an important theme in the video. The 14-minute video is
well made, and involves actual signed interactions between parents and deaf children. Some
classroom scenes with deaf children and their signing teachers show the power of ASL. A few
animations enhance the video and both parents and experts are contributors, sharing their
experiences and insights.
The Power of ASL
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Spring 2019 – Issue 13