Article in:
Second Language Acquisition of Sign Languages: Acquisition d'une langue des signes comme langue seconde
Edited by Krister Schönström and Chloë Marshall
[Language, Interaction and Acquisition 13:2] 2022
► pp. 199–230

Second language acquisition of depicting signs

A corpus-based account

| Stockholm University
| Stockholm University

This paper concerns the acquisition of the sign lexicon in L2 learners of Swedish Sign Language. Sampled data (conversation and narrative retelling) from a longitudinal learner corpus with 16 adult L2 signers was analyzed and compared with data from nine L1 signers. The use of three broad types of signs was analyzed: lexical signs, partly-lexical signs (i.e. depicting signs) and non-lexical signs. The results revealed some differences between L1 and L2 signers, especially with regard to depicting signs. The number of depicting signs used by L2 learners increased over time, approaching the target language use. Qualitatively, we observed differences between L1 and L2 signers in their use of depicting signs, related to handshape choice and sign constructions. We discuss these findings in light of previous research linked to L2 vocabulary as well as the role of gestural knowledge in sign L2 acquisition.

Keywords: sign language, L2M2, lexicon, sign types
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The sign language lexicon and depicting signs
    • Depicting signs with entity handshapes
    • Depicting signs with handle handshapes
    • Depicting signs with descriptor (size- and shape-specifying) handshapes
  • 3.Sign second language acquisition
  • 4.Purpose of the study
  • 5.Data and methodology
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Analysis of the sign types
    • 6.2Distribution of the subcategories of depicting signs
    • 6.3Exploring the use of depicting signs
      • 6.3.1Handle handshapes instead of entity handshapes
      • 6.3.2Choice of handshapes
      • 6.3.3Simultaneous use of two depicting signs with two hands
  • 7.Discussion
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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