Rachel Sutton-Spence
List of John Benjamins publications for which Rachel Sutton-Spence plays a role.
2024 Torso articulation in sign languages Sign Language & Linguistics 27:1, pp. 1–34 | Article
Torso articulation in sign languages is mentioned variably in the linguistic analysis of sign languages but is often ignored. The prevailing idea seems to be that detailed study of movement of the parts of the torso will yield little insight into linguistic matters – so mentions can be general… read more
2018 Invisible no more: Recasting the role of the ASL-English literary translator Signed Language Interpreting and Translation, Swabey, Laurie and Brenda Nicodemus (eds.), pp. 110–129 | Article
We report here on strategies used in the art of literary translation between ASL and English through the self-reflections of three ASL-English “translators” as they grapple with the varying degrees of translator visibility that push them beyond the traditional expectations of faceless… read more
2016 Metaphor in sign language poetry Metaphor and Communication, Gola, Elisabetta and Francesca Ervas (eds.), pp. 249–264 | Article
This chapter is concerned with the relationship between the visual modality of
sign languages and metaphor in signed poetry, where poets use highly iconic
devices to create metaphors in new and ingenious ways. Sign language poetry is
prized for its highly visual signing, ‘showing while telling’… read more
2013 How much can classifiers be analogous to their referents? Gesture 13:1, pp. 1–27 | Article
Sign Language poetry is especially valued for its presentation of strong visual images. Here, we explore the highly visual signs that British Sign Language and American Sign Language poets create as part of the ‘classifier system’ of their languages. Signed languages, as they create… read more
2008 Adult-child interaction in BSL nursery — getting their attention Sign Language Acquisition, Baker, Anne E. and Bencie Woll (eds.), pp. 119–139 | Article
This paper reports on attention-getting strategies during adult–child interaction in a BSL-language nursery. The data come from a small study conducted at the School of Education at Leeds University, in which deaf children in a Deaf nursery run by Deaf adults were filmed. Deaf adults and deaf… read more
2007 Mouthings and Simultaneity in British Sign Language Simultaneity in Signed Languages: Form and function, Vermeerbergen, Myriam, Lorraine Leeson and Onno A. Crasborn (eds.), pp. 147–162 | Article
2005 Adult–child interaction in a BSL nursery — getting their attention! Language Acquisition, Baker, Anne E. and Bencie Woll (eds.), pp. 131–152 | Article
This paper reports on attention-getting strategies during adult–child interaction in a BSL-language nursery. The data come from a small study conducted at the School of Education at Leeds University, in which deaf children in a Deaf nursery run by Deaf adults were filmed. Deaf adults and deaf… read more
2005 Sign language poetry and Deaf identity Language Acquisition, Baker, Anne E. and Bencie Woll (eds.), pp. 177–212 | Article
In this paper, we consider the role of sign language poetry in creating and expressing the Deaf poet’s identity as a “visual person” in a community living within a wider national community. We show how two Deaf poets from different linguistic, national and cultural backgrounds nevertheless have… read more
2000 Aspects of BSL poetry: A social and linguistic analysis of the poetry of Dorothy Miles Sign Language & Linguistics 3:1, pp. 79–100 | Article
The British Sign Language poetry of Dorothy Miles is a major contribution to the canon of BSL poetry. This paper considers her work as an example of “oral poetry”, in the tradition of other oral (i.e. unwritten poetry). Following definitions of oral poetry primarily from Finnegan (1977), I explore… read more