forum SignWriting List Forum
  Message 4347  |  Previous | Next  [ Up Thread ] Message Index
From:  Ingvild Roald
Date:  Thu Dec 21, 2000  3:45 pm
Subject:  Re: Transcription project


Sounds to me that you did the right thing - this is how a written text
works, itn't it? Even in spoken languages, I mean, we do not say exatly what
is written, but the words are changed according to what comes before and
after (a reading of a list of words from a dictionary, words read one by
one, will upon analysis sound differetn than the same words in context) And
we are on the road to written forms of the signed languages here, aren't we?

Ingvild

>From: Mark Penner
>Reply-To: SignWriting List
>To: SignWriting List
>Subject: Transcription project
>Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 13:06:34 +0900
>
>At 15:09 00/12/14 -0500, Stefan wrote:
>
> > nice to hear from you again. How is it going - did you translate any
> > some mor signs from the japanese bible project ?
> > I $B%( (Jm sorry for you (and me ) that we didn $B%( (Jt continue -
>sooo much to do.
>
>I've gotten a couple of sentences done. The main thing that I've gleaned
>from our transcription attempt is that though it is possible to write
>exactly what a Deaf signer is signing, it is very difficult without knowing
>the language. This is because signs morph differently depending on which
>sign follows. That is, they change shape as they flow from one sign to the
>next, creating and incredible variety of hand and face forms. There is
>really no need to write all the minute variations that occur. If you don't
>know the Sign Language you're writing, you end up with all kinds of
>unnecessary material, and though you might be writing exactly what the
>signer signed, its very difficult to read.
>
>I think it would be different if our signer were doing poetry or
>storytelling, but a lot of this tape is narrative style, and gets pretty
>close to how Deaf people actually converse. Since I know the sign, I ended
>up writing what I knew he was signing rather than what his hands and face
>actually did. I didn't try to do this, but my knowledge of JSL actually
>influenced what I saw. When I looked at the transcription from the rest of
>our group and went back to the video on slow motion, I realized that I had
>not written what he actually did with his hands. I imagine that the reverse
>will happen once Deaf people are fluent at reading SW--that they will not
>sign exactly what is written, but will sign how it is really supposed to be
>as sign flow naturally from one to another.
>
>Anyway, I'm game to try some more transcription if anyone else is up to it.
>
>Mark
>
>
>Mark Penner
>Tokyo, Japan


  Replies Author Date
4361 Re: Transcription project Stefan Woehrmann2 Wed  12/27/2000

  Message 4347  |  Previous | Next  [ Up Thread ] Message Index