The History and the Structure of Black American Sign Language (ASL): Materials for Building Community Awareness

奖项编号：0936085标题：STARS：美国黑人手语的历史和结构：建立社区意识的材料开始/结束日期：2009年12月- 2011年12月项目官员：Monya RuffinPI: Ceil LucasInstitution: Gallaudet university项目：非正式科学教育（ISE）目的、背景和合作组织在美国国家科学基金会资助的社会语言学研究框架内，合作机构加劳德特大学和加州大学戴维斯分校将开发并广泛传播一个2小时的DVD，在非正式和正式的观众中建立知识并培养社区意识，了解美国手语（ASL）的科学结构和历史。重点是美国黑人手语。通过这项面向公众的传播研究（CRPA）资助，该DVD及其现有的配套指南将：(a)将美国手语与当前的实证研究联系起来；(b)描述语言发展科学（书面和口头）的复杂性；(c)详述美国黑人手语的演变；(d)提供强有力的证据，证明社会语言学的变异和方言并非口语所独有；(e)在正式和非正式场合促进相关讨论。参与者和环境该项目将涉及美国手语翻译和听力，听力受损和失聪的当地社区成员，学生和教师；年龄（青少年到老年人）、美国境内的地理位置、社会经济和种族背景。当地社区、资源和文化中心等非正式机构将参与项目传播工作和活动。正式场所，如中学后语言学课程、聋人研究课程、口译培训课程和专业讲习班，也将作为项目传播活动的次要场所。项目设计和可交付成果研究设计、录像数据片段和来自开创性的社会语言学研究的发现，涉及来自六个不同地点的22个研究小组的数据，将被封装并通过主要可交付成果，一个2小时的DVD提供。为不同的受众而设计的DVD将呈现研究的社会历史意义，数据收集和使用的方法，以及参与者讲述他们生活经历的数据片段。音位变量、句法语篇变量、接触现象和词汇变化也将在DVD中讨论和说明。将招募目标公众和专业观众，以获得DVD，配套指南和其他项目资源。项目可交付成果包括2小时的DVD、培训材料、研讨会和网站增强。项目成果、影响和评估通过积极的宣传工作，该项目计划惠及约29,000人。该项目应该：(a)提高对美国手语的科学结构和历史的认识和认识，(b)通过更广泛地了解影响非口语语言变化的地理和社会因素，特别是黑人美国手语，提供更多的内容——包括STEM内容。将采用混合方法评价研究来监测DVD和培训材料开发、改进和实施的所有方面。将组织焦点小组和分发调查问卷，以收集数据和确定该项目在多大程度上有效地实现了向公众更广泛地分享和传播其研究结果的主要目标，并特别强调非正式的听众和组织。更广泛的意义和重要性该项目将解决该领域对影响非口语，特别是黑人美国手语变化的科学结构、历史和社会文化因素的研究需求。这项研究的广泛传播可以提高公众对美国手语变化的认识，从而为口译员和相当一部分聋人和听力健全群体提供有关美国手语的宝贵见解，从而改善聋人和听力受损个体对内容的可访问性。该项目还强调了美国历史上一个重要的、被忽视的组成部分。此外，该项目将进一步推动ISE计划在内容（语言科学；语言学）和目标人群（聋人，非裔美国人）方面实现投资组合多样化的努力。原NSF资助的科学研究项目和拟议的传播工作，也支持ISE对资助项目的承诺，目的是将NSF资助的研究传播给非正式的受众和非正式的环境。该项目预计将覆盖2.9万人。s网站，当地社区活动，以及与ISE组织的联系，如华盛顿特区霍华德大学非裔美国人研究资源中心的非裔美国人研究部门；丹佛斯泰尔斯非裔美国人遗产中心；纽约哈莱姆的绍姆伯格黑人文化研究中心以及加劳德特大学出版社和全国黑人聋人倡导者协会（NBDA）等专业组织；将为公众参与非正式和正式教育背景下关于这项工作的研究和跨学科文化讨论提供多种机会。

Award Number: 0936085Title: STARS: The History and the Structure of Black American Sign Language (ASL): Materials for Building Community AwarenessStart/End Dates: December 2009-December 2011Program Officer: Monya RuffinPI: Ceil LucasInstitution: Gallaudet UniversityProgram: Informal Science Education (ISE)Purpose, Context, and Partnering OrganizationsSituated within the framework of their NSF funded sociolinguistic research, partnering institutions, Gallaudet University and the University of California-Davis, will develop and broadly disseminate a 2-hour DVD that builds knowledge and fosters community awareness, among informal and formal audiences, about the scientific structure and history of American Sign Language (ASL), with an emphasis on Black American Sign Language. Through this Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) grant, the DVD and its existing companion guidebook will: (a) link ASL to current empirical research; (b) describe the complexities of the science of language development (written and spoken); (c) detail the evolution of Black American Sign Language; (d) provide strong evidence that sociolinguistic variations and dialects are not unique to spoken languages; and (e) foster related discussions in formal and informal settings. Participants and SettingsThe project will involve ASL interpreters and hearing, hearing impaired and deaf local community members, students, and teachers; ranging in age (adolescents to seniors), geographic location within the United States, and socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Informal settings such as local community, resource and cultural centers will participate in project dissemination efforts and activities. Formal settings such as postsecondary linguistics courses, deaf studies courses, interpreter training courses, and professional workshops will also serve as secondary venues for project dissemination activities.Project Design and DeliverablesThe research design, videotaped data clips and findings from the seminal sociolinguistic research involving data from 22 study groups at six different sites will be encapsulated and made accessible via the primary deliverable, a 2 hour DVD. Designed for various audiences, the DVD will present the socio-historical significance of the research, data collection and methods employed, and data clips of participants narrating their life experiences. Phonological variables, syntactic & discourse variables, contact phenomena, and lexical variations will also be discussed and illustrated in the DVD. Targeted public and professional audiences will be recruited to receive the DVD, the companion guide book, and other project resources. Project deliverables include a 2 hour DVD, training materials, workshops, and web site enhancements. Project Outcomes, Impacts, and EvaluationThrough active dissemination efforts, the project intends to reach approximately 29,000 people. The project should: (a) increase knowledge and awareness about the scientific structure and history of ASL, and (b) provide greater access to content- including STEM content-through a broader understanding of geographical and social factors that influence non-spoken language variations, particularly Black ASL.A mixed methods evaluation study will be employed to monitor all aspects of the DVD and training materials development, refinement, and implementation. Focus groups will be conducted and questionnaires will be distributed to collect data and determine the extent to which the project has effectively met its primary goal to share and disseminate its research findings more broadly to public audiences, with a special emphasis on informal audiences and organizations. Broader Significance and ImportanceThe project will address a need in the field for research about the scientific structure, history, and socio-cultural factors influencing variations in non-spoken languages, particularly in Black ASL. Broad dissemination of this research could raise public awareness about ASL variations thereby, providing interpreters and a sizable portion of the deaf and hearing communities with valuable insights on ASL that could improve content accessibility among deaf and hearing impaired individuals. The project also highlights an important, overlooked component of American history. In addition, this project would further the ISE program's efforts to diversify its portfolio with respect to content (science of language; linguistics) and target populations (deaf, African-American). The original NSF funded scientific research project and the proposed dissemination efforts, also support ISE's commitment to fund projects with an aim to communicate NSF funded research to informal audiences and within informal settings.With an anticipated reach of 29,000 people, the project?s website, local community events, and linkages with ISE organizations such as The Department of African American Studies Afro-American Studies Resource Center at Howard University in Washington, DC; The Stiles African American Heritage Center in Denver; and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY and professional organizations such as the Gallaudet University Press and the National Association of Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA); will provide multiple opportunities for public engagement in the research and cross-disciplinary, cultural discussions about this work within the context of informal and formal education.