Objective
Deaf people communicate with two hands. Hearing people communicate with only one mouth. What are the implications of this difference for our view of human language? The proposed research aims to approach this central issue by addressing a number of new and concrete questions, using highly innovative methods. Linguistic models are generally based on the fact that spoken language structures are linear and hierarchically structured. The symmetry of the two hands in signed languages makes room for abundant simultaneity, even though our motor system imposes severe constraints on the independent action of the two hands. We know that deaf people rarely utter two different sentences at the same time (one with the left and one with the right hand), but there are indications that from below the level of single signs up to the structuring of discourse, the two hands contribute to communication in a fashion unparalleled in spoken languages. The two hands can be mere copies of each other, but in many well-described cases the second hand is not redundant and both hands can perform independent linguistic functions. This proposal focuses on three questions that target different components in Nederlandse Gebarentaal (NGT, Sign Language of the Netherlands): discourse, syntax, and phonology. 1. What kind of information does a second hand contribute to signed communication in longer utterances (discourse)? 2. Which types of utterances in which a second hand occurs (subordination, coordination, parenthesis, apposition) can be distinguished in signed sentences? 3. What are the constraints on the one-handed articulation of two-handed signs, which is often necessary to create simultaneous constructions? To answer these questions, the most recent technical possibilities will be employed. Our corpus of NGT (Sign Language of the Netherlands), one of the first and largest digital sign language corpora in the world, will serve as the central resource for addressing all questions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities languages and literature general language studies
- humanities languages and literature linguistics sign language
- humanities languages and literature linguistics phonology
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2007-StG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
6525 XZ Nijmegen
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.