I don’t know the exact answer to your questions but I want to mention that the users of spoken languages do use space as well as the users of signed languages. But, the former do not use space as often as the latter and their use of space is not as sophisticated as the latter. Regardless, they do use space. We sometimes see the users of spoken languages use their hands to give directions, describe events or indicate the location of different things. For example, a captain in a football team uses his (or her, female football players do exist hands to tell the members where they should be. A conversation like this could happen: “Tom, you go over there [use his right hand and point to the far location] Bill, you go over there [use his left hand and point to the far location] when we start, I want both of you run straight [move his hands forward] for about 10 yards then cross each other [move his hands to mimic the cross].”

The reason why we don’t recognize the use of space by the users of spoken languages is that the paradigm of linguists does not include the use of space in spoken languages. For example, the hands can’t be analyzed into morphemes or grammar. Because the paradigm excludes the use of hands, we are led to believe that the users of spoken languages do not use space in spite of the reality that shows the opposite.

On the subject of classifier, I want to quote several passages to illustrate that there are more to classifiers than we expect. The following passages come from the same article that I mentioned in my previous comment: “Visible Verbs Become Spoken” by William C. Stokoe in the Winter 2005 issue (Volume 5, Number 2) of Sign Language Studies (p. 152 to 169)

Page 156 on definition of classifier:

ASL has been called a classifier language, and writers have identified about a dozen signs of ASL that fit Keith Allan’s definition for classifiers:

[C]lassifiers are defined on two criteria: (a) they occur as morphemes in surface structures under specifiable conditions; (b) they have meaning, in the sense that a classifier denotes some salient perceived or imputed characteristic of the entity to which an associated noun refers (or may refer). [footnote 2]

Page 158 on type of classifier languages:

In his study of more than fifty “classifier languages,” Allan categorizes the languages as belonging “to one of four types – (i) numeral classifier languages, (ii) concordial classifier languages, (iii) predicate classifier languages, and (iv) intra-locative classifier languages.” [footnote 5] ASL uses numeral classifiers, but it seems to be mainly the third type, a predicate classifier language.

Page 159-160 on the categories of classification:

Allan defines seven categories of classification: material, shape, consistency, size, location, arrangement [arrangement classifiers in English are row or tier], and quanta [heap or bunch]. He writes, “The last two occur in languages like English which are not classifier languages but so far as I can judge, the first five occur only in classifier languages.” [footnote 9]

Classifier is a fantastic topic, isn’t it?

Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com

i was talking about that outreach idea of yours. i believe that it can happen. it is just a matter of when and what group, etc. let’s keep that in mind.

You just don’t know how many Hearies have taken advantage of Deaf JUST to learn signing and ASL.

It gets harder and harder to trust Hearies motivations sometimes.

We all have our own experiences and reasons for so…

That’s good you’d rather pay a Deaf person, but seems to be most unusual… In my experience anyway, as a Deaf person…

I have joined in several

No, I would not call them cowards.

This is my journey into reality whatever it takes til the day I am buried in the ground.

I just wanted to share what I have gone through and no need for me to be selfish to keep my experience only to myself.

By all means, do whatever you feel happy to be in life. One way or another, we still be six feet in the ground regardless soon.

It is my “inter”-feelings(sp?) of not to be selfish, I want to share my realization of what I see and feel of being deaf and the alternative to enjoy life.

Please understand my limitation of explaining this to you. Disregard my grammar, please see between the lines how I want you to feel what I am trying to say.

John Egbert