Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities

Book excerpt: The book's strenght is in its rigorous research standards. Strongly recommended. -- CHOICEA valuable resource and a rare, qualitative presentation. -- Academic Library Book ReviewThe first volume in the new Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities series presents a rich collection of essays on fingerspelling in Langue des Signes Quebecoise (LSQ) in Quebec, Canada; language used by a Navajo family with deaf children; language, policy, classroom practice, and multiculturalism in deaf education; aspects of American Sign Language (ASL) and Filipino sign language discourse; and the role of rhetorical language in Deaf social movements. Contributors are Dominique Machabee, Arlene Blumenthal-Kelly, Jeffrey Davis, Melanie Met-ger, Samuel Supalla, Barbara Gerner de Garcia, Liza B. Martinez, Kathy Jankowski, and also Ceil Lucas. Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities affords an invaluable opportunity to assess up-to-date information on sign language linguistics worldwide and its impact on policy and planning in education, interaction with spoken languages, interpreting, and the issues of empowerment.