CDI Specialized Communication Modalities and Linguistic Diversity 1 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is Black American Sign Language (Black ASL)?
- A formal ASL dialect used in legal settings by Black Deaf individuals
- A distinct variety of ASL that developed in historically segregated Black Deaf schools (Correct answer)
- A simplified signing system created for Deaf individuals with limited ASL exposure
- An internationally recognized sign language used across African nations
Correct answer: A distinct variety of ASL that developed in historically segregated Black Deaf schools
Black ASL developed as a distinct dialect due to the segregation of Deaf schools in the South prior to the 1960s, resulting in unique vocabulary, grammar, and cultural norms.
Question 2: How does Black ASL typically differ from mainstream ASL in terms of signing space?
- Black ASL uses a smaller, more compact signing space
- Black ASL uses a larger signing space and more two-handed signs (Correct answer)
- Black ASL restricts signing to the area below the chin
- Black ASL eliminates the use of non-manual markers
Correct answer: Black ASL uses a larger signing space and more two-handed signs
Research by Ceil Lucas and colleagues found that Black ASL signers tend to use a larger signing space and have a higher proportion of two-handed signs compared to white ASL signers.
Question 3: What is a 'home sign' system, and how should a CDI approach a consumer who uses one?
- A standardized sign system taught in residential schools; the CDI should use the school's curriculum
- An idiosyncratic gestural system developed without formal sign language input; the CDI should work closely with the consumer to establish shared meaning (Correct answer)
- A simplified version of ASL used in home settings; the CDI should teach the consumer standard ASL during the interaction
- A regionally specific ASL variant; the CDI should use a regional interpreter as a relay
Correct answer: An idiosyncratic gestural system developed without formal sign language input; the CDI should work closely with the consumer to establish shared meaning
Home signs are self-developed gestural systems with no formal sign language base; the CDI must take time to establish shared referents and meaning with the consumer rather than imposing a formal sign system.
Question 4: What is International Sign (IS), and in what context would a CDI most likely encounter it?
- A fully codified signed language approved by the United Nations for global Deaf communication
- A contact variety of signing used in international Deaf events and conferences among signers of different national sign languages (Correct answer)
- An ASL-based system developed for interpreting at U.S. embassies abroad
- A simplified signed pidgin used exclusively for DeafBlind international travelers
Correct answer: A contact variety of signing used in international Deaf events and conferences among signers of different national sign languages
International Sign is a contact varietyānot a fully standardized languageāused at events like Deaflympics and World Federation of the Deaf congresses where Deaf individuals from many countries communicate.
Question 5: When a CDI encounters a Deaf consumer with minimal language skills (MLS), which approach is most appropriate?
- Refer the consumer to a hearing interpreter who specializes in MLS to avoid role confusion
- Use highly idiomatic ASL to model correct language and encourage the consumer to adapt
- Use gesture, mime, drawing, and simplified signs to establish shared meaning and facilitate communication (Correct answer)
- Decline the assignment and request a DeafBlind interpreter instead
Correct answer: Use gesture, mime, drawing, and simplified signs to establish shared meaning and facilitate communication
Consumers with MLS have limited exposure to any formal language, so CDIs must use multi-modal strategiesāgesture, mime, drawing, and basic signsāto bridge the communication gap.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'contact signing' (sometimes called Pidgin Signed English or PSE)?
- A fully developed language with its own grammar used by children of Deaf adults (CODAs)
- A form of fingerspelling used when no ASL sign exists for an English word
- A blend of ASL signs and English word order that emerges when ASL users interact with English speakers (Correct answer)
- An invented system of sign codes that map exactly onto English morphemes
Correct answer: A blend of ASL signs and English word order that emerges when ASL users interact with English speakers
Contact signing emerges at the interface between ASL and English, borrowing ASL signs but often following English word order and incorporating English features, and is not a fully independent language.
Question 7: Why is it important for a CDI to have awareness of regional sign language variations within the United States?
- Regional variations are only relevant for hearing interpreters and do not affect CDI practice
- Different regions may have distinct signs for the same concept, and misunderstanding regional signs can impede accurate message transfer (Correct answer)
- The RID requires CDIs to certify in each regional dialect separately before interpreting in that area
- Regional variations exist only in fingerspelling conventions and have minimal impact on comprehension
Correct answer: Different regions may have distinct signs for the same concept, and misunderstanding regional signs can impede accurate message transfer
ASL has documented regional variation in vocabulary and phonology; a CDI who is unaware of local signs used by the consumer may misinterpret or mistranslate crucial information.
CDI Specialized Communication Modalities and Linguistic Diversity 1
What is Black American Sign Language (Black ASL)?