We are happy to announce a talk by Justine Mertz in the Phonology Colloquium.
Room: IG 4.301
Date: November 20, 2024
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm ct
Title: „Investigating prosodic modulation in French Sign Language (LSF): A kinematic analysis of sign language coarticulation”
Abstract:
During interaction, speakers often modulate coarticulatory cues to either amplify or reduce perceptual distinctions between competing speech units. Anticipatory coarticulation has been observed in visual-gestural languages as well. However, coarticulatory strategies in sign language remain underexplored. This study offers the first investigation of coarticulation in French Sign Language (LSF) using 3D-Electromagnetic Articulography (EMA) for precise kinematic analysis of sign production. A deaf native signer was recorded (EMA/video) producing phonological sign pairs involving ‚1‘- and/or ‚3‘-handshapes. The kinematic data reveal the presence of coarticulation in varied discourse contexts, at both temporal and spatial levels. Using a dynamical framework (Articulatory Phonology), we interpret these kinematic patterns as systematic overlapping processes rooted in the phonological system.