Form, Meaning, and Focus in American Sign Language

The meaning of any linguistic expression resides not only in the words, but in the way those words are conveyed. Miako N. P. Rankin explores this crucial interrelatedness of form and meaning in the context of American Sign Language, specifically in relation to the concept of non-agent focus - the ASL equivalent of the passive voice in English. Rankin has determined that the pattern of form-meaning correlation characteristic of non-agent focus is used prolifically in day-to-day language and that the recognition of the frequency of this pattern has wide implications for the acquisition of ASL, the development of curricula for teaching ASL, and the analysis of ASL discourse in effective interpretation.