The title of this thesis Extra Ordinary is intentionally ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, it can refer to either the very ordinary or to that which is outside of the ordinary.The works described within these pages functions similarly. From person to person and with time they move from the ordinary to beyond and back again. How can something be both mysterious and understood at the same time? How can I as a painter create a space where diametrically opposed forces can coexist and what is the effect of viewing such an object? This thesis addresses these issues with personal anecdote and through description of artwork and the art making process

This thesis addresses the issue of thranslating formal texts written in Czech into Czech sign language. The first chapter deals with stylistic factors influencing formal Czech written texts and also the sociocultural situation of the Czech deaf community. The second and third chapters characterize translation of sign language translation and various approaches to the process of translating both spoken and sign languages. The research is a comparative analysis of a sample of formal Czech written texts and their sign language translations. The findings are introduced in the conclusive part of the thesis. Keywords: Czech sign langueage, sign language interpreting, sign language translation, equivalent, stylistic factors, translation norm, oral languages, formal text

This thesis addresses the issue of translating formal texts written in Czech into Czech sign language. The first chapter deals with stylistic factors influencing formal Czech written texts and also the sociocultural situation of the Czech deaf community. The second and third chapters characterize translation of sign language translation and various approaches to the process of translating both spoken and sign languages. The research is a comparative analysis of a sample of formal Czech written texts and their sign language translations. The findings are introduced in the conclusive part of the thesis. Keywords: Czech sign language, sign language interpreting, sign language translation, equivalent, stylistic factors, translation norm, oral languages, formal text

This thesis comprises four separate studies of the same material: a ten-minute Swedish Sign Language monologue. Study I describes the form, meaning, and use of the sign INDEX-c, a pointing toward the chest traditionally described as a first person pronoun. It is argued that INDEX-c is used not only with specific reference to the signer or a quoted signer, but also with non-specific reference. Contrary to what has been reported, INDEX-c is used not only for constructed dialogue, but also in constructed action. The analysis reveals two separate forms, as well, labeled as reduced INDEX-c and distinct INDEX-c, respectively. Study II describes the activities of the non-dominant hand when it is not part of a two-handed sign. A continuum is suggested, moving from different rest positions that do not contribute to the discourse content, via mirroring of the dominant hand, for example, to instances where the non-dominant hand produces signs of its own while the dominant hand remains inactive, i.e. dominance reversal. Several of the activities of the non-dominant hand, including the four types of buoys that are described, help structure the discourse by indicating the current topic. Study III uses Mental Space Theory and Conceptual Blending Theory to describe the use of signing space for reference. A correlation is shown between discourse content and the area in the signing space toward which signs are meaningfully directed, and also between these directions and which types of Real Space blends the signer mainly uses: token blends or surrogate blends. Finally Study IV looks in more detail at three segments of the discourse and their Real Space blend structure. An initial analysis of eight interpretations into spoken Swedish is also conducted, focusing on whether preselected content units (discourse entities and relations) are identified. A large number of Real Space blends and blended entities are argued to result in less successful renditions measured in terms of preselected content units. / För att köpa boken skicka en beställning till exp@ling.su.se/ To order the book send an e-mail to exp@ling.su.se

Esta tese trata de como o sistema SignWriting pode servir de suporte a uma nova proposta pedagógica ao ensino da escrita de língua de sinais e letramento para crianças surdas usuárias da Língua Brasileira de Sinais - Libras e da Língua de Sinais Francesa - LSF. Escrever deve ser uma atividade significativa para a criança. No caso da criança surda, a escrita fundamenta-se em sua competência na língua de sinais, sem precisar da intermediação da língua oral. A criança surda, quando em um ambiente onde ela e seus colegas se comunicam em língua de sinais, efetivamente tenta escrever sinais, quando é incentivada a fazê-lo. Em nossos experimentos, usamos o sistema SignWriting para mostrar ás crianças surdas (e a seus pais e professores) como escrever textos em línguas de sinais de ambas as formas: manuscrita e impressa, usando o programa Sign Writer para editar textos em línguas de sinais. A base teórica que apóia a tese é a abordagem bilíngüe para a educação de surdos, a língua de sinais, a teoria de Piaget, e de Ferreiro quando trata das etapas da alfabetização em língua oral. Esta investigação possui um caráter exploratório, em que o delineamento metodológico é dado pela pesquisa-ação. O primeiro estudo apresenta um levantamento do processo de aquisição da escrita de sinais, em sua forma manuscrita, pela criança e jovem surdo no Brasil e na França. O segundo estudo trata da ajuda que a informática pode dar a essa aquisição e de como utilizamos os softwares de escrita de língua de sinais em aulas de introdução ao uso do computador e em transcrições da LSF de corpus vídeo para a escrita de língua de sinais. Os resultados sugerem que as crianças evoluem em sua escrita, pois muitos signos que elas escreveram não foram sugeridos pela experimentadora, nem por outro meio, mas surgiram espontaneamente. A introdução de um software como o Sign Writer ou o SW-Edit nas classes para introduzir as TI traz a essas aulas muito maior interesse do que quando usamos um editor de textos na língua oral. Também as produções das crianças são mais sofisticadas. As conclusões indicam que a escrita de língua de sinais incorporada à educação das crianças surdas pode significar um avanço significativo na consolidação de uma educação realmente bilíngüe, na evolução das línguas de sinais e aponta para a possibilidade de novas abordagens ao ensino da língua oral como segunda língua. / This thesis describes how the SignWriting system can support a new pedagogic proposal to the teaching of written sign language and literacy for deaf children using the Brazilian Sign Language – Libras and the French Sign Language – LSF. Writing should be a significant activity for the child. In the case of a deaf child, writing is based on his/her competence in sign language, needless of the intermediation of the spoken language. The deaf child, when in an environment where he/she and her colleagues communicate using sign language, indeed tries to write using signs, when encouraged to do so. In our experiments, we used the SignWriting system to show the deaf children (and their parents and teachers) how to write texts in sign languages in both forms: handwritten and printed, using the SignWriter program to edit texts in sign languages. The theoretical basis supporting this thesis is the bilingual approach for the education of the deaf, sign language, and the theories of Piaget and of Ferreiro, with their approach of the stages of literacy in oral language. This investigation has an exploratory character, where the methodological alignment is given by research-action. The first study presents a description of the sign language writing acquisition process by the children and youngsters in Brazil and in France. The second study presents how information technology (I.T.) can support this acquisition and the way sign language writing softwares can be used in introductory lessons of computer skills and in transcriptions of LSF from corpus video to written sign language. The results observed suggest that children evolve in their writing, since many signs and phrases they wrote were not suggested by the researcher nor by other means, they rather appeared spontaneously. The introduction of a software such as Sign Writer or SW-Edit during the I.T. classes brings significantly higher interest to these lessons when compared to a text editor in oral language. Also the children’s productions are more sophisticate. The conclusion indicates that sign language writing, when incorporated to the education of deaf children, can represent a significant advance in the consolidation of a really bilingual education, as well as in the evolution of sign languages, and also indicates the possibility of new approaches to the teaching of oral language as a second language.

Esta tese trata de como o sistema SignWriting pode servir de suporte a uma nova proposta pedagógica ao ensino da escrita de língua de sinais e letramento para crianças surdas usuárias da Língua Brasileira de Sinais - Libras e da Língua de Sinais Francesa - LSF. Escrever deve ser uma atividade significativa para a criança. No caso da criança surda, a escrita fundamenta-se em sua competência na língua de sinais, sem precisar da intermediação da língua oral. A criança surda, quando em um ambiente onde ela e seus colegas se comunicam em língua de sinais, efetivamente tenta escrever sinais, quando é incentivada a fazê-lo. Em nossos experimentos, usamos o sistema SignWriting para mostrar ás crianças surdas (e a seus pais e professores) como escrever textos em línguas de sinais de ambas as formas: manuscrita e impressa, usando o programa Sign Writer para editar textos em línguas de sinais. A base teórica que apóia a tese é a abordagem bilíngüe para a educação de surdos, a língua de sinais, a teoria de Piaget, e de Ferreiro quando trata das etapas da alfabetização em língua oral. Esta investigação possui um caráter exploratório, em que o delineamento metodológico é dado pela pesquisa-ação. O primeiro estudo apresenta um levantamento do processo de aquisição da escrita de sinais, em sua forma manuscrita, pela criança e jovem surdo no Brasil e na França. O segundo estudo trata da ajuda que a informática pode dar a essa aquisição e de como utilizamos os softwares de escrita de língua de sinais em aulas de introdução ao uso do computador e em transcrições da LSF de corpus vídeo para a escrita de língua de sinais. Os resultados sugerem que as crianças evoluem em sua escrita, pois muitos signos que elas escreveram não foram sugeridos pela experimentadora, nem por outro meio, mas surgiram espontaneamente. A introdução de um software como o Sign Writer ou o SW-Edit nas classes para introduzir as TI traz a essas aulas muito maior interesse do que quando usamos um editor de textos na língua oral. Também as produções das crianças são mais sofisticadas. As conclusões indicam que a escrita de língua de sinais incorporada à educação das crianças surdas pode significar um avanço significativo na consolidação de uma educação realmente bilíngüe, na evolução das línguas de sinais e aponta para a possibilidade de novas abordagens ao ensino da língua oral como segunda língua. / This thesis describes how the SignWriting system can support a new pedagogic proposal to the teaching of written sign language and literacy for deaf children using the Brazilian Sign Language – Libras and the French Sign Language – LSF. Writing should be a significant activity for the child. In the case of a deaf child, writing is based on his/her competence in sign language, needless of the intermediation of the spoken language. The deaf child, when in an environment where he/she and her colleagues communicate using sign language, indeed tries to write using signs, when encouraged to do so. In our experiments, we used the SignWriting system to show the deaf children (and their parents and teachers) how to write texts in sign languages in both forms: handwritten and printed, using the SignWriter program to edit texts in sign languages. The theoretical basis supporting this thesis is the bilingual approach for the education of the deaf, sign language, and the theories of Piaget and of Ferreiro, with their approach of the stages of literacy in oral language. This investigation has an exploratory character, where the methodological alignment is given by research-action. The first study presents a description of the sign language writing acquisition process by the children and youngsters in Brazil and in France. The second study presents how information technology (I.T.) can support this acquisition and the way sign language writing softwares can be used in introductory lessons of computer skills and in transcriptions of LSF from corpus video to written sign language. The results observed suggest that children evolve in their writing, since many signs and phrases they wrote were not suggested by the researcher nor by other means, they rather appeared spontaneously. The introduction of a software such as Sign Writer or SW-Edit during the I.T. classes brings significantly higher interest to these lessons when compared to a text editor in oral language. Also the children’s productions are more sophisticate. The conclusion indicates that sign language writing, when incorporated to the education of deaf children, can represent a significant advance in the consolidation of a really bilingual education, as well as in the evolution of sign languages, and also indicates the possibility of new approaches to the teaching of oral language as a second language.

Esta tese trata de como o sistema SignWriting pode servir de suporte a uma nova proposta pedagógica ao ensino da escrita de língua de sinais e letramento para crianças surdas usuárias da Língua Brasileira de Sinais - Libras e da Língua de Sinais Francesa - LSF. Escrever deve ser uma atividade significativa para a criança. No caso da criança surda, a escrita fundamenta-se em sua competência na língua de sinais, sem precisar da intermediação da língua oral. A criança surda, quando em um ambiente onde ela e seus colegas se comunicam em língua de sinais, efetivamente tenta escrever sinais, quando é incentivada a fazê-lo. Em nossos experimentos, usamos o sistema SignWriting para mostrar ás crianças surdas (e a seus pais e professores) como escrever textos em línguas de sinais de ambas as formas: manuscrita e impressa, usando o programa Sign Writer para editar textos em línguas de sinais. A base teórica que apóia a tese é a abordagem bilíngüe para a educação de surdos, a língua de sinais, a teoria de Piaget, e de Ferreiro quando trata das etapas da alfabetização em língua oral. Esta investigação possui um caráter exploratório, em que o delineamento metodológico é dado pela pesquisa-ação. O primeiro estudo apresenta um levantamento do processo de aquisição da escrita de sinais, em sua forma manuscrita, pela criança e jovem surdo no Brasil e na França. O segundo estudo trata da ajuda que a informática pode dar a essa aquisição e de como utilizamos os softwares de escrita de língua de sinais em aulas de introdução ao uso do computador e em transcrições da LSF de corpus vídeo para a escrita de língua de sinais. Os resultados sugerem que as crianças evoluem em sua escrita, pois muitos signos que elas escreveram não foram sugeridos pela experimentadora, nem por outro meio, mas surgiram espontaneamente. A introdução de um software como o Sign Writer ou o SW-Edit nas classes para introduzir as TI traz a essas aulas muito maior interesse do que quando usamos um editor de textos na língua oral. Também as produções das crianças são mais sofisticadas. As conclusões indicam que a escrita de língua de sinais incorporada à educação das crianças surdas pode significar um avanço significativo na consolidação de uma educação realmente bilíngüe, na evolução das línguas de sinais e aponta para a possibilidade de novas abordagens ao ensino da língua oral como segunda língua. / This thesis describes how the SignWriting system can support a new pedagogic proposal to the teaching of written sign language and literacy for deaf children using the Brazilian Sign Language – Libras and the French Sign Language – LSF. Writing should be a significant activity for the child. In the case of a deaf child, writing is based on his/her competence in sign language, needless of the intermediation of the spoken language. The deaf child, when in an environment where he/she and her colleagues communicate using sign language, indeed tries to write using signs, when encouraged to do so. In our experiments, we used the SignWriting system to show the deaf children (and their parents and teachers) how to write texts in sign languages in both forms: handwritten and printed, using the SignWriter program to edit texts in sign languages. The theoretical basis supporting this thesis is the bilingual approach for the education of the deaf, sign language, and the theories of Piaget and of Ferreiro, with their approach of the stages of literacy in oral language. This investigation has an exploratory character, where the methodological alignment is given by research-action. The first study presents a description of the sign language writing acquisition process by the children and youngsters in Brazil and in France. The second study presents how information technology (I.T.) can support this acquisition and the way sign language writing softwares can be used in introductory lessons of computer skills and in transcriptions of LSF from corpus video to written sign language. The results observed suggest that children evolve in their writing, since many signs and phrases they wrote were not suggested by the researcher nor by other means, they rather appeared spontaneously. The introduction of a software such as Sign Writer or SW-Edit during the I.T. classes brings significantly higher interest to these lessons when compared to a text editor in oral language. Also the children’s productions are more sophisticate. The conclusion indicates that sign language writing, when incorporated to the education of deaf children, can represent a significant advance in the consolidation of a really bilingual education, as well as in the evolution of sign languages, and also indicates the possibility of new approaches to the teaching of oral language as a second language.

Denna studie handlar om hur alla barn kan få möjlighet att göras delaktiga i förskolans verksamhet via olika kommunikationsformer. I studien undersöks vilka arbetssätt och tecken som förskollärare använder i tydliggörandet av barns kommunikation. Syftet är att bidra med kunskap om pedagogiska arbetssätt som kan bli tydliggörande för barns kommunikation i förskolan. Empirin har samlats in genom en kvalitativ metod, med semistrukturerade intervjuer där sex förskollärare från fem olika förskolor medverkade. Resultatet har sedan analyserats utifrån ett multimodalt och designorienterat perspektiv. I resultatet framkommer det att förskollärare använder sig utav arbetssättet tydliggörande pedagogik, med tecken som det verbala språket, TAKK, bilder och digitala verktyg i tydliggörandet av barns kommunikation.

Sign language is used widely around the world as a first language for those that are unable to use spoken language and by groups of people that have a disability which precludes them from using spoken language (such as a hearing impairment). The importance of effective learning of sign language and its applications in modern computer science has grown widely in the modern aged society and research around sign language recognition has sprouted in many different directions, some examples using hidden markov models (HMMs) to train models to recognize different sign language patterns (Swedish sign language, American sign language, Korean sign language, German sign language and so on).  This thesis project researches the assessment and skill efficiency of using a simple video game to learn Swedish sign language for children in the ages within the range of 10 to 11 with no learning disorders, or any health disorders. During the experimental testing, 38 children are divided into two equally sized groups of 19 where each group plays a sign language video game. The context of the video game is the same for both groups, where both listened to a 3D avatar speak to them using both spoken language and sign language. The first group played the game and answered questions given to them by using sign language, whereas the other group answered questions given to them by clicking on an alternative on the video game screen. A week after the children have played the video game, the sign language skills that they have acquired from playing the video game are assessed by simple questions where they are asked to provide some of the signs that they saw during the duration of the video game. The main hypothesis of the project is that the group of children that answered by signing outperforms the other group, in both remembering the signs and executing them correctly. A statistical null hypothesis test is performed on this hypothesis, in which the main hypothesis is confirmed. Lastly, discussions for future research within sign language assessment using video games is described in the final chapter of the thesis. / Teckenspråk används i stor grad runt om i världen som ett modersmål för dom som inte kan använda vardagligt talsspråk och utav grupper av personer som har en funktionsnedsättning (t.ex. en hörselskada). Betydelsen av effektivt lärande av teckenspråk och dess tillämpningar i modern datavetenskap har ökat i stor utsträckning i det moderna samhället, och forskning kring teckenspråklig igenkänning har spirat i många olika riktningar, ett exempel är med hjälp av statistika modeller såsom dolda markovmodeller (eng. Hidden markov models) för att träna modeller för att känna igen olika teckenspråksmönster (bland dessa ingår Svenskt teckenspråk, Amerikanskt teckenspråk, Koreanskt teckenspråk, Tyskt teckenspråk med flera). Denna rapport undersöker bedömningen och skickligheten av att använda ett enkelt teckenspråksspel som har utvecklats för att lära ut enkla Svenska teckenspråksmönster för barn i åldrarna 10 till 11 års ålder som inte har några inlärningssjukdomar eller några problem med allmän hälsa. Under projektets experiment delas 38 barn upp i två lika stora grupper om 19 i vardera grupp, där varje grupp kommer att få spela ett teckenspråksspel. Sammanhanget för spelet är detsamma för båda grupperna, där de får höra och se en tredimensionell figur (eng. 3D Avatar) tala till dom med både talsspråk och teckenspråk. Den första gruppen spelar spelet och svarar på frågor som ges till dem med hjälp av teckenspråk, medan den andra gruppen svarar på frågor som ges till dem genom att klicka på ett av fem alternativ som finns på spelets skärm. En vecka efter att barnen har utfört experimentet med teckenspråksspelet bedöms deras teckenspråkliga färdigheter som de har fått från spelet genom att de ombeds återuppge några av de tecknena som de såg under spelets varaktighet. Rapportens hypotes är att de barn som tillhör gruppen som fick ge teckenspråk som svar till frågorna som ställdes överträffar den andra gruppen, genom att både komma ihåg tecknena och återuppge dom på korrekt sätt. En statistisk hypotesprövning utförs på denna hypotes, där denna i sin tur bekräftas. Slutligen beskrivs det i rapportens sista kapitel om framtida forskning inom teckenspråksbedömning med tv spel och deras effektivitet.

Communication campaigns by major organizations in the field of development have been heavily dependent on humanitarian photography to motivate and attract donors. This genre of photography serves its purpose by informing, surprising and attracting the attention of a broad audience. It captures real life and real problems people in need have to deal with in remote areas of the world. This paper delves into the use of visual semiotics in the context of humanitarian photography and for the purpose of fund-raising by case study research of recent communication campaigns as implemented by major players in the field such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Global Fund to Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Doctors without Border, CARE and Save the Children. The purpose is to identify key issues which allow for the elicitation of a sign framework specific to the fund-raising genre and its idiosyncratic use of visual signs in photography based on a broad theoretical basis of semiotics. The analysis focuses on the content and methods of signification of photography in each case study. The effectiveness of humanitarian photography and important aspects of its function is discussed in the scope of its use as a communication medium for development.