Sampling Signers in Providence Island: Reflections on a Small-Scale Documentation Project

Abstract

Providence Island Sign Language is an indigenous sign language of Colombia, used in the Caribbean Island of Providence (Spanish: Providencia). First described in the 1960s and 1970s, the sign language has received little follow up research. In this paper I introduce a small-scale documentation project of PISL that began in 2019 and is ongoing. I describe the aim, methods and output of this project and reflect on data collection, particularly with respect to sampling members of the language community. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussions around best practices in sign language documentation, by adding a case study focused on sampling in a micro-community sign language.