Some interactional functions of finger pointing in signed language conversations

Abstract

Interlocutors participating in conversation collaborate with each other to coordinate their actions and talk. Research on spoken language conversations has shown that speakers use bodily gestures, in addition to speech, to regulate their interaction. The current study expands on this research by investigating how signed language users finger point to express interactional meanings. Studies of pointing in signed languages have largely focused on referential functions, as signers frequently point to refer to themselves and others, as well as visible and invisible referents. However, this study demonstrates how signers also finger point to deliver information, cite previous contributions, seek responses, manage turns, and give feedback. These interactional meanings are important, just as identifying discourse referents is important. Language theory should be able to accommodate this complexity of language in conversation, which involves an interplay between different types of semiosis (description, depiction, indexicality) in an inclusive, systematic way.

A corpus-based study of ‘Away gestures’ across four signed languages

“…In conclusion, our findings support the growing body of research on contrastive spoken-signed language research (e.g., Cooperrider, Abner, and Goldin-Meadow 2018;Fenlon et al 2019;Ferrara 2020;Lepeut 2020Lepeut , 2022Lepeut and Shaw 2022) which is against posing a strict gesture-sign distinction. On the contrary, much more can be learnt from comparing gesture and sign than from opposing them (Lepeut 2022).…”

“…Our research is motivated by the fact that forms that are referred to as 'recurrent gestures' in SpLs (like the above-mentioned members of the Palm Up Open Hand family or Stretched Index Finger forms) are present in and described for SLs, being among the most frequently used manual forms. When their use in SLs is compared to their use in co-speech gesture, it exhibits both differences and similarities (e.g., Cooperrider, Abner, and Goldin-Meadow 2018;Fenlon et al 2019;Ferrara 2020;Lepeut 2020). Hence, these papers provide evidence of the fact that both spoken and signed languages are multimodal and that no clear-cut division can be drawn between some of the manual forms produced by speakers and signers.…”

Indexing turn-beginnings in Norwegian Sign Language conversation

“…Finally, Ferrara (2020) has highlighted the active use of finger pointing in turntransition contexts in Norwegian Sign Language. This preliminary study worked to outline the range of interactional functions that finger pointing serves, and findings revealed that signers often finger point to regulate turn-taking and give conversational feedback.…”

“…The frequent use of finger pointing during turn transitions uncovered in Ferrara's (2020) study of Norwegian Sign Language conversations was the impetus for the current study.…”