Use and acquisition of mouth actions in L2 sign language learners

Abstract

This article deals with L2 acquisition of a sign language, examining in particular the use and acquisition of non-manual mouth actions performed by L2 learners of Swedish Sign Language. Based on longitudinal data from an L2 learner corpus, we describe the distribution, frequency, and spreading patterns of mouth actions in sixteen L2 learners at two time points. The data are compared with nine signers of an L1 control group. The results reveal some differences in the use of mouth actions between the groups. The results are specifically related to the category of mouthing borrowed from spoken Swedish. L2 signers show an increased use of mouthing compared to L1 signers. Conversely, L1 signers exhibit an increased use of reduced mouthing compared with L2 signers. We also observe an increase of adverbial mouth gestures within the L2 group. The results are discussed in relation to previous findings, and within the framework of cross-linguistic influence.

New Insights Into Mouthings: Evidence From a Corpus-Based Study of Russian Sign Language

“…RSL mouthings came in a reduced form in 75% (n = 8904) of all cases (n = 11886). This finding is also quite surprising, because an opposite tendency has been reported for Auslan and STS, where fully-articulated mouthings were found to be the most common category (Johnston et al, 2016;Mesch and Schönström, 2021). In RSL, full mouthings are generally short, being no longer than two or three syllables.…”

“…Out of 44 instances where a mouthing was spread from a co-occurring manual sign, 31 were progressive, 12 were regressive and 1 was mixed, in that it exhibits spreading over two additional signs, both before and after the source sign. The free use of regressive spreading sets RSL apart from such languages as NGT and BSL and brings it closer to SSL, which also exhibits occasional use of regressive spreading ( Crasborn et al, 2008 ; Mesch and Schönström, 2021 ). Tables 1.1 and 1.2 show the source and target signs of spreading in order of their frequency.…”

“…We still lack descriptions of the mouthings in a great number of sign languages, including in RSL. Only a few Deaf 1 community sign languages, such as especially the British (BSL), Australian (Auslan), Swedish (STS), German (DGS), and Dutch (NGT) ones, alongside a small number of other, mostly European sign languages, have been analyzed with respect to their mouthings ( Ebbinghaus and Heßmann, 1995 ; Sutton-Spence and Day, 2001 ; Bank et al, 2011 ; Mohr, 2014 ; Johnston et al, 2016 ; Mesch and Schönström, 2021 ). Although, so far, most sign language research has focused on ASL, it is interesting to note that the vast bulk of the research carried out on mouthing has been for European sign languages, while ASL researchers have largely ignored mouthing for many years (an exception is Nadolske and Rosenstock, 2008 ).…”

“…2 Not much research has been done on the use of reduced mouthings in different sign languages. Mesch and Schönström (2021) have shown that reduced mouthings are used much more often by deaf L1 signers than by L2 learners of Swedish Sign Language (STS). L2 signers tend to use full mouthings while signing.…”

Sign languages and second language acquisition research: An introduction

“…From a crosslinguistic influence perspective, mouthings are of particular interest. Mesch and Schönström (2021) investigated the use and acquisition of mouth actions from up to 16 L2 STS learners of various proficiency levels using data from the STS L2 corpus. The results showed that L2 STS learners' ratio of mouth actions to signs was higher compared to L1 signers, and that they used mouthings to a greater extent compared to L1 signers, demonstrating crosslinguistic influence of L1 Swedish on L2 STS and an overgeneralization of the use of mouthings.…”