31/01/23 - Annelies Kusters (Heriott-Watt University)

Annelies Kusters is a professor at Heriott-Watt University.

Abstract: “Calibrating” is an English translation of a sign that refers to spinning dials on the body. This sign is used to describe how people align with their interlocutors by adapting their signing until the other understands. The sign “calibrating” is particularly used to refer to signers’ adaptations to non-signers or non-fluent signers, and adaptations to people who use different regional variants or different sign languages. Calibration can involve the use of enactment, the use of different signs for the same concept, expansion by way of examples, the use of more mouthings or less mouthings, the use of more fingerspelling or less fingerspelling, the use of apps in mobile phones, drawing, and so on. To study how calibration occurs in everyday life situations, I engaged in linguistic ethnography, doing in-situ observations and video-recordings. Analysis of video-recordings was combined with interviews.

The seminar is hosted on Zoom. The talk will be from 12:00 to 13:00 and is preceded by our weekly sign lunch at HVL from 11:15 to 12:00. Languages: English, IS.

To receive the Zoom link to connect, please send an email to Ari Price (jupr@hvl.no) to be added to the mailing list.