Editing Fingerspelling (section)

==Fingerspelling in sign languages==
Fingerspelling has been introduced into certain sign languages by educators and as such has some structural properties that are unlike the visually motivated and multi-layered signs that are typical in deaf sign languages. In many ways fingerspelling serves as a bridge between the sign language and the oral language that surrounds it.

Fingerspelling is used in different sign languages and [[Register (sociolinguistics)|register]]s for different purposes. It may be used to represent words from an oral language that have no sign equivalent or for emphasis or clarification or when teaching or learning a sign language.

In [[American Sign Language]] (ASL) more lexical items are fingerspelled in casual conversation than in formal or narrative signing.<ref name= "Frequency Characteristics">[[Jill Morford|Morford, Jill]] Patterson, and MacFarlane, James (2003). ''Frequency Characteristics of American Sign Language.'' Sign Language Studies, Volume 3, Number 2, Winter 2003, pp. 213–25</ref> Different sign language [[speech community|speech communities]] use fingerspelling to a greater or lesser degree. At the high end of the scale<ref>Padden, Carol A. (2003). ''How the alphabet came to be used in a sign language'', Sign Language Studies, 4.1. Gallaudet University Press</ref> fingerspelling makes up about 8.7% of casual signing in ASL<ref name="Frequency Characteristics" /> and 10% of casual signing in [[Auslan]].<ref>Schembri, A. & Johnston, T. (in press). ''Sociolinguistic variation in fingerspelling in Australian Sign Language (Auslan): A pilot study.'' Sign Language Studies.</ref> The proportion is higher in older signers.  Across the [[Tasman Sea]] only 2.5% of the [[Corpus linguistics |corpus]] of [[New Zealand Sign Language]] was found to be fingerspelling.<ref>McKee, David and Kennedy, Graeme (2000). ''Corpus analysis of New Zealand Sign Language.'' Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research. Amsterdam. July 23rd-27th</ref> Fingerspelling did not become a part of NZSL until the 1980s.<ref>McKee, R. L., & McKee, D. (2002). ''A guide to New Zealand Sign Language grammar.'' Deaf Studies Research Unit, Occasional Publication No. 3, Victoria University of Wellington.</ref> Before that words could be spelled or initialised by tracing letters in the air.<ref>Forman, Wayne (2003) ''The ABCs of New Zealand Sign Language: Aerial Spelling.'' Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. Volume 8, Number 1, January 2003. {{ISSN|1081-4159}}.</ref> Fingerspelling does not seem to be used much in the sign languages of Eastern Europe except in schools,<ref>{{cite web | first = J. Albert | last = Bickford | year = 2005 | publisher = [[SIL International]] | work = Electronic Survey Report |url= http://www.sil.org/silesr/2005/silesr2005-026.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406010258/http://www.sil.org/silesr/2005/silesr2005-026.pdf |archive-date=2008-04-06 |url-status=live |title=The Signed Languages of Eastern Europe}} {{small|(8.62 [[Megabyte|MB]])}}.</ref> and [[Italian Sign Language]] is also said to use very little fingerspelling, and mainly for foreign words.  Sign languages that make no use of fingerspelling at all include [[Kata Kolok]] and [[Ban Khor Sign Language]].

The speed and clarity of fingerspelling also vary among different signing communities. In Italian Sign Language fingerspelled words are produced relatively slowly and clearly, whereas fingerspelling in standard [[British Sign Language]] (BSL) is often rapid so that the individual letters become difficult to distinguish and the word is grasped from the overall hand movement. Most of the letters of the BSL alphabet are produced with two hands but when one hand is occupied the dominant hand may fingerspell onto an imaginary subordinate hand and the word can be recognised by the movement. As with written words, the first and last letters and the length of the word are the most significant factors for recognition.

When people fluent in sign language read fingerspelling they do not usually look at the signer's hand(s) but maintain eye contact, as is normal for sign language.  People who are learning fingerspelling often find it impossible to understand it using just their [[peripheral vision]] and must look straight at the hand of someone who is fingerspelling.  Often they must also ask the signer to fingerspell slowly.  It frequently takes years of expressive and receptive practice to become skilled with fingerspelling.