A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

In LIS, it is possible to mark a TRP in several ways. More commonly, the position of the hands communicates the intention to participate or not in the conversation. Some of these positions are displayed in the pictures below.

 

         

         Figure: Hands in pockets

 

         

         Figure: Hands at rest

 

         

         Figure: Arms crossed

 

Hands in pockets, hands at rest, and crossed arms signal that the participant is not interested in taking the turn.

         Another strategy for sending turn-taking signals consists in touching the partner as a way to call her/his attention and start a new turn, as exemplified in the picture below.

 

         

         Figure: Turn-taking tactile signal used to start the turn

 

A third type of strategy concerns the use of cues which can explicitly signal the point of a turn taking. These cues may concern prosodic changes in the speed or size of signs, especially at the end of a turn. The possibility to allocate the turn to another participant may also be marked by non-manuals produced by the signer at the end of an utterance, such as eye blink and head nod. Some of the above-mentioned turn-taking signals are illustrated in the example below.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                              eb

         A:           yesterday university student CL(5): ‘crowded’ ix lesson start done   <arms crossed>-----------------------------------

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       eb  hn

         B:           <hands at rest>-----------------------------------------------------------------  true ix₁ room little need other big sit++ all

         ‘Yesterday, at the university, it was very crowded, when the class started.’ ‘True, the classroom is little. We need another bigger classroom, so that everyone can have a sit.’

 

The example displays various turn-taking cues. Signer A, for example, crosses his arms at the end of his turn. While watching, signer B’ hands are at rest, he decides to intervene to contribute to the conversation. The eye blink is a non-manual cue used to end both Signer A’s and Signer B’s turn.