Phoebe Tay 

Phoebe Tay is currently a PhD Candidate at NTU. Prior to starting her doctorate, she worked as a Linguistic Research Specialist for Deaf Bible Society in Dallas. Phoebe did her dual MAs in International Development and Linguistics at Gallaudet University in Washington DC. She also obtained her BA in Deaf Education from Griffith University, Brisbane and worked as a teacher of the deaf for a few years in Melbourne. To learn more about Phoebe’s work, feel free to visit www.phoebetay.com. 

Iconicity, Fractal Recursivity, and Erasure: Linguistic Differentiation in Sign Language Instruction in Singapore

Multilingualism in Singapore has resulted in different spoken and signed languages coming into contact with and influencing one another. This has given rise to language ideologies, which underpin the very process of linguistic differentiation. Linguistic differentiation is a natural process where language differences among people are created, leading to variations in language practices among deaf individuals. This differentiation occurs through 3 key processes, namely iconization, fractal recursivity, and erasure (Irvine & Gal, 2000; Gal, 2023). Participants and observers construct their understandings of linguistic varieties based on their language ideologies. They connect those ideologies which are influenced by their sociopolitical and historical context, and ascribe them to themselves and others (Gal, 2023, Irvine & Gal, 2000). 

This poster presentation explores how (standard) ideologies form the basis for the 3 key processes of language differentiation, that manifest in sign language instruction in Singapore. This is done through analysis of data from 37 narrative interviews by deaf and hearing stakeholders, obtained through photo-elicitation techniques and semi-structured interviewing. 

According to Irvine and Gal (2000), iconization refers to how people construct the connections between linguistic forms (including full languages) and social identities. Therefore, iconization occurs when deaf individuals establish language boundaries through using labels and descriptions of languages and social groups. Deaf people frequently observe and also provide rationalisations and justifications for theirs and others language choices and practices. In Singapore, various deaf social groups hold different ideas of what constitute good language practices. Through language policing, deaf individuals signal aspects of their social identities, revealing their group affiliations such as the older deaf group, younger deaf group, hard-of-hearing group, and strong deaf leaders. 

Fractal recursivity is exemplified when contrasts, such as restraint or elaboration in speech practices, are reiterated on different scales among various groups (Gal, 2023). The different speech registers used by various groups mark their identities. In Singapore, this is evident when the different gatekeepers use various labels to describe their language practices, such as Singapore Sign Language (SgSL), Signing Exact English (SEE), Native Sign Language (NSL), Pidgin Signed English (PSE), and so on (Tay & Ng, 2022). Lastly, erasure occurs when certain variations of the language are neglected or transformed to conform to a specific schema, thereby erasing diversity within the language (Gal, 2023). An interview excerpt shows erasure in sign language instruction as an SEE signer was told she was “not qualified” to teach SgSL by deaf instructors who are proponents of SgSL. 

The data indicates that linguistic distinctions have caused fractiousness among deaf sign language instructors and other deaf and hearing stakeholders. However, labelling a variant as a language and perceiving bi- and multilingualism as a resource, can be empowering and result in greater awareness and acceptance of linguistic diversity. The significance of this study lies in developing an understanding of how deaf instructors’ ideologies create language differences, and the effects these differences have on sign language teaching. This can inform future developments of sign language instruction in Singapore.