Sep 16, 2008

Dissertation nerd

I was working at the desk in my room all day. Of course, this is for my dissertation. On Thursday, I'll have my prof's seminar. I have to introduce how I will proceed my dissertation on that day to my prof and other students in our seminar.

In the last seminar, my prof said I should focus on sign languages. At that time, I talked what my job-hunting was going. My prof was pleased to hear that I got a job in the hospital. Therefore, my prof recommended me to work on something related to sign languages. Besides, I took American sign language class last semester in the States.

Some people just think sign languages are just 'sign', not languages. It's absolutely not true, I hope. Sign languages are human languages as well as spoken languages.

I hear some people say that they should make universal sign language which enables the deaf to communicate easily. It's not practical at all.


I should take spoken language as an example. Is it possible for people all over the world to use only one language for communication? No. Not to mention, there are tons of languages over the world.

This applies to sign languages also. There're many sign languages like Japanese sign language, American sign language, etc...

In my dissertation, I want to insist that sign languages are human languages through analysis of each language, comparing the features.

So far, I'm thinking of focusing on the 'wh-doubling constructions' in American sign language. I hope it's gonna be good topic to develop my thesis.

It took all day to think about what I said above. I read some papers and went to the library...I borrowed some book there (picture).

I want to work on my thesis from the perspective of syntax, the analysis of sentences. I studied kind of latest theory called minimalist sintax before going to the States.

One year has passed....totally forgot about it....(=0=)

Though that theory was born in the States, I learned the old theory there. Actually, both theories are complicating pretty much. Even though I read them in Japanese, I can't get it well. Rather, it's more difficult to understand them in Japanese than in English. The techinacal terms are hard to get. It's driving me crazy~~

...Can I finish my preparation for seminar until 2:30pm on Thursday...? Haha...whatever...



にほんブログ村 英語ブログ 英語の日記へ ←You can go and meet many blogs written by Japanese in English.

2 comments:

Bill Chapman said...

I hope you'll allow me to comment on the following: "Is it possible for people all over the world to use only one language for communication? No. Not to mention, there are tons of languages over the world." Have you ever come across Esperanto? It does not have a huge number of speakers (a million, perhaps) scattered all over the world, but it is used by people of different mother tongues.

Take a look at www.esperanto.com

kaori said...

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