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Foreign Language Study General

The Canadian Dictionary of ASL

edited by Carole Sue Bailey & Kathy Dolby

Publisher
The University of Alberta Press
Initial publish date
Jun 2002
Category
General, Miscellaneous
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780888643001
    Publish Date
    Jun 2002
    List Price
    $120.00

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Description

Developed in conjunction with the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, this comprehensive new dictionary of American Sign Language (ASL) has over 8700 signs, many unique to Canada. Material for this extensive work has been drawn from many sources and includes input gathered from members of Canada's Deaf community over the past twenty years. The Canadian Dictionary of ASL offers clear illustrations and sign descriptions alongside English definitions, making it a valuable reference for Deaf and hearing users alike. Authoritative and up-to-date, The Canadian Dictionary of ASL will prove to be the standard reference for years to come. Foreword by Charmaine Letourneau.

About the authors

Carole Sue Bailey is a teacher at the Alberta School for the Deaf and specializes in Deaf Education.

Carole Sue Bailey's profile page

Kathy Dolby has been an educator / advocate of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for 30 years. She has worked closely with Deaf children and adults in Ontario, Alberta and Yorkshire, England. She is interested in highlighting the talents and achievements of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people by increasing opportunities for hearing people to become conversant in ASL. Kathy teaches senior high English and American Sign Language at the Alberta School for the Deaf and has a Master`s degree in Linguistics and English Language Teaching.

Kathy Dolby's profile page

Awards

  • Unknown, Alberta Book Publishing Awards - Educational Book of the Year
  • Unknown, Alberta Book Publishing Awards - Scholarly Book of the Year
  • Unknown, Alberta Book Publishing Awards - Trade Non-Fiction Book of the Year
  • Unknown, The Alcuin Society Citations for Excellence in Book Design in Canada - 2nd Reference
  • Unknown, Association for Canadian Studies - Award of Merit
  • Unknown, Publishers Association of the West, Western Regional Book Design and Production Awards - Runner-Up, Scholarly/Technical Book

Editorial Reviews

"Jurors chose this book for being a high achievement in publishing, and the positive impact it has had on the community." BPAA Awards

"Your comprehensive reference manual significantly contributes to the development and dissemination of knowledge about Canada in an important and innovative fashion. Your attention to details, including to the regional sign vocabulary variations, helps ensure that the dynamic nature of the ASL language is preserved and enhanced in Canada....Again, congratulations for your work which sets a standard of excellence and is an example for students and researchers of Canadian studies." Jack Jedwab, Association for Canadian Studies

"Jurors described both the winner, and the silver award book, as world-class, but chose as the winner the book that represents a monumental achievement in publishing." BPAA Awards

"This dictionary of American Sign Language is a massive accomplishment, and one that we felt...had been very well done. Generally the book was easy to navigate and to understand. The hand signals on the endpapers were well displayed and an excellent resource. The type hierarchies were clear and made word finding easy. The diagrams were good.and were depicted by figures of all ages and genders (a nice touch).... [A]ll in all the book is a fine achievement." Judges, The Alcuin Society 21st Annual Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. Second Prize, Reference

"The Canadian Dictionary of ASL goes beyond any other signed language print dictionary with the detail of information provided with each entry. The editors, Carole Sue Bailey and Kathy Dolby, carefully considered the needs of Deaf readers, novice users of ASL and professional interpreters when organizing content.... It is an outstanding scholarly achievement, due to the depth and breadth of research and planning put into its development." - Denise Smith, President, Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada

"All of the available dictionary resources are exclusively American, and it is very difficult to find Canadian materials. The Canadian Dictionary of ASL has the Canadian influences and the vocabulary I have been seeking for years. I especially enjoy the signs illustrated specific to a province. I have found quite a bit of difference from Winnipeg to Ontario, and the Dictionary has been a source of clarification for me. Many of the people in my class have put it on their Christmas list. This Dictionary is an incredible piece of work that has been long overdue!" Debra S. Amos, Interpreter Training Program, George Brown College

"The jury was compelled to recognize the incredible undertaking of publishing what they felt to be a huge contribution to the community." BPAA Awards

"This dictionary is far more extensive than any available in the US. The pictures are clear, the explanations are good and the sample sentences will help my students use this book to expand their ASL vocabulary. Congratulations on the terrific work. The editors and contributors did a fantastic job. This is an AWESOME dictionary! " Bobbie Jackson, CSC, CT, Interpreter Trainer, American River College, Faculty at California State University, Sacramento

"The Canadian Dictionary of ASL is...an outstanding work of reference for Canadians....unique in its depth and scope, and its commitment to showing regional differences....If you have any interest in learning or improving your ASL skills, this is a fabulous book." Gael Hannan, Abilities

"I thank the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf for pursuing this project to fruition, and to Ms. Bailey and Ms. Dolby for the years of physical and intellectual energy poured into each letter of the alphabet. It is the most important reference document available to us in the field. The volume can only be described as exceptional." - Tracy Hetman, Interpreter