Who is Clayton Valli?

Clayton Valli (May 25, 1951 – March 7, 2003) was an American prominent deaf linguist and American Sign Language (ASL) poet whose work helped further to legitimize ASL and introduce people to the richness of American Sign Language literature.

Who was Clayton Valli and what were his contributions to the field of ASL linguistics?

Valli was the author of numerous articles and books on linguistics and on ASL poetry. He gave workshops and presentations across the country that raised awareness and appreciation for the movement, meter, and rhythm in ASL poetry.

Was Clayton Valli born deaf?

A Brief Look at Clayton Valli’s Life Clayton was born on May 25th, 1951 in Massachusetts. He was a deaf man, who became a notable ASL poet and linguist. Valli had quite an impressive education. He first attended the Austine School for the Deaf in Vermont in 1971.

Where did Clayton Valli grow up?

Thus, on May 25, 1951, a great deaf poet was brought into the world. Ladies and gentleman, I bring to you: Clayton Valli. Clayton Valli grew up in Seabrook, New Hampshire, approximately ten miles from Newburyport, Massachusetts, the town in which he was born.

What was Clayton Valli’s main focus of the ASL linguistics?

Valli was a proponent of showing the legitimacy of ASL as a language and ASL poetry as a valid part of ASL Literature, even though there is not necessarily a written form.

What are Clayton Valli best known works?

Clayton Valli

  • Linguistics of American Sign Language: An Introduction.
  • Linguistics of American Sign Language: A Resource Text for ASL Users.
  • What’s Your Sign for Pizza?: An Introduction to Variation in American Sign Language.
  • Sociolinguistic Variation in American Sign Language (Gallaudet Sociolinguistics)

Why is Clayton Valli famous?

Clayton Valli was a notable ASL poet and linguist who identified aspects of ASL poetry and was a significant community member who contributed to the growing legitimacy of ASL.

Is ASL a visual code for English?

– ASL is a visual code for English, written or spoken; English and ASL have different modalities, grammar, and phonology.

What did Clayton Valli have a PHD in?

Linguistics and ASL Poetics
After his master’s degree, Valli went on to earn a doctorate degree from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the first person to receive a Ph. D. in Linguistics and ASL Poetics.

How did ASL begin?

ASL emerged as a language in the American School for the Deaf (ASD), founded by Thomas Gallaudet in 1817, which brought together Old French Sign Language, various village sign languages, and home sign systems; ASL was created in that situation by language contact.

When was ASL created?

The American Sign Language of today is actually related to this language. The history of American Sign Language really started in 1814 with Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Gallaudet was a minister from Hartford, Connecticut.

Who made ASL?

The first person credited with the creation of a formal sign language for the hearing impaired was Pedro Ponce de León, a 16th-century Spanish Benedictine monk.