What's Your Sign for Pizza?: An Introduction to Variation in American Sign Language
Ceil Lucas, Robert Bayley, Clayton Valli''What's Your Sign for PIZZA'' derives from an extensive seven-year research project in which more than 200 Deaf ASL users representing different ages, genders and ethnic groups from seven different regions were videotaped sharing their signs for everyday vocabulary. This useful text and its accompanying CD begins with an explanation of the basic concepts of language and the structure of sign language, since sign variation abides by the rules governing all human languages. Each part of the text concludes with questions for discussion, and the final section offers three supplemental readings that provide further information on variation in both spoken and signed languages. ''What's Your Sign for PIZZA'' also briefly sketches the development of ASL, which explains the relationships between language varieties throughout the country.