DEAFBC

WAVLI is pleased to announce that Dr. Erin Wilkinson will be providing an exciting upcoming professional development opportunity on Sunday, September 23rd from 9am-4pm at Douglas College in New Westminster, BC. This workshop is open to interpreting students, interpreters,and members of the Deaf community! Please see below for workshop details and registration
information:

Vocabulary and Grammar in American Sign Language: A Linguistics Toolkit

This workshop covers a breadth of topics that pertains to vocabulary and grammar in ASL. As
for ASL lexicon, we will compare meanings in signs by comparing sets of closely semantically-
related signs along with a discussion about how these signs are typically construed in ASL.
As for the section about grammar in ASL, we will learn about the roles and functions of eye
gaze and grammatical lexical signs. We will explore about the role of eye gaze in ASL classifier
constructions. We will discuss about grammatical lexical signs and their use in ASL discourse,
as we will find that these forms demonstrate remarkably different grammatical uses than seen
in English. All topics will be provided with hands-on activities with video clips. This workshop
provides a starting point for participants to develop and learn how to use tools to improve their
ASL metalinguistic skills.

Presenter Bio

Dr. Erin Wilkinson joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba as Assistant Professor in
the Department of Linguistics in July, 2009. She graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in
Language Studies, and then received degrees in Linguistics at Gallaudet University (MA) and
University of New Mexico (PhD). Erin received a Fulbright fellowship which she took at the
Italian National Council Research: Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technology (ISTC-CNR) in
Rome, Italy, and was a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Science of Learning Center, Visual Language
and Visual Learning (VL2). Erin’s research interests focus on exploring patterns in grammar and
the phenomenon of iconicity across different signed languages to examine what similarities and
differences arise among signed languages from various parts of the world. She collaborates on
linguistic studies with various universities and research centers in Europe and the United States.
Erin grew up in Kansas City and has lived in different parts of the United States and Europe.

Workshop Details

– When: Sunday, September 23 9am-4pm
– Where: Douglas College, New Westminster, BC, Lecture Theatre 1614
– Cost: Active WAVLI members: $80, Student WAVLI members: $40, non-WAVLI
members $100

This workshop will be presented in American Sign Language and interpretation will not be
provided. Please register by sending an email to professionaldevelopment@wavli.com by
September 17th. WAVLI’s cancellation policy is in effect and can be viewed at the bottom
of this announcement. Payment will be accepted in cash at the door or online, prior to the

registration deadline, by going to www.wavli.com, choosing “Store” from the menu bar at the
top and then “Workshops.” You will then see three items to choose from, all titled “Vocabulary
and Grammar in ASL: A Linguistics Toolkit.” Please be sure you select the correct category
(Active, Student, or Non-WAVLI Member), and then follow the prompts to complete your
payment.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Karly Sandboe and Anita Warren
WAVLI-Professional Development

WAVLI’s Professional Development Cancellation Policy:
POLICY
Any individual registered for a professional development event offered
by WAVLI may cancel prior to the posted registration deadline without
penalty. If individuals cancel after the registration deadline,
payment of the full registration fee will be required, regardless of
whether or not they attend the professional development event.

RATIONALE
WAVLI offers professional development for its members on a cost
recovery basis and last minute cancellations have a severe impact on
our financial ability to provide ongoing educational opportunities. In
the past, WAVLI has hosted professional development opportunities that
have had more than ten registered individuals not show up on the day
of the actual event, often without any prior notification. This
behaviour on behalf of our members leaves WAVLI scrambling to cover
our financial obligations. Therefore, to maintain integrity while
continuing to offer professional development opportunities, we must
now enact this cancellation policy.

This policy went into effect May 6, 2011 and applies to all
professional development activities provided by WAVLI.

Should you have any questions about the cancellation policy please do
not hesitate to contact us at professionaldevelopment@wavli.com

Thank you,

Karly Sandboe and Anita Warren
WAVLI Professional Development