Modality Effects in Grammar and Discourse: in Taiwan Sign Language

Taiwan Sign Language (TSL) is a signed language produced by hands, trunk, and face and perceived by eyes (visual-gestural modality), different from Mandarin Chinese and other spoken languages, produced by mouth and perceived by ears (auditory-vocal modality). With visual-gestural modality, information can be processed more iconically and simultaneously in signed languages. Whether the characteristics of iconicity and simultaneity shape the aspects of grammar and discourse differently is the main issue to be explored in this book.