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Discourse Part II: Top - Down. Chapter 4.2.7. Overview. This presentation continues the topic of figure/ground and how this relates to discourse, that is, how we describe what we see in a visual way (ASL discourse style).
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Discourse Part II: Top - Down Chapter 4.2.7
Overview • This presentation continues the topic of figure/ground and how this relates to discourse, that is, how we describe what we see in a visual way (ASL discourse style). • It is a ‘topic-comment’ style of description, sometimes called ‘top-down’.
Background to Figure • In the last presentation we talked about the figure-ground distinction and how even though the figure is what we are interested in learning more about, the ground or context is important to frame the picture – to give the figure meaning. • In ASL, we start with the frame, establishing the background or context first.
Framing as Drawing • The paper frames the picture. • That is, the context frames the content. • Then comes the outline of major elements within the frame. • Finally, come the details.
Top-Down • Top-down is another way of talking about starting with the ‘big-picture’ or the frame and then beginning to focus on the details. • If you draw a house, you start with the outline of the house before you draw the windows and door. • The same is true with verbal descriptions.
Menus • Thinking of how we choose food from a menu is a good example of how this translates to words. • What kind of restaurant is this? What kind of food do they offer? We have a sense of how big the menu is even before we begin to read.
Menus, cont. • As we open it, we read through the main headings: appetizers, soup & salads, entrees, desserts and beverages to get a sense of choices.
Top-Down • This top-down or (context to particular) way of thinking is useful when describing things as well as with reading. • If you are in a familiar place, you can assume a familiarity with much of the context and skip it but sometimes good to check. Let’s say you frequent a particular restaurant for their seafood and never had their pasta. At some point, you may want to read that part of the menu too.
Top-Down Describing the Mall • Department stores • Clothing stores • Shoe stores • Jewelry stores • Coffee shops & cafes • Book stores • You see these headings on the Mall map and from this “top” description you read “down” to find the specifics.
Pictures to Practice • The following slides offer sample scenes for you to practice this “top-down” approach to describing them. • Start with the big picture, identify the type of place, then the main elements, and finally move to the details. • At the same time, think WHY you might be describing each – how this would be interesting to the DB people you know.
Conclusion • To use ASL well means learning to think visually. • Most DB people who use Sign Language as their primary language grew up using a variety of ASL. • The next step is to learn to think tactually and to convert ASL to a tactual mode. We will return to this topic in Discourse IV.
