Resumo

PEREZ, Yolanda. Manual markers in narrative discourse in Venezuelan sign language. Letras [online]. 2006, vol.48, n.72, pp.349-363. ISSN 0459-1283.

A new vision of linguistics has emerged from functionalist studies, particularly from the developments in Pragmatics, and more recently from the contributions of textual linguistics. Within this framework, it is now possible to approach phenomena that had been previously excluded from scientific interests. Such is the case of discourse markers. While it is true that the study of markers in spoken language is recent, this is even more obvious regarding sign languages. The scarcity of research in the international scenario, and particularly the lack of studies about the Venezuelan case foreground the fact that discourse markers are a fertile field of research. For this reason, the general aim of this work is to carry out an exploration on the use of manual discourse markers in narrative texts produced by deaf adults in Venezuelan Sign Language (VSL). Within the theoretical perspective of this study, the functioning of markers in the context of face-to-face discourse is assumed, as well as the definition and function of these discursive particles in the light of Domínguez’s work (2004c). The research methodology is framed within the field of qualitative studies. The analysis, besides identifying manual markers, foregrounds, amongst other things, the following functional categories of manual markers: (a) markers with discourse opening function; (b) markers with continuity function; (c) markers with formulation function; and (d) markers with closing function. Also, this study alerts about three possible narrative frames in which such manual markers can operate in VSL.

Palavras-chave : face-to-face discourse; discourse markers; Venezuelan sign languaje.