Lessons in SignWriting Textbook

SignWriting is a way to read and write the handshapes, arm movements, facial expressions and body gestures of any sign language in the world. Sign languages are becoming written languages because of SignWriting. The Lessons in SignWriting Textbook, written by the inventor of the system, Valerie Sutton, is a 195-page, 15-chapter, paperback, spiral bound book written first as a slender manual in 1990, and expanded to a full reference textbook in 2002. SignWriting is a visual yet sophisticated writing system for all sign languages, and therefore has a variety of symbols used in 50 countries. The system is 35 years old, starting in 1974. The Lessons in SignWriting Textbook teaches SignWriting as it was written in 2002. The examples in the book are written in American Sign Language, with illustrations and short sentences in English. The 15 chapters are: 1. Introduction to SignWriting, 2. Viewpoints (choosing to write from the Expressive point of view), 3. Handshapes, 4. Contact Symbols, 5. Finger Movement, 6. Straight Arm Movement, 7. Curved Movement, 8. Axial Movement (Arm Rotation and Wrist Movement), 9. Circular Movement, 10. Facial Expressions, 11. Head Movement, 12. Movement of the Body and Torso, 13. Movement Dynamics and Timing, 14. Punctuation for Sign Sentences, 15. Writing from the Receptive View for Research.