Angela M. Nonaka
• Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology,
University of California, Los Angeles
• M.A. East Asian Studies,
Indiana University 1996
• B.A. East Asian Languages & Cultures,
University of Kansas 1990
Office: 318D Haines Hall : 1339 Hershey Hall
Phone: 310-825-1092 310-267-4989
Fax: 310-206-7833
E-mail:
anonaka@ucla.edu
Subfield
Linguistic & Sociocultural Anthropology
Research Interests
Language Diversity and Language Endangerment, Language Socialization Studies, Sign Language Linguistics, Deaf Studies, East Asian Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Anthropology of Disability, History of Special Education in Asia, Thailand & Japan.
Publications
Nonaka, A. M. (2004) "Sign Languages-The Forgotten Endangered Languages: Lessons on the Importance of Remembering." Language in Society Volume 33(05):737-767.
Nonaka, A. M. (forthcoming) "Name Signs in Japanese Sign Language: An 'Indexical' Onomastic System." Sign Language Studies.
Nonaka, A. M. (under review) "Thai Sign Language Onomastics: Signs of the Need for Expanding 'Deafinitions' of Linguistic Diversity in Southeast Asia." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.
Nonaka, A. M. (1999) Learning Thai Sign Language Volumes #1-4. (English language translation). Bangkok: General Education Department & the National Association of the Deaf in Thailand.
Nonaka, A. M. (1988) A Handbook for International Students Studying at Fukuoka University. Office for International Exchange, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nonaka, A. M. (unpublished) Ethnographic Reflections from "Over by the Window": Deafness & Social Identity in Contemporary Japan. M.A. Thesis, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, Indiana University (1996).
Nonaka, A. M. (unpublished) The Japanese American Dream: Before, Behind, & Beyond Barbwire. B.A. Honor's Thesis, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Kansas (1990).
Grants and Awards
2005-(06) UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship.
2005-(06) UCLA Center for Society and Genetics Graduate Fellow.
2005 Conference Travel Grant, UCLA Graduate Division.
2004-05 Post-Fieldwork Data Analysis Fellowship, Department of Anthropology, UCLA.
2004-05 UCLA Center for Society and Genetics Graduate Fellow.
2004 Expanding Sign Language Typologies and Accessing DOBES, a Field Research Grant, Department of Anthropology, UCLA.
2004 Conference Travel Grant, UCLA Graduate Division.
2003 “Pasa Bai: Language Socialization of an Indigenous Sign Language in a Northeastern Thai Village,” a Dissertation Research Grant, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.
2003 “Pasa Bai: Language Socialization of an Indigenous Sign Language in a Northeastern Thai Village,” a Graduate Student Research Fellowship, IIE Fulbright/Thai-U.S. Educational Foundation.
2003 “Pasa Bai: Language Socialization of an Indigenous Sign Language in a Northeastern Thai Village,” a Field Research Grant, Wagatsuma Memorial Fund, UCLA.
2003 “Pasa Bai: Language Socialization of an Indigenous Sign Language in a Northeastern Thai Village,” a Field Research Grant, Office of International Studies Overseas & Programs, UCLA.
2003 Conference Travel Grant, UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship.
2002 Summer Research Mentorship Fellowship, UCLA Graduate Division.
2001 "Saving Signs from Ban Khor," a Field Research Grant, The Endangered Language Fund.
2001 "Saving Signs from Ban Khor," an Exploration Fund Grant, The Explorers' Club.
2001 "Saving Signs from Ban Khor," a Summer Research Grant, Department of Anthropology, UCLA.
2000 "Exploring Ban Khor," a Pre-dissertation Research Grant, Office of International Studies Overseas & Programs, UCLA.
2000 "Exploring Ban Khor," a Summer Research Grant, Department of Anthropology, UCLA.
1998-(06) Chancellor's Fellowship, UCLA.
1998 Conference Travel Grant, 14th International Congress of Anthropological & Ethnological Sciences Conference, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
1994-95 Title IX East Asian Studies Fellowship, Indiana University.
1992-94 Mombusho (Japanese Ministry of Education) Research Fellowship.
1992 Harvard-Yenching Library Research Travel Grant.
1991-92 Title IX East Asian Studies Fellowship, Indiana University.
1990-91 Title VI FLAS Fellowship, Indiana University.
1988-89 Rotary International Goodwill Ambassadorial Scholarship for study in Japan.
1984-88 Westlake Scholar, Westlake Foundation, St. Louis, MO.
Honors & Awards
• Member Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
• Member Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Fellow (national) The Explorers' Club
Advisors
Anthropology
Elinor Ochs - Chair
Marjorie Harness Goodwin
Paul Kroskrity
Dwight Read
Linguistics
Pam Munro
Center for Society and Genetics
Wayne Grody (Medical Genetics & Pathology)
Christina Palmer (Psychiatry & Biobehavioral
Science)
Conference Presentations
Attention, “Intent Participation,” and Speech/Sign Community Maintenance in Ban Khor. Presentation at the UC Presidential Workshop on Intent Participation Learning, Santa Cruz, CA. (June 2005)
Language Ecology and Socialization in Ban Khor: Recognizing Signs and Expanding “Deafinitions” of Language Endangerment. Poster presentation at the Linguistic Society of America Conference, Oakland, CA. (January 2005)
Understanding Onomastics in Japanese Sign Language: An Argument for Getting Back to the Basics and Back to the Future of Deaf Studies. Presentation at the Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, CA. (November 2004)
Sign Languages-The Forgotten Endangered Languages: Lessons on the Importance of Remembering. Presentation at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
(May 2004)
Sign Languages-The Forgotten Endangered Languages: Lessons on the Importance of Remembering. Presentation at the Invited Session on Endangered Languages at the Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, Chicago, IL.
(November 2003)
Language Socialization in Ban Khor: The Case Study of a Little Girl Named “Watermelon.”
Presentation at Ratchasuda College for the Disabled, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand.
(September 2003)
Introduction to Linguistic Anthropological Approaches to Sign Languages and Deaf Studies. Presentation at the Institute for Language, Culture, and Rural Development, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand. (September 2003)
Invited Panelist, Panel on Endangered Languages, Swarthmore College, PA.
(March 2002)
Indigenous & Original Sign Language Varieties: Thailand's Forgotten Endangered Languages. Presentation at the 8th Thai Studies Conference, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. (January 2002)
Names & Naming Practices in Three Sign Languages. Lecture at the East Asian Studies Center, University of Kansas. (September 2001)
"Disability" in Thailand: Empowerment in the Practice of Anthropology. 14th International Congress of Anthropological & Ethnological Sciences Conference, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
(July 1998)
Thai Name Signs & Thai Deaf Culture. Presentation at the First Thai Deaf Studies Conference, Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University, Thailand. (July 1998)
Deaf-initions of Cultural Identity in Contemporary Japan. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Washington DC. (November 1997)
Name Signs in Thai Deaf Culture. Presentation at the VSO Special Education Workshop, Rajapat Institute, Khorat, Thailand. (March 1997)
A Comparison of Thai & American Name Signs. Presentation at the First Australasian Deaf Studies Conference, La Trobe University, Australia.
(February 1997)
Views of Deafness in Premodern Japan: Socially Constructed Meanings in Pre-Meiji Japan, Tsukuba College of Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.
(February 1994)
Relevant Employment Experience
Primary Appointments
2002 Co-Lecturer, UCLA (Department of Linguistics) Introduction to Sign Language Linguistics. (Summer Session)
1996-98 Lecturer/Researcher, Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University, Thailand.
• PI for ethnographic study of Thai Sign Language & the Thai Deaf Community
• Research associate for sociolinguistic study of Thai Sign Language
• PI for applied anthropological study of academic career opportunities for disabled students in Thailand
• Co-instructor, Study of Self-Help Movements & Persons with Disabilities
• Co-instructor, Introduction to Thai Sign Language & Thai Deaf Culture
• Co-Instructor, Introduction to Disability Studies
Guest Lectures
2004 Guest lecturer, UCLA (Department of Anthropology, Ethnography of Communication), a lecture on the problem of sign language endangerment. (May)
2004 Guest lecturer, Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA (Anthropology Lecture Series), a lecture on the problem of sign language endangerment. (September)
2002 Guest lecturer, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA (Department of Linguistics, Sign Language Linguistics), a lecture on indigenous & original sign language varieties in Thailand. (March)
2002 Guest lecturer, California State University, Northridge, CA (Department of Linguistics), a
case study presentation of linguistic anthropological fieldwork methods used in the study of Ban Khor Sign Language and the Ban Khor Speech/Sign Community. (July)
2002 Guest lecturer, UCLA (Department of Anthropology, Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology), an introductory lecture on language, linguistics, and linguistic anthropology. (October)
2001 Guest lecturer, UCLA (Department of Linguistics, Introduction to Sign Language Linguistics), a lecture on indigenous sign language isolates, original sign language varieties, and sign language dialects. (July)
1999 Guest lecturer, Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand (Program in Sign Language and Deaf Studies), a introductory lecture on linguistic anthropological approaches to Deaf studies. (August)
Teaching and Research Assistantships
2004-(06) Research assistant, UCLA
(Project on Language, Culture, & Autism).
1999-02 Research assistant, UCLA (Project on Language, Culture, & Autism).
1995 Teaching assistant, Indiana University (Land & Society in East Asia).
1989-90 Teaching assistant, University of Kansas (Introduction to American Sign Language--drill section).
1989-90 Research assistant, Research & Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas (Study of Handicapped Parking Access).
Interpretation & Translation
2001 Interpreter (Japanese Sign Language-English), East Asian Studies Center, University of Kansas & the Japan -America Society, Kansas City, MO. (September)
1999 Translator/Editor (Thai Sign Language-English) Learning Thai Sign Language Volumes #1-4. Bangkok: General Education Department & the National Association of the Deaf in Thailand.
1999 Interpreter (American Sign Language-English), Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand. (August)
1998 Interpreter (English-American Sign Language), Annual VSO Volunteer Workshop, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. (March)
1997 Interpreter (English-American Sign Language), Annual VSO Volunteer Workshop, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. (March)
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