Victoria Nyst is a university lecturer whose research interests include sign language documentation and description, lexicography, linguistic iconicity, and the gesture-sign language interface. She is a member of the Departmental Teaching Committee for the BA Linguistics.

More information about Victoria Nyst

Hello, 
My name is Victoria (name sign), V-I-C-T-O-R-I-A   N-Y-S-T 
I work at Leiden University, doing research on sign languages in Africa.

Research projects

• 2017 - 2022 From Gesture to Language
• 2017 - 2021 Exploring new methods in comparing sign language corpora
• 2017 - 2019 Language socialization in deaf families in Africa
• 2012 - 2016 The role of hearing signers in the development of channel specific structures in sign languages of deaf communities
• 2009 – 2012 Documentation and analysis of West African Sign Languages – Leiden University
• 2007 – 2010 Projet LaSiMa: documentation and description of Langue des Signes Malienne – Leiden University
• 2000 – 2007 Descriptive analysis of Adamorobe Sign Language (Ghana) – University of Amsterdam
• 1997 – 1999 Variation in Handshape in Ugandan Sign Language – Leiden University

Dissemination

A webportal for African Sign Language presenting the corpora of four African sign languages developed at the University of Leiden and brings together general information on African sign languages:
www.africansignlanguages.org

An e-group discussing issues related to Deaf Studies in Africa:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/DeafStudies-Africa/info

Organization of international meetings on African sign languages, see:
www.africansignlanguages.org/researchrecherche/events/

Wall poem in Sign Language of the Netherlands.   

World Cultural Council (WCC) Special Recognition Award

3 Humanities scholars receive Special Recognition Award

Teaching activities

Linguistic field methods, Language Typology, Introduction Languages & Cultures of Africa, Culture: Africa (BA Descriptive linguistics & Languages and cultures of Africa, Leiden University, International Studies).
(Occasionally: Sign language documentation, Introduction into sign linguistics, Linguistic iconicity, Sociolinguistics of sign languages, Sign language typology).

Curriculum vitae

Born in Domburg, The Netherlands. Studied African Linguistics at Leiden University, specializing in sign languages.

Degrees held:

• Ph.D. in Linguistics in 2007 from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with a thesis on an endangered sign language from Ghana, “A descriptive analysis of Adamorobe Sign Language (Ghana)”, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Anne E. Baker, Prof. Dr. Maarten Mous and Dr. Roland Pfau.
• M.A. in African Linguistics from the University of Leiden in 1999.

Publications