Mouth actions as gesture in sign language

The present study investigates the nature of mouth actions in Italian Sign Language (LIS) and shows how the manual and the oral modality can be integrated when the visual-gestural channel is chosen for communication. Finally, the role played by mouth actions in sign language will be investigated and paralleled to co-speech gestures by re-working Kendon’s continuum in order to show how orality could become gestural when co-occurring with signing.