Reviewed by: Sign Language in Action by Jemina Napier and Lorraine Leeson Wanette Reynolds (bio) Sign Language in Action, by Jemina Napier and Lorraine Leeson ( London: Palgrave, 2016, softcover, 339 pages, $39.99, ISBN: 978-1-137-30976-1) Sign Language in Action by Jemina Napier and Lorraine Leeson uniquely charts the field of applied sign language linguistics. This impressive book provides readers with a comprehensive examination of applied sign language linguistics research informed by authors' extensive experience and expertise as sign language interpreters, researchers, and educators. This unprecedented book draws from numerous fields that fall under the umbrella of applied sign language linguistics and is sure to become an essential reader for researchers, educators, and professionals, as well as students of sign language linguistics, sign language interpreting, sign language instruction, Deaf studies, and Deaf education. In chapter 1, the authors provide an introduction that establishes the aim of the book, their intended audiences, and meaning of the title of the book; additionally, the chapter includes a refreshing discussion about the authors' subjectivity, position, and goals as people who can hear working within the field of applied sign language linguistics. They bring an ethnographic approach to this self-examination, emphasizing a strong philosophy of collaboration with the Deaf community, yet at the same time recognizing the privileges that come with being a person who can hear. Subsequent chapters are organized into four main parts. Part 1 lays out key concepts and research issues in chapters 2 and 3; part 2 delves into practical application in chapters 4, 5, and 6; part 3 details research into applied sign linguistics in chapter 7; and part 4 concludes the book with further resources in the field of applied sign language [End Page 666] linguistics in chapter 8. Throughout the book, boxed sections are categorized into case studies, concepts, quotes, and examples. These sections breathe life into concepts found in each chapter, and are sourced from various journal and book publications as well as quotes from websites and self-reports. Chapter 2 provides the background necessary to achieve the title of the chapter, "Understanding Applied Sign Linguistics," by providing a sociocultural perspective to the history of sign languages and deaf communities, and the development of Deaf studies, sign language linguistics, and ultimately to applied sign language linguistics. Chapter 3, "Sign Language in Action," or sign language in use, delves into identity, particularly the relationship between deaf identities and sign language throughout time. The authors also note that deaf communities are comprised of deaf and hearing people who use a sign language and adopt the term signing communities proposed by Bahan and Nash (1995). Although this definition expands the population of study to include hearing people, the authors also recognize further distinctions between those who are Deaf parented or Codas and those who learned a sign language as adults. Contextually, this opens up a wider discussion of signing communities, such as Gallaudet University, and complex relationships of belonging including hearing and deaf interlopers. Using language attitudes as a springboard, current sign language policy and planning is examined internationally in the areas of sign language status and recognition, corpus planning, and educational sign language planning. Chapter 4, "Learning and Teaching Sign Languages," is the first chapter that delves into practical applications. Topics are couched in the context of transmission and detail first and second language acquisition of a sign language, who is a native signer including Deaf and Codas, and non-native deaf signers who acquire a sign language later in life. The second main section of the chapter synthesizes what is currently known about teaching sign languages and the characteristics of successful second language learners of a language in a different modality (i.e., a sign language). The last section reviews current sign language teaching approaches and curricula, evaluations and assessments of sign language learning, and the ways in which efforts are aligned with foreign language teaching. The authors suggest the adoption of [End Page 667] guidelines for foreign language teaching such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Noijons et al., 2011) be adopted, with such efforts already underway in Europe. They also point out that further research...