Gabrielle Hodge is a Deaf linguist and Senior Lecturer in Sign Language Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, with over fifteen years of experience researching and teaching in both Australia and the UK. She specializes in sociolinguistics of deaf communities, multimodal interaction, sign language corpus linguistics, translation, and communication access.
Academic Background and Positions
Dr Hodge earned her BA in Linguistics from La Trobe University (2008) and her PhD in Linguistics from Macquarie University in 2013. Her doctoral thesis, Patterns from a signed language corpus: Clause‑like units in Auslan, employed corpus methods to investigate Auslan grammar and clause structure[1]. She currently serves as Senior Lecturer in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and chairs the institution’s BSL Plan Implementation Group (2024–2030)[1].
Research Focus and Major Contributions
Hodge’s research draws on corpus linguistics, semiotics, typology, translation studies, and sociolinguistics to explore how Deaf signers communicate across contexts. She has investigated topics such as referential expression strategies in Auslan narratives, question-marking in British Sign Language (BSL), and variation across signed languages[1][2].
Notable recent publications include:
- Language as description, indication, and depiction (Ferrara & Hodge, 2018), a highly cited study that proposes a triadic framework for understanding how signers use language not only to describe but also to indicate and depict meaning through multimodal resources[2].
- Points, depictions, gestures and enactment (Hodge & Johnston, 2014), which analyses the structure of clause-like units in Auslan and emphasizes the fluid integration of partly lexical and non-lexical signs in natural discourse[3].
- The semiotic diversity of doing reference in a deaf signed language (Hodge, Ferrara & Anible, 2019), which investigates how referential acts in sign languages draw from a range of semiotic strategies, challenging speech-centric views of reference[4].
Teaching, Training, and Impact
Dr Hodge teaches a range of courses in sociolinguistics, multimodal communication, and sign language typology across undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Edinburgh. She also provides training workshops for Deaf and hearing audiences—including interpreters and educators—and offers mentorship in sign language without relying on intermediaries[1][4].
Additionally, she contributes to policy and access initiatives, including serving as key advisor for conference accessibility and as a board member providing written evidence to the Scottish Parliament regarding the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act[1].
Legacy and Vision
Combining lived experience as a Deaf researcher with rigorous corpus-based methodologies, Dr Gabrielle Hodge has made significant contributions to understanding multimodal interaction, signed language diversity, and translation. She stands out for her Deaf-led approach to language research, activism for accessibility in academia, and commitment to inclusive practice and visibility.
- University of Edinburgh. (2025). Dr Gabrielle Hodge – Senior Lecturer in Sign Language Linguistics. Edinburgh Research Explorer.
- Ferrara, L., & Hodge, G. (2018). Language as description, indication, and depiction. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 716.
- Hodge, G., & Johnston, T. (2014). Points, depictions, gestures and enactment: Partly lexical and non-lexical signs as core elements of single clause-like units in Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Australian Journal of Linguistics, 34(2), 262–291.
- Hodge, G., Ferrara, L. N., & Anible, B. D. (2019). The semiotic diversity of doing reference in a deaf signed language. Journal of Pragmatics, 143, 33–53.
- Gabrielle Hodge – personal website.
