Acquisition of Signed Languages

Acquisition of Signed Languages

1. What is a signed language? The most natural language for those who can't perceive spoken language, a visuo-general language system used by the Deaf. Signed languages share several similarities with spoken languages.

2. Articulatory properties - Handshape, Movement, Location, Palm Orientation. [This means signs can have minimal pairs like the spoken word - Father and Rooser where only change is number of fingers held up]

3. Morphology - Largely templatic and simultaneous due to production and processing reasons.

4. Syntax - Has such a rich morphological system that word order is fairly free (constituents are moved depending on the ongoing role in the discourse) . Role of space in the linguistic system is important, for example, noun phrases occupy a signed space which is referred too when talking about the noun.

   • NON-MANUAL MARKING = used for extralinguistic communicative purposes. Can fulfil lexical and grammatical roles. MANUAL MARKING = Signs produced using the hands occuring alongside facial gestures, body movements, and eye gaze.

5. Acquisition: Similarities with spoken language acquisition. PETITTO AND MARENETTE (1991) found ASL babies from birth engage in manual babbling. Distinct in quality and quantity from regular sign because of babies lack of motor control.

   • Babies in bilingual homes show no preference for sign or spoken language. Similar to babies in bilingual homes with two spoken languages. Will change type/language depending on parent present.
   • Phonological Development: Most frequent handshapes in babbling are present in babies first words. Systematic errors made like in spoken acquisition. Eg. deletion of palm orientation by making it neutral. Omittion of a movement. CONLIN, MIRUS, MAUK and MEIER (2000) found 75% of their data had handshape errors. For example using a LESS MARKED FORM because of ease of articulation and linguistic complexity. For example introducing contact where there is no contact in a sign.
     • Location errors are rare. (11.6% in Conlin et al study) probably due to ease of producing location contrasts in relation to a babies motor skills compared to features of sign like hand gesture.
     • Conlin et al found 46% of their data had movement errors. Children show a preference for repeatative movements. 60% of monocyclic signs are produced as multicyclic in Conlin et al's study.
     • Children prefer signs with proximal movements. Will often replace distal movements with proximal ones. Probably due to motor skill ability. Gesell and Thompson - idea that childrens motor development shows trend toward proximalization. Cognitive control - bilateral control in proixmal movements compared to unilateral control in distal movements (controlle by opposite side of brain to movement). Eg. Fingers on right hand controlled by left side of brain.
     • ICONICITY - Does not really play a role. Majority of childrens errors reduce the iconicity of signs. Errors MUST be based on linguistic complexity and ease of articulation of signs.