Signing systems that attempted to represent spoken language via manual signs -- some invented, and some borrowed from natural sign languages -- have historically been used in classrooms with deaf children. However, despite decades of research and use of these systems in the classroom, there is little evidence supporting their educational…

This study investigated the preservation of second formant transition acoustic cues to intelligibility in speech produced during simultaneous communication (SC) from a locus equation perspective with 12 normal hearing, experienced sign language users. Results were consistent with previous research indicating that temporal alterations produced by…

A study investigated prosodic variables of syllable stress and intonation contours in speech produced during the simultaneous communication (SC) of ten hearing sign language users. Results indicated longer sentence duration for SC than speech only conditions. Vowel duration and frequency differences between stressed and unstressed syllables were…

A study of 10 typical women investigated the effect of fingerspelling task length on temporal characteristics and perceived naturalness of speech produced during simultaneous communication. Speech produced during simultaneous communication was rated as less natural and demonstrated increased interword interval, diphthong, work, and sentence…

Describes research into the correspondence between speech and sign language by looking at simultaneous communication as it is used by fluent deaf persons. The study aims to determine what relationship, if any, exists between the morpheme level and the message level of utterances in discourse. (SED)

Timing sensitivity (awareness of rhythm of lapsed time), age, and sex were studied as possible predictors of success in hearing adults' learning of sign language. The results of school evaluations revealed that younger hearing adults with a sensitivity for timing learned sign language faster than did other adults. (PMJ)