ERIC Number: EJ1391809
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Apr
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: EISSN-1558-9102
Learning a Sign Language Does Not Hinder Acquisition of a Spoken Language
Pontecorvo, Elana; Higgins, Michael; Mora, Joshua; Lieberman, Amy M.; Pyers, Jennie; Caselli, Naomi K.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v66 n4 p1291-1308 Apr 2023
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether and how learning American Sign Language (ASL) is associated with spoken English skills in a sample of ASL-English bilingual deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. Method: This cross-sectional study of vocabulary size included 56 DHH children between 8 and 60 months of age who were learning both ASL and spoken English and had hearing parents. English and ASL vocabulary were independently assessed via parent report checklists. Results: ASL vocabulary size positively correlated with spoken English vocabulary size. Spoken English vocabulary sizes in the ASL-English bilingual DHH children in the present sample were comparable to those in previous reports of monolingual DHH children who were learning only English. ASL-English bilingual DHH children had total vocabularies (combining ASL and English) that were equivalent to same-age hearing monolingual children. Children with large ASL vocabularies were more likely to have spoken English vocabularies in the average range based on norms for hearing monolingual children. Conclusions: Contrary to predictions often cited in the literature, acquisition of sign language does not harm spoken vocabulary acquisition. This retrospective, correlational study cannot determine whether there is a causal relationship between sign language and spoken language vocabulary acquisition, but if a causal relationship exists, the evidence here suggests that the effect would be positive. Bilingual DHH children have age-expected vocabularies when considering the entirety of their language skills. We found no evidence to support recommendations that families with DHH children avoid learning sign language. Rather, our findings show that children with early ASL exposure can develop age-appropriate vocabulary skills in both ASL and spoken English.
Descriptors: American Sign Language, Speech Communication, Language Acquisition, Interference (Language), Bilingualism, Vocabulary Development, Young Children, English, Correlation, Deafness, Hearing Impairments, Second Language Learning
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (DHHS/NIH); National Institutes of Health (DHHS), Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories
Grant or Contract Numbers: R21DC016104; 1R01DC018279; R01DC015272; BCS1625793; BCS1918252