Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sign language acquisition'

The emergence of a language is rarely directly observed in a natural environment. Similar to a phenomenon previously observed in Nicaragua, deaf Dominican children appear to have created a rudimentary form of manual communication in absence of comprehensible linguistic input. The evolution of this communication system over the course of five years (2007-2012) is documented as part of a cross-cultural and cross-generational study in which sign complexity is analyzed. The role of innate and environmental components of language creation and acquisition are discussed using data from hearing children and parents, including the parents of the deaf Dominican children cited above. Results confirm that a new communication system is indeed slowly emerging in the Dominican Republic, and that this system shows signs of evolution in the period extending from 2007 to 2012. Signs produced by the deaf Dominican children meet the minimal requirements for a communicative symbol, show signs of mutual intelligibility, and differ from the signs of the other implemented Sign Languages in the Dominican Republic. Two cohorts of manual communicators appear to be present, and younger signers seem to have more advanced linguistic competencies in comparison to older signers within the community. The signs that are part of the observed Dominican manual communication system also appear to differ in complexity from those produced by hearing adults and children, supporting the presence of innate abilities for language creation. Specifically, the deaf Dominican children are generally found to have more diversified sign repertoires and to display faster signing rates over time, in comparison to hearing adults and children. Qualitative data and quantitative trends further support a more complex understanding by deaf children of the use of signs as an independent communication system from speech. Analyses looking at the impact of input on language creation provides some support for the existence of infant-directed signing in a way similar to what is observed with infant-directed speech. The use of repetitions by hearing adults using infant-directed silent gestures could provide support for usage-based theories of language development. That being said, young hearing children with no prior exposure to Sign Language and with minimal relative linguistic experience were found to produce signs equivalent in complexity to those of hearing adults, therefore potentially providing further support for an innate understanding of complex linguistic rules. Deaf Dominican children were further found to surpass the input received by hearing adults over time. In all, this research is consistent with previous studies attesting for children’s natural ability for language creation and development.

Research shows that young children, typically developing with no developmental delays, hearing impairments or visual impairments, can acquire sign language to communicate their wants or needs prior to their ability to communicate through spoken language. However, much of the research reviewed focused on whether it was normative for young children to use signs or symbolic gestures to represent objects, make requests, or to express other wants or needs. In addition, many of the studies reviewed lacked scientific rigor and were primarily anecdotal in that much of the data relied on parent reports of his/her child's production of signs or symbolic gestures. The present study expanded upon the procedures of Thompson, McKerchar, and Dancho (2004) by teaching more complex signing repertoires using different training procedures. This study examined the acquisition of functional sign language by typically developing infants, ranging in age from 10 months to 14 months, using a training program which consisted of three components. The three components of intervention included a 30 minute group class once per week, an intensive or "booster" 1:1 session twice per week, and parent led training in the participant's home environment. During intervention a variety of concept items such as toys, pictures, books, and real objects were presented to represent the signs were utilized. A multiple baseline design across pairs of behaviors was employed to assess experimental changes in signing repertoires during the intervention conditions. All participants demonstrated zero rates of signing during baseline and showed an increase in their signing repertoires during intervention phases.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2006.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed October 16, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nonverbal communication training on the acquisition of expressive and receptive sign language skills. Thirteen skills were included. Twenty-eight participants enrolled in the Beginning Interpreter Training Program (BITP) held at the University of Arizona were selected as subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group received ten hours of nonverbal communication training in the categories of kinesics, eye movement, facial expression, proxemics, chronemics, haptics, and artifacts, concurrently with their participation in the BITP. A rating instrument was devised and administered that measured the subject's performance on thirteen expressive and receptive sign language skills. A comparison of pretest and posttest performances was made utilizing the analysis of covariance. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that the experimental group improved significantly on the skills of receptive clarity and receptive fluency. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental group and the control group on the other eleven skills although the experimental group mean score values were consistently higher than the control group mean score values. The importance of the results for the two groups of subjects involved in this study and the field of interpreting is that nonverbal communication training appears to enhance the receptive clarity and fluency abilities of sign language interpreters. This study should serve as an impetus and a reference point for others wishing to investigate the inclusion of nonverbal communication training in sign language interpreter training programs.

A case study of American Sign Language (ASL) acquisition revealed an emerging phonological system influenced by biological, cognitive, and linguistic factors. A hearing child (SJ), acquiring ASL from her Deaf parents, was videotaped over seven sessions between the ages of 1:0 and 2:1. Of the 1,699 manual behaviors observed, 804 were lexical items, or signs. All signs were phonetically coded. Detailed analyses were undertaken to discover acquisition patterns for the three major parameters of ASL signs (handshape, hand location and movement).
Overall, SJ's signs were well-formed and adhered to ASL phonological constraints. Location primes were produced accurately, due to SJ's knowledge of the structure of her body. Errors occurred with body parts that were not perceptually salient. Movement parameters were not mastered by SJ during the period of study; no systematic set of substitutions was observed. Handshapes were produced with low accuracy. SJ relied on a small set of maximally contrastive handshapes (i.e., (5,1,A)). These handshapes represent the convergence of ease of production, distribution in the target language phonology, and perceptual salience. SJ used three processes to fit target handshapes to her emerging phonological system: spreading of selected fingers, changing of selected fingers from a marked to an unmarked set, and changing to an open position. These processes reflect anatomical and perceptual preferences as well as linguistic influences.
SJ's sign production showed a small improvement in accuracy and a marked reduction in variability between the ages of 1:0 AND 2:1. Visual feedback did not affect the sign accuracy. A passive hand was more likely to be added to one-handed signs produced outside the visual field, possibly increasing tactile feedback. Path movement and horizontal-place primes were more accurate when tactile feedback was present. There was no evidence that SJ used lexical selection or imitation as strategies for phonological acquisition.
Finally, many of the same factors that influence phonological acquisition in speech guided SJ's acquisition of handshape primes. Her acquisition of location primes, by contrast, did not resemble processes observed in phonological acquisition in speech.

This dissertation examines the connection between language ideologies and second language learning, specifically in the case of American Sign Language. I argue that students' and teachers' ideologies about American Sign Language (ASL) influence the goals and pedagogies of ASL teachers. ASL students enter the classroom with ideologies that conflate ASL with gesture or view it as simplified visual English. ASL students also view deafness as a disability that needs to be fixed. This contrasts with ASL teachers' view that Deaf people are a distinct cultural minority who wish to remain Deaf. As a result, ASL teachers' goals focus on teaching ASL students to respect Deaf people and their language. This leads to three major pedagogical differences with teachers of spoken languages. First, ASL teachers focus their cultural lessons on teaching their students a non-pathological view of Deafness. Second, ASL teachers are far more likely than spoken language teachers to think that a member of Deaf Culture should teach ASL. Finally, ASL teachers go to greater lengths than spoken language teachers to avoid the use of English in their classrooms. This research was conducted at five different public universities in the United States. I observed ASL classes at all five universities and a Spanish class at one university. I administered a survey at four of the five universities. I interviewed ASL teachers and teachers of other languages at all five universities.

This study looks at two aspects of American Sign Language (ASL) grammatical structures, classifiers and role shifting, and analyzes how those structures might be affected by differing ages of acquisition in participants who are prelingually deaf. Twenty-four prelingually deaf participants with different ages of acquisition of ASL and educational backgrounds were involved in this study. Participants were asked to retell a one-minute wordless cartoon video clip into ASL and answer questions relating to their language usage. These retellings were analyzed specifically regarding two ASL grammatical structures: classifiers and role shifting. The results indicated that the age when the participant learned ASL mattered on how well they were able to sign classifiers and perform role shifting correctly. Age of acquisition did not seem to be the only correlation however; other factors such as attitude, socialization and environment seemed to influence how well a person was able to portray these structures correctly.

This research study presents an investigation of interpreter trainees acquiring New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as a second language (L2) outside their formal classroom learning. This study was motivated firstly by a concern that a considerable reduction in learner and lecturer contact hours within an NZSL interpreting programme would compromise graduate NZSL competency, necessitating a compensatory approach predominantly in the context of the Deaf community. Secondly, the study attempts to address a marked gap in research related to L2 sign language learning from a socio-cultural perspective. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a bilingual context (NZSL and English) in order to gain the ‘inside’ perspectives of six NZSL learners who had just completed a two-year Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting. The interviews sought to uncover the informal NZSL language learning opportunities used by the participants, especially within the social context of the Deaf community, and the individual learner strategies utilised by ‘good learners’ of NZSL. Interview data were transcribed and were analysed by employing qualitative methods. Coding of the data revealed a number of categories which were subsequently examined for salient themes relating to the research questions. The main findings of the study revolved around the significance of L2 learner access to social and material resources, especially within the Deaf socio-cultural context. Of particular significance was the enhancement of learner motivation and confidence as was the frequency and depth of interaction with Deaf people and degree of mediated NZSL learning from NZSL mentors. Of key importance were the social relationships and networks developed with L1 users, which facilitated access to an array of NZSL learning opportunities. Material language learning resources, such as NZSL video samples and equipment were also useful, when interaction with Deaf people was not possible due to heavy study demands, especially in the second year of the programme. Learner involvement in the Deaf community, particularly within Deaf social networks, resulted in significantly improved linguistic, pragmatic and socio-cultural competency. The findings of the study raise two main implications. Firstly, the study highlights the need for NZSL interpreting curriculum enrichment and the resourcing of the programme to foster learner autonomy. Secondly, to date there has been little research on adult L2 sign language learning outside the classroom context and the study may stimulate further studies of the acquisition of sign language as a second language. The study may also be of benefit to autonomous L2 sign language learners and stakeholders in sign language interpreting education around the world.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008.
"May 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 20-22). Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2009]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2004.
Title from title page screen, viewed May 23, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Maureen E. Angell (chair), Barbara M. Fulk, Maribeth N. Lartz, Emily H. Watts. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-95) and abstract. Also available in print.

While Deaf students are not typically classified as English as a second language (ESL) students, the majority of deaf students first become fluent in a signed language, making them ideal candidates for ESL research. This case study has been designed to explore the ways in which one method of ESL reading instruction, known as modified guided reading (MGR), affects the language acquisition process, and resulting reading comprehension level, of a deaf student over eleven weeks. The study documented the student’s language acquisition development both in American Sign Language (ASL) and in English, as well as tracked the student’s growth in reading comprehension, metalinguistic awareness, and visual attention skills. The Accelerated Reader (AR) program, benchmark testing, and daily observations were used to measure growth. Findings of the study suggest that the ESL methods implemented through MGR positively impacted the student’s language acquisition process, reading comprehension level, metalinguistic awareness, and visual attention skills. Results showed an increase in all three of the student’s AR scores as follows: 31% in reading level, 13.1% in number of words read, and 13.2 % in comprehension test scores. Observations and benchmark testing revealed increased metalinguistic knowledge in word, syntactic, and pragmatic awareness. Visual attention skills were found to be the key element in allowing reading comprehension to take place and strategies for improving these skills were found to be a necessary part of the MGR process.

Previous studies on children’s acquisition of depicting verbs in signed languages have chiefly studied the use of classifiers in verbs of motion and location, particularly the order in which the different classes of handshape are acquired. The age of the children in these studies have ranged from age three to thirteen, and an important finding has been that classifier constructions are not fully acquired until early adolescence. Most of these studies have used an elicitation tool to investigate the production and comprehension of classifiers, but have not provided any adult target norms of the test items when scoring children’s achievement. The present dissertation provides a detailed description of both adults’ and children’s verb constructions in descriptions of cutting and breaking events in Swedish Sign Language (SSL), specifically focusing on the number of hands used in signing, handshape category and hand activity, which has not been previously described for any sign language. As part of this study, 14 deaf adults (ages 20–72) and 11 deaf children (2;1–6;6) of deaf parents, all native-users of SSL, performed a task that involved describing 53 video clips of cutting and breaking events. The clips show an event in which an actor separates material, either with the aid of a tool or without. Additionally, some clips show an entity separating by itself without an actor being involved. The adults described the events with depicting verb constructions that are produced with two hands. The analysis of the handshapes produced three categories: substitutor, manipulator and descriptor. The most frequent construction in the description of events without a tool was two acting manipulators (depicting a hand handling an object), whereas in descriptions of events with a tool the combinations were acting substitutor or manipulator with a non-acting manipulator. The acting hand referred to the tool and the non-acting manipulator to the affected entity. In descriptions of events without an actor, either two substitutors or two manipulators were used. In addition to depicting verb constructions, the descriptions also contained resultative complements, i.e. signs carrying information about the result of the activity being carried out. The complements were either lexical signs or some form of depicting verb construction. Similar observations have not been noted for any other signed language. In the manner of the adults, the children used depicting verb constructions in descriptions of cutting and breaking events (681 tokens), but they also used pointing and lexical signs (64 tokens). Nearly half of the verb constructions that were used by the children corresponded to the adult target forms. The majority of the constructions describing events without a tool corresponded to the adult target forms using two acting manipulators, even among the youngest informants. In events with a tool, only a third of the constructions corresponded to the adult target forms (emerging at 4;8 – 5;0); the remaining two-thirds were deviating constructions in terms of number of hands, handshape category and hand activity. Resultative complement are sparsely used by children (57 tokens), the most chosen type of complement being lexical signs. Pervasive features of children’s constructions were the addition of contact between the hands and a preference for substitutors, something not found in adults’ constructions. These features were elucidated within the framework of Real Space blending theory, with the study showing that children first use visible blended entities and that invisible blended entities do not emerge until 4;8–5;0.

Disputationen teckenspråkstolkas

Cette thèse porte sur la capture, l'annotation, la synthèse et l'évaluation des mouvements des mains et des bras pour l'animation d'avatars communiquant en Langues des Signes (LS). Actuellement, la production et la diffusion de messages en LS dépendent souvent d'enregistrements vidéo qui manquent d'informations de profondeur et dont l’édition et l'analyse sont difficiles. Les avatars signeurs constituent une alternative prometteuse à la vidéo. Ils sont généralement animés soit à l'aide de techniques procédurales, soit par des techniques basées données. L'animation procédurale donne souvent lieu à des mouvements peu naturels, mais n'importe quel signe peut être produit avec précision. Avec l’animation basée données, les mouvements de l'avatar sont réalistes mais la variété des signes pouvant être synthétisés est limitée et/ou biaisée par la base de données initiale. Privilégiant l’acceptation de l’avatar, nous avons choisi l'approche basée sur les données mais, pour remédier à sa principale limitation, nous proposons d'utiliser les mouvements annotés présents dans une base de mouvements de LS capturés pour synthétiser de nouveaux signes et énoncés absents de cette base. Pour atteindre cet objectif, notre première contribution est la conception, l'enregistrement et l'évaluation perceptuelle d'une base de données de capture de mouvements en Langue des Signes Française (LSF) composée de signes et d'énoncés réalisés par des enseignants sourds de LSF. Notre deuxième contribution est le développement de techniques d'annotation automatique pour différentes pistes d’annotation basées sur l'analyse des propriétés cinématiques de certaines articulations et des algorithmes d'apprentissage automatique existants. Notre dernière contribution est la mise en œuvre de différentes techniques de synthèse de mouvements basées sur la récupération de mouvements par composant phonologique et sur la reconstruction modulaire de nouveaux contenus de LSF avec l'utilisation de techniques de génération de mouvements, comme la cinématique inverse, paramétrées pour se conformer aux propriétés des mouvements réels
This thesis deals with the capture, annotation, synthesis and evaluation of arm and hand motions for the animation of avatars communicating in Sign Languages (SL). Currently, the production and dissemination of SL messages often depend on video recordings which lack depth information and for which editing and analysis are complex issues. Signing avatars constitute a powerful alternative to video. They are generally animated using either procedural or data-driven techniques. Procedural animation often results in robotic and unrealistic motions, but any sign can be precisely produced. With data-driven animation, the avatar's motions are realistic but the variety of the signs that can be synthesized is limited and/or biased by the initial database. As we considered the acceptance of the avatar to be a prime issue, we selected the data-driven approach but, to address its main limitation, we propose to use annotated motions present in an SL Motion Capture database to synthesize novel SL signs and utterances absent from this initial database. To achieve this goal, our first contribution is the design, recording and perceptual evaluation of a French Sign Language (LSF) Motion Capture database composed of signs and utterances performed by deaf LSF teachers. Our second contribution is the development of automatic annotation techniques for different tracks based on the analysis of the kinematic properties of specific joints and existing machine learning algorithms. Our last contribution is the implementation of different motion synthesis techniques based on motion retrieval per phonological component and on the modular reconstruction of new SL content with the additional use of motion generation techniques such as inverse kinematics, parameterized to comply to the properties of real motions

Orientador: Rosana do Carmo Novaes Pinto
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T17:17:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nader_JuliaMariaVieira_M.pdf: 2090900 bytes, checksum: 1fe7f7a0b8e5f3171cd285e6574fb3a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011
Resumo: O presente trabalho visa refletir sobre a relação entre surdez, linguagem e cognição, tema que interessa a educadores, psicólogos, psicopedagogos e pesquisadores das neurociências. Embora tenha aumentado o número de trabalhos que se dedicam aos aspectos neurológicos e lingüísticos da surdez, estes geralmente limitam-se a comprovar o papel de certas áreas do córtex cerebral no funcionamento da linguagem, como, por exemplo, a especialização motora da área de Broca. Uma discussão importante para a neurolingüística, na qual esta pesquisa se insere, é a dos efeitos da aquisição tardia de uma língua - focando neste trabalho mais especificamente a aquisição da língua de sinais - para o desenvolvimento cognitivo dos sujeitos surdos. O diagnóstico tardio e, principalmente, a intervenção tardia nos casos de surdez são muito freqüentes, especialmente quando se tratam de famílias ouvintes (SIGOLO 2007). Após o diagnóstico, é comum que ainda haja resistência por parte da família não só para aceitar a condição de surdo da criança, mas também para aceitar a língua de sinais. Assim, o contato tardio com uma língua geralmente se constitui como uma experiência malsucedida. Considerando-se a impossibilidade de um desenvolvimento cognitivo pleno de qualquer ser humano como conseqüência da ausência de uma língua (VYGOTSKY, 1984), questões relacionadas à aquisição tardia merecem especial atenção dos estudos neurolingüísticos e neuropsicológicos. Este trabalho tematiza, portanto, a aquisição tardia da língua de sinais e suas conseqüências para o desenvolvimento cognitivo dos surdos e para sua inserção social. Embora, desde a primeira infância, os surdos estejam inserido no mundo simbólico da linguagem (constituída pela língua falada pela mãe, pelos gestos e sinais usados), o que possibilita o início do desenvolvimento cognitivo, os efeitos da aquisição tardia de uma língua (oral ou de sinais) tornam restritas não só as possibilidades comunicativas da criança em alguns círculos sociais, mas também as possibilidades de aprendizagem de conteúdos (dentre os quais os escolares) veiculados pela língua formal (oral ou de sinais), fundamentais para o desenvolvimento cognitivo. Portanto, a necessidade de políticas lingüísticas que possibilitem aos surdos o contato e a aquisição de uma língua o mais cedo possível se torna imprescindível
Abstract: The present work aims to reflect on the relationship between deafness, language and cognition, which is a concerning topic for educators, psychologists, educational psychologists and researches in the neurosciences. Although the number of researches interested in the neurological and linguistic aspects of deafness has increased, the investigations are limited to proving the role of certain areas of the cerebral cortex in language functioning, such as the motor specialization of Broca's area. An important issue for neurolinguistics is the discussion of the effects of late language acquisition - more specifically of the sign language - to the cognitive development of deaf subjects. Late diagnosis and mainly the late intervention in cases of deafness are very common, especially in hearing families (SIGOLO, 2007). It is common to encounter after the diagnosis a resistance within families not only on accepting the condition of the deaf child, but also the sign language. Therefore, the late contact with a language is generally established as an unsatisfactory experiment. Given the impossibility of a full cognitive development of any human being without a language (VYGOTSKY, 1984), issues related to late acquisition deserve special attention of neurolinguistic and neuropsychological studies. This paper deals, therefore, with the late acquisition of sign language and its consequences for the cognitive development of deaf subjects and their social integration. Although they are embedded in the symbolic world of language from their early childhood (which enables the initiation of the cognitive development), the effects of late acquisition of a language (oral or sign) restrict not only the communicative possibilities of the child in some social contexts, but also the possibilities of learning in educational contexts, which are conveyed by formal language (oral or sign), which is essential for cognitive development. Therefore, the necessity for language policies that enable deaf subjects the contact with language and its early acquisition is critical
Mestrado
Linguistica
Mestre em Linguística

O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar o nível de consciência fonológica na Língua de Sinais Brasileira (Libras) em crianças, adolescentes e adultos surdos bilíngues, analisando os possíveis efeitos do início precoce ou tardio da aquisição da linguagem nas crianças e adolescentes surdos. Os participantes foram 34 crianças e adolescentes surdos, com idade entre 9 e 14 anos, com início da aquisição da primeira língua (L1), a Libras, entre 1-4 anos de idade (precoce) ou após 4 anos de idade (tardia), e 7 adultos surdos com início da aquisição da Libras como L1 entre 0-4 anos de idade. Nesta pesquisa de cunho psicolinguístico, foi desenvolvido um Teste de Consciência Fonológica na Libras (TCF-Libras), projetado no software E-Prime®, que mediu percentual de erro e tempo de resposta. O TCF-Libras contemplou os três principais parâmetros que formam os sinais, a saber: configuração de mão, locação/ponto de articulação e movimento. Na análise dos resultados, foi constatado que crianças e adolescentes surdos com aquisição precoce têm vantagens linguísticas quando comparados aos seus pares com aquisição tardia, e que efeitos nocivos do início da aquisição tardia da L1, reportados em estudos anteriores em diferentes níveis linguísticos, também foram constatados no presente estudo na consciência fonológica da Libras. Os participantes com início da aquisição tardia obtiveram maior percentual de erro e foram mais lentos na realização do TCF-Libras do que os participantes com início da aquisição precoce, ou seja, houve desvantagem tanto no nível de consciência fonológica como no tempo de processamento fonológico. Além disso, a comparação entre dois grupos de participantes com aquisição precoce da Libras como L1, adolescentes surdos (com maior tempo de exposição linguística) e adultos surdos, revelou que os grupos não diferiram estatisticamente, indicando que o TCF-Libras pode ser utilizado em futuras pesquisas com adultos surdos. Os resultados do presente estudo contribuem para os estudos sobre aquisição da linguagem por surdos, consciência fonológica, desenvolvimento de testes em línguas de sinais, e para informar e alertar profissionais da saúde, pais de crianças surdas e a população em geral sobre a importância de bebês surdos e crianças surdas iniciarem seu processo de aquisição da L1, na língua de sinais, o mais cedo possível. Ainda, reforçam a necessidade de que sejam promovidos programas de intervenção/estimulação linguística para bebês e crianças surdas que não possuem acesso completo aos sons, assim como com seus pais/cuidadores/familiares, para que iniciem a aquisição da língua de sinais logo após a perda auditiva ser diagnosticada.
The present study aimed to examine the level of phonological awareness in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) in deaf bilingual children, adolescents and adults, analyzing the possible effects of language-onset in deaf bilingual children and adolescents. The participants were 34 deaf children and adolescents, aging between 9-14 years old, who acquired (L1) Libras between 1-4 years of age (early) or after 4 years of age (late), and 7 deaf adults, exposed to L1 Libras between 0-4 years of age (early). In this psycholinguistic study, a Phonological Awareness Test in Libras (PAT-Libras/ TCF-Libras) was developed and designed with the help of E-Prime®, and error percentage and response time were measured. The task includes items that test the three main parameters that form signs, namely: handshape, location/ place of articulation and movement. The analysis revealed linguistics advantages to deaf children and adolescents with early language-onset when compared to their peers with late language-onset. In addition, negative effects of delayed L1 acquisition, reported in previous studies in different linguistic levels, were also observed in the present study on phonological awareness in Libras. The participants with late language-onset scored higher percentage of errors and response time in the task than participants with early language-onset, that is, there was a disadvantage both in the phonological awareness level as well as in phonological processing time. The comparison between two groups of participants with early L1 Libras-onset deaf adolescents (with longer linguistic exposure) and deaf adults revealed that the scores did not differ statistically, showing that the task can be used in future research with deaf adults. The results of the present study contribute to the studies on language acquisition by deaf, phonological awareness, sign language test development, and to inform and to alert health professionals, deaf children‟s parents and the general population about the importance of giving deaf babies and deaf children opportunity to begin their first language acquisition, in sign language, the earliest possible. Furthermore, the results reinforce the need of intervention/stimulation programs directed to deaf babies and deaf children who not have complete access to sounds, as well to parents/caregivers/family, so that babies and children can begin sign language acquisition soon after the diagnosis of hearing loss.

A cultura surda vem sendo fortalecida por eles próprios e familiares através de encontros em associações, festas, escolas de surdos, jogos e outros interesses comuns, fazendo com que esta cultura seja transmitida de geração para geração. Com essa proximidade, geralmente acontece o casamento entre eles, devido a fatores de identificação, o que consequentemente acaba resultando no surgimento de filhos que podem nascer ouvintes. Usualmente, quando isso ocorre, esse filho ouvinte irá crescer bilíngue por ter insumo nas duas línguas, com seus pais surdos na língua de sinais e com seus parentes e amigos ouvintes na língua portuguesa, devido às interações que serão realizadas. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi analisar o processo de aquisição da Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Libras) e da Língua Portuguesa na modalidade oral, em uma criança ouvinte, filha de pais surdos. A metodologia utilizada na pesquisa em questão caracteriza-se como sendo qualitativa e o método usado foi o estudo de caso. Trabalhamos com uma criança ouvinte filha de pais surdos entre 3 anos e 10 meses até 4 anos e 4 meses , através de avaliações da Língua Portuguesa e da Libras, além de observações durante todo o período sendo que todos os momentos foram registrados em filmadora. O campo da pesquisa concerne o ambiente escolar como o familiar, onde observamos o desempenho da criança em relação às duas línguas, além de outros fatores que poderiam influenciar nesse processo. Os dados obtidos nas diversas fases da avaliação e acompanhamento do cotidiano da criança nos levaram a concluir que não houve diferenças significativas no tocante a aquisição das línguas. No entanto, vale salientar que percebemos uma desenvoltura maior da criança em Libras na segunda avaliação. Entendemos que com a maior exposição a Libras e a permanente correção de alguns sinais pelo pai, o que não ocorre com a língua portuguesa, pode justificar esse leve ganho. Esperamos com esse trabalho contribuir para que outras reflexões possam ser desmembradas dessas considerações por se tratar de um tema pouco estudado.

Esta dissertação é o resultado da pesquisa que desenvolvemos durante o curso Mestrado em Ciências da Linguagem, na linha de pesquisa em Aquisição e desenvolvimento da linguagem, para a obtenção do grau de mestre. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é analisar as estratégias e métodos empregados por professores de língua portuguesa para surdos que estudam no nível fundamental e no médio em escolas de Recife que oferecem salas de aula bilíngues, verificando a adequação aos objetivos pedagógicos pretendidos. Participaram desta pesquisa 10 (dez) professores, sendo 05 (cinco) da rede particular e 05 (cinco) da rede pública, a partir dos quais, constituímos o nosso corpus: questionário, entrevista e fichas de observação de aula. A base teórica fundamentou-se nos trabalhos de Krashen (1984, 1995), Selinker (1972, 1978, 1994), Quadros (1997, 2006, 2009) e Brochado (2003), entre outros. Considerando que a língua portuguesa para surdos constitui uma segunda língua (L2), o ensino desta língua deveria se concretizar como tal. No entanto, não foi o que pudemos encontrar nas salas de aula ditas bilíngues, em que o surdo se faz presente como um mero espectador de um evento do qual não participa. Percebemos, ainda, a necessidade de adequação das estratégias e métodos escolhidos pelos professores para o momento de aula, tendo em vista as especificidades requeridas por alunos surdos, no modelo inclusivista.
This dissertation is the result of research developed during the course Master of Language Sciences, at the line of research on language acquisition and development, to the degree of master. The aim of this study is to analyze the strategies and methods employed by Portuguese teachers to deaf students studying in primary and high schools in Recife that offer bilingual classrooms, checking the suitability for desired educational objectives. At this research, ten (10) teachers participated. They was 05 (five) from the private school and 05 (five) from the public school. We set up our corpus with questionnaire, interview and lesson observation forms. The theory was based on the work of Krashen (1984, 1995), Selinker (1972, 1978, 1994), Quadros (1997, 2006, 2009) and Brochado (2003), among others. Whereas the Portuguese language for the deaf is a second language (L2), the teaching of this language should be realized as such. However, it was not what we find in so-called bilingual classrooms, where the deaf person is present as a mere spectator of an event which does not participate. We realized, though, the need for adapting strategies and methods chosen by teachers for classroom time, in view of the specificities required for deaf students, the model inclusivist.

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This research regards an observational, qualitative study, which involves 08 (eight) hearing children and 03 (three) deaf children, aged between 7;7 and 11;10, in spontaneous daily interactions within a 3rd year Elementary School classroom in an inclusive private school, in Arapiraca, Alagoas. Our main goal is to identify the strategies adopted by hearing children for effective communication between them and the deaf. The corpus consists basically of 08 (eight) video recordings, each including 08 (eight) 30 minute sessions, from which we selected 09 (nine) episodes for analysis. We based our research on Kinesics, Proxemics and Tacesics, as well as on some studies on gesture in the acquisition and development of oral language and in the acquisition of sign language, based on Interactional Linguistics. Our thesis is that children have the ability to adapt linguistically to their interlocutors and our main hypothesis is that when interacting with deaf children, hearing children produce gestural speech that allow them to confirm, deny, ask, describe, narrate, explain, etc. and they are developing a communicative competence in a second language Brazilian Sign Language - to the point of being able to switch between the oral and sign language in an attempt to adapt their speech to the deaf children. Our analyses confirm our thesis that the children observed have the ability to adapt linguistically to their interlocutors, and show that sign language development occurs on a gesture-to-sign continuum, where the gestures socially learned and shared by both hearing and deaf children, enable the construction of meaning and, therefore, the achievement of communication between them.
Esta pesquisa é de natureza observacional, qualitativa, e envolve 08 (oito) crianças ouvintes e 03 (três) surdas, com idades entre 7;7 e 11;10, em situações de interação rotineiras na sala de aula do 3º Ano do Ensino Fundamental, de uma escola inclusiva da rede particular, na cidade de Arapiraca, AL, buscando identificar as estratégias adotadas pelas crianças ouvintes para efetivação da comunicação entre elas e as crianças surdas. O corpus consiste, basicamente, de gravações em vídeo, totalizando 08 (oito) sessões de 30 (trinta) minutos cada, dentre as quais selecionamos 09 (nove) episódios para análise. Fundamentamos nossa investigação nos estudos sobre a cinésica, a proxêmica e a tacêsica, e em teorias, cuja abordagem linguística é interacionista, além de alguns estudos sobre o gesto na aquisição e desenvolvimento da linguagem oral e sobre a aquisição de língua de sinais. Defendemos a tese de que crianças têm a capacidade de se adaptarem linguisticamente aos seus interlocutores. Partimos da hipótese de que, na interação com crianças surdas, as crianças ouvintes produzem movimentos gestuais que lhes permitem, além de afirmar e negar, pedir, perguntar, descrever, narrar, explicar etc., desenvolver seus discursos gestuais através de retomadas, ao mesmo tempo em que estão desenvolvendo uma habilidade comunicativa em uma segunda língua a língua de sinais ao ponto de serem capazes de alternar entre a modalidade oral e a gestual, na tentativa de adaptar suas falas as das crianças surdas. Nossas análises confirmam nossa tese de que as crianças observadas têm a capacidade de se adaptarem linguisticamente aos seus interlocutores, e evidenciam que o percurso do gesto ao sinal se dá em um continuum, onde os gestos, socialmente apreendidos e compartilhados pelas crianças ouvintes e pelas crianças surdas, possibilitam a construção do sentido e, consequentemente, a concretização das interações entre elas.

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This dissertation is the result of research developed during the course Master of Language Sciences, at the line of research on language acquisition and development, to the degree of master. The aim of this study is to analyze the strategies and methods employed by Portuguese teachers to deaf students studying in primary and high schools in Recife that offer bilingual classrooms, checking the suitability for desired educational objectives. At this research, ten (10) teachers participated. They was 05 (five) from the private school and 05 (five) from the public school. We set up our corpus with questionnaire, interview and lesson observation forms. The theory was based on the work of Krashen (1984, 1995), Selinker (1972, 1978, 1994), Quadros (1997, 2006, 2009) and Brochado (2003), among others. Whereas the Portuguese language for the deaf is a second language (L2), the teaching of this language should be realized as such. However, it was not what we find in so-called bilingual classrooms, where the deaf person is present as a mere spectator of an event which does not participate. We realized, though, the need for adapting strategies and methods chosen by teachers for classroom time, in view of the specificities required for deaf students, the model inclusivist.
Esta dissertação é o resultado da pesquisa que desenvolvemos durante o curso Mestrado em Ciências da Linguagem, na linha de pesquisa em Aquisição e desenvolvimento da linguagem, para a obtenção do grau de mestre. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é analisar as estratégias e métodos empregados por professores de língua portuguesa para surdos que estudam no nível fundamental e no médio em escolas de Recife que oferecem salas de aula bilíngues, verificando a adequação aos objetivos pedagógicos pretendidos. Participaram desta pesquisa 10 (dez) professores, sendo 05 (cinco) da rede particular e 05 (cinco) da rede pública, a partir dos quais, constituímos o nosso corpus: questionário, entrevista e fichas de observação de aula. A base teórica fundamentou-se nos trabalhos de Krashen (1984, 1995), Selinker (1972, 1978, 1994), Quadros (1997, 2006, 2009) e Brochado (2003), entre outros. Considerando que a língua portuguesa para surdos constitui uma segunda língua (L2), o ensino desta língua deveria se concretizar como tal. No entanto, não foi o que pudemos encontrar nas salas de aula ditas bilíngues, em que o surdo se faz presente como um mero espectador de um evento do qual não participa. Percebemos, ainda, a necessidade de adequação das estratégias e métodos escolhidos pelos professores para o momento de aula, tendo em vista as especificidades requeridas por alunos surdos, no modelo inclusivista.

La langue des signes (LS) est encore une langue peu décrite, en particulier ce qui concerne le mouvement des articulateurs. La recherche sur la LS s’est concentrée sur la compréhension et la modélisation des propretés linguistiques. Peu d’études ont essayé de comprendre la cinématique et la dynamique du mouvement en lui-même et ce que cela apporte à compréhensibilité de la LS générée par des modèles. Cette thèse porte sur l’analyse du mouvement en Langue des Signes Française (LSF) tant des points de vue de sa production et de sa compréhension par les individus sourds.Mieux appréhender le mouvement en LS nécessite la création de nouvelles ressources pour la communauté scientifique étudiant les LSF. Dans cette perspective, nous avons créé et annoté un corpus de données de mouvements 3D de la partie supérieure du corps et du visage, à l'aide du système de capture de mouvement. Le traitement de ce corpus a permis de spécifier la cinématique du mouvement en LSF durant les signes et les transitions.La question posée dans la première partie de cette thèse était de quantifier dans quelle mesure certaines lois classiques connues en contrôle moteur restaient valides durant les mouvements de LS, afin de savoir si les connaissances acquises en contrôle moteur pouvaient être réutilisées en LS.Trouver quelles informations du mouvement sont cruciales pour la compréhension de la LS a constitué la deuxième partie de cette thèse. L’intérêt était de savoir quels aspects du mouvement des modèles de production de LS devraient reproduire en priorité. Dans cette démarche, nous avons étudié dans quelle mesure des individus sourds, signeurs ou non, parvenaient à comprendre la LS en fonction de la quantité d’informations qui leur est disponible
Nowadays, Sign Language (SL) is still little described, particularly for what concerns the movement of articulators. Research on SL has focused on understanding and modeling linguistic properties. Few investigations have been carried out to understand the kinematics and dynamics of the movement itself and what it brings to understand the LS SL generated by models. This thesis deals with the analysis of movement in the French Sign Language LSF with a main focus on its production as well as its understanding by deaf people.Better understanding the movement in SL requires the creation of new resources for the scientific community studying SL. In this framework, we have created and annotated a corpus of 3D motion data from the upper body and face, using a motion capture system. The processing of this corpus made it possible to specify the kinematics of the movement in SL during the signs and the transitions.The first contribution of this thesis was to quantify to what extent certain classical laws, known in motor control, remained valid during the movements of SL, in order to know if the knowledge acquired in motor control could be exploited in SL.Finding relevant information of the movement that is crucial for understanding SL represented the second part of this thesis. We were basically interested to know which aspects of the movement of SL production models should be replicated as a priority. In this approach, we have examined to what extent deaf individuals, whether signers or not, were able to understand SL according to the amount of information available to them

Lese- und Schriftsprachkompetenzen zu erwerben ist eine Herausforderung für gehörlose Schüler und gleichzeitig eine zentrale Voraussetzung für einen erfolgreichen Bildungsweg. Innerhalb des auditiv-verbalen Paradigmas der Gehörlosenpädagogik werden die Schwierigkeiten in der Schriftsprache auf die hörschädigungsbedingte Einschränkung der phonologischen Rekodierungsfähigkeit zurückgeführt. Die Pädagogische Unterrichtsforschung zeigt jedoch, dass bilinguale gehörlose Schüler mit Gebärdensprache als Erstsprache oft über gute Schriftsprachkompetenzen verfügen. Bis dato liegen jedoch nur vereinzelt Studien zur Schriftsprachentwicklung bei bilingualen gehörlosen Schülern vor. Die vorliegende Studie fasst dieses Desiderat ins Auge und untersucht über einen Zeitraum von fünf Jahren (Kl. 5-9) Aspekte der Syntax- und Morphologieentwicklung im Schriftspracherwerb bei sechs bilingualen gehörlosen Realschülern. Das Ziel der Studie ist, Erkenntnisse über Sprachlernprozesse in diesem besonderen Schriftzweitspracherwerb zu gewinnen und dieses Wissen für einen entwicklungsorientierten Sprachförderansatz methodisch aufzubereiten. Die Untersuchung wird durch Bezugnahme auf die Zweitspracherwerbstheorie Processability Theory (PT) (Pienemann 1998; Pienemann/ Di Biase/ Kawaguchi 2005) fundiert. Im Fokus stehen die Untersuchungsbereiche Wortstellungserwerb, Erwerb der Subjekt/ Verb-Kongruenz und Erwerb des Verbalkasus. Die Datenanalyse zeigt, dass gehörlose Schüler, mit einer Gebärdensprache als Erstsprache, die Schriftsprache in den gleichen grammatischen Entwicklungsschritten erwerben, wie hörende Schüler, die Deutsch mündlich als Zweitsprache lernen. Die Ergebnisse bieten einen differenzierten Einblick in die Sprachlernprozesse der gehörlosen Schüler und erkennen in der Berücksichtigung von Entwicklungssequenzen eine wertvolle Ressource für die Schriftsprachförderung. Aus den Ergebnissen wird ein Konzept zur Förderung des Schriftzweitspracherwerbs abgeleitet, welches auch zwei Analyseraster als Instrumente für eine förderdiagnostische Sprachstandsermittlung beinhaltet.
Learning to read and write is a challenge for deaf students – but a major goal of schooling. Deaf student’s reading and writing problems have always been seen as a consequence of their hearing loss, overlooking the fact that there are deaf adults using a sign language as their first language and show good reading abilities and written-language skills. In Germany, research on bilingual school programs shows that deaf students progress successfully in learning written German from print forms. Current theories of second language acquisition do not discuss the possibility of learning a language exclusively from print exposure. This study is a pioneer attempt to investigate the acquisition of written German by deaf secondary students in order to advance our understanding of written language learning as second language learning. Empirically, this analysis consists of longitudinal data of 6 bilingual deaf students who learn German as a written language in secondary school. On the basis of a 5 years’ data collection based on written narratives, developmental patterns are investigated and analyzed within the paradigm of Processability Theory (Pienemann 1998; Pienemann/ Di Biase/ Kawaguchi 2005). Objects of investigation are word order, subject/ verb-agreement and case system in verbal arguments. The results show that deaf students acquire German written language via print in the same developmental stages as hearing individuals learn oral German in second language acquisition. The deaf students’ interlanguage shows that written language can be processed by language processing procedures of second language acquisition. Individual variations in the developmental process are discussed within the specific learning conditions of deaf students. Regarding the results, a development-orientated teaching concept is recommended, that draws attention on implicit language learning. Two screenings for language development diagnoses are designed and proposals for practical intervention are made in teaching German literacy as a second language to bilingual deaf students.

I denna studie undersöker jag hur hörande vuxna andraspråksinlärare (L2) använder och utvecklar perspektiv i tre olika kategorier: karaktärens, observatörens ochblandat perspektivi svenskt teckenspråk under en tidsperiod på ett år. Målgruppens resultat har jämförts med en kontrollgrupp bestående av döva förstaspråkstalare (L1). Resultatet visar att målgruppen från andra inspelningstillfället till fjärde inspelningstillfället har utvecklat flera perspektiv i alla kategorier. När det gäller språkliga likheter och skillnader mellan målgruppen och kontrollgruppen är en tydlig likhet att alla uttrycker sina imiterande gester på samma sätt. Resultatet visar också att flera informanter i målgruppen använder dubbla referenter i teckenrummet. Det kan bero på att de föredrar observatörperspektivet eftersom de har svårigheter med blandat perspektiv. Kontrollgruppen har istället betydligt högre andel blandat perspektiv än målgruppen.
In this study, I investigate how hearing adult second language (L2) learners use and develop perspective in the three different categories – character, observerand mixed perspective– in Swedish Sign Language over the course of one year. The results of the target group are compared to those of a control group consisting of deaf first language (L1) users. The results show that the target group, between the second and fourth recording session, has developed multiple perspectives in all categories. Furthermore, linguistic similarities and differences between target and control groups are investigated, one similarity being that all informants express imitating gestures in the same way. The results show that several informants in the target group use double referents in signing space. This may be a consequence of their preference for observer perspective, since they have difficulties with mixed perspectives. Conversely, the control group has a considerably higher percentage of mixed perspectives than the target group.

La Langue des Signes Française (LSF) représente une part de l'identité et de la culture de la communauté des sourds en France. L'un des moyens permettant de promouvoir cette langue est la génération de contenu par le biais de personnages virtuels appelés avatars signeurs. Le système que nous proposons s’intègre dans un projet plus général de synthèse gestuelle de la LSF par concaténation qui permet de générer de nouvelles phrases à partir d'un corpus de données de mouvements annotées et capturées via un dispositif de capture de mouvement basé marqueurs (MoCap) en éditant les données existantes. En LSF, l'expressivité faciale est le vecteur de nombreuses informations (e.g., affectives, clausales ou adjectivales), d'où son importance. Cette thèse a pour but d'intégrer l'aspect facial de la LSF au système de synthèse concaténative décrit précédemment. Ainsi, nous proposons une chaîne de traitement de l'information allant de la capture des données via un dispositif de MoCap jusqu'à l'animation faciale de l'avatar à partir de ces données et l'annotation automatique des corpus ainsi constitués. La première contribution de cette thèse concerne la méthodologie employée et la représentation par blendshapes à la fois pour la synthèse d'animations faciales et pour l'annotation automatique. Elle permet de traiter le système d'analyse / synthèse à un certain niveau d'abstraction, avec des descripteurs homogènes et signifiants. La seconde contribution concerne le développement d'une approche d'annotation automatique qui s'appuie sur la reconnaissance d'expressions faciales émotionnelles par des techniques d'apprentissage automatique. La dernière contribution réside dans la méthode de synthèse qui s'exprime comme un problème d'optimisation assez classique mais au sein duquel nous avons inclus une énergie basée laplacien quantifiant les déformations d'une surface en tant qu'énergie de régularisation
French Sign Language (LSF) represents part of the identity and culture of the deaf community in France. One way to promote this language is to generate signed content through virtual characters called signing avatars. The system we propose is part of a more general project of gestural synthesis of LSF by concatenation that allows to generate new sentences from a corpus of annotated motion data captured via a marker-based motion capture device (MoCap) by editing existing data. In LSF, facial expressivity is particularly important since it is the vector of numerous information (e.g., affective, clausal or adjectival). This thesis aims to integrate the facial aspect of LSF into the concatenative synthesis system described above. Thus, a processing pipeline is proposed, from data capture via a MoCap device to facial animation of the avatar from these data and to automatic annotation of the corpus thus constituted. The first contribution of this thesis concerns the employed methodology and the representation by blendshapes both for the synthesis of facial animations and for automatic annotation. It enables the analysis/synthesis scheme to be processed at an abstract level, with homogeneous and meaningful descriptors. The second contribution concerns the development of an automatic annotation method based on the recognition of expressive facial expressions using machine learning techniques. The last contribution lies in the synthesis method, which is expressed as a rather classic optimization problem but in which we have included

This dissertation based on a case study explores the acquisition and the guidance of Swedish Sign Language and spoken Swedish over a span of seven years. Interactions between a pair of fraternal twins, one deaf and one hearing, and their Deaf[1] family were video-observed within the home setting. The thesis consists of a frame which provides an overview of the relationship between four studies. These describe and analyze mainly storytime sessions over time. The first article addresses attentional expressions between the participants; the second article studies the mediation of the deaf twin’s first language acquisition; the third article analyses the hearing twins acquisition of parallel bimodal bilingualism; the fourth article concerns second language acquisition, sequential bimodal bilingualism following a cochlear implant (CI). In the frame, theoretical underpinnings such as mediation and language acquisition were compiled, within a sociocultural frame. This synthesis of results provides important information; in the 12- and 13-month sessions simultaneous-tactile-looking was noted in interchanges between the twins and their mother; mediation of bilingualism was scaffolded by the caregivers with the hearing twin by inserting single vocal words or signs into the language base used at that time, a finding that differs from other reported studies; a third finding is the simultaneousness in which the deaf child’s Swedish Sign Language skill worked as a cultural tool, to build a second and spoken language. The findings over time revealed actions that included all the family members. Irrespective of the number of modes and varied types of communication with more than one child, mediation included following-in the child’s initiation, intersubjective meaningfulness and encouragement. In accordance with previous research, these factors seem to promote the acquisition of languages. In conclusion, these findings should also prove useful in the more general educational field. [1] Deaf with a capital ‘D’ is commonly used for cultural affiliation whereas lower case ‘d’, as in deaf, refers to audiological status (Monaghan, Schmaling, Nakamura & Turner, 2003).

Disputationen tolkas till svensk teckenspråk, hörselslinga finns.

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: Accepted. Paper 4: Submitted.

There have been many different studies done around the subject of Extramural English, where researchers Sundqvist and Sylvén (2012) have drawn the conclusion that there is a correlation between video games and learners of English improving upon their English vocabulary. This study focuses time spent on whether or not playing video games for an extended amount of time will help with a student’s English vocabulary. This was done by having the students answer a demographic questionnaire in which they answer whether or not they regularly play video games, and answers approximately how many hours a week they do play. The study is looking for a correlation between improved vocabulary scores and longer periods of time spent playing video games every week. The study also looks into specific vocabulary that is commonly found in video games and compares different groups which have spent different amounts of time each week playing video games. Do video games help a learner’s English vocabulary and if so, does an increased amount of time spent on playing video games correlate to a higher score on the vocabulary tests, and do students who plays video games have an easier time with some of the specific vocabulary? The study found that there is indeed a correlation and that if a student spends time playing video games their English vocabulary proficiency will most likely increase as well. A student who spends more than ten hours a week on playing video games had higher average scores than those who played less than ten hours a week. Incidentally the students who did not play video games at all had the lowest average scores in the vocabulary tests. Lastly students who spent time playing video games had an easier time answering the questions relating to words that are commonly used in video games.
Många olika studier har utförts kring lärandet av engelska utanför klassrummet. Forskare har bland annat undersökt möjliga samband mellan Extramural engelska och ett förbättrat engelskt ordförråd. Sundqvist och Sylvén (2012) visar t.ex. ett samband mellan ord inlärning och dataspel. Om det finns ett direkt samband mellan tid tillbringad framför dataspel och utökat ordförråd är vad som utgör fokusen för denna undersökning. I denna korrelationsstudie utdelades ett demografiskt frågeformulär till 60 elever i årskurs nio. Eleverna frågades om hur regelbundet de spelade dataspel och hur många timmar de spelade varje vecka. Eleverna svarade även på ett vokabulärprov där de fick lösa problem angående engelsk vokabulär. De elever som spenderade tio timmar eller mer per vecka med dataspel hade högsta medelvärde på vokabulärproven. De elever som spelade mindre än tio timmar per vecka hade lägre. Samtidigt hade de elever som inte spenderade någon tid alls på dataspel den lägsta medelvärdes poäng utav grupperna. Studien visar en koppling mellan tid spenderat framför dataspel och ett utökat engelskt ordförråd. Ytterligare undersöks möjliga samband mellan tid spenderat på dataspel och inlärning av engelska ord som ofta används i dataspel. I vokabulär provet som eleverna fick fanns det sex ord som eleverna behövde lösa. Dessa ord är vanliga att hitta inom dataspel. Resultatet visar att de elever som spelade dataspel presterade bättre med de dataspels specifika vokabulärproblemen. De elever som inte spelade alls presterade sämst av grupperna, medan elever som spelade lite dataspel varje vecka presterade sämre än de som spelade mycket dataspel varje vecka.

動作 (sig) 是手語重要的音系參數之一。 但對於怎樣以音系形式來描述其特性，特別是怎樣把動作分類及賦予其相關的特徵，至今仍未達成一致的觀點。 為了填補這塊空白，此研究透過香港手語 (HKSL) 的語料，特別探討這些動作是否具有對比性、是否受規律支配、以及是否具組織結構。 基於對《香港手語詞典》(Tang 2007) 紀錄的1982個手語詞彙中1473個的觀察，我們留意到不同的動作種類、重複類型和它們同時出現的規律，並提出相關的動作分類和特徵。 在把動作視為一個具有內部結構的整體的前提下 (Brentari 1998)，此研究採用特徵構架 (feature geometry) 的框架 (Clements 1985, Sagey 1986, McCarthy 1988, Halle 1992) 分析動作特徵在結構樹下的不同層次。 我們又提出形式特徵 [重複] ([repeat]) 和 [返回] ([return]) 用來描述手語裏不同類型的“重複動作，它們以非重複、單向重複、雙向重複、局部動作重複、動作返回和顫動的形態出現。 此兩特徵都是動作類別非限定的發語方式，因為它們沒有被限定要出現在特定的動作類別。 雖然如此，它們在複合動作的分佈卻受某些規律支配，這令我們提出以複式領域的概念來解釋：一個外部領域 (DomainM) 包含所有動作類別，另一內部領域 (DomainS) 只包含可作為次動作的動作類別。 最後，本論文將提出把各動作類別組織成一個五層的特徵架構：(一) 動態特徵類 (MOVEMENT FEATURE / MF) 對 內在特徵類 (INHERENT FEATURE / IF)，(二) 離散類 (DISCRETE) 對 連續類 (CONTINUOUS)，(三) 位移類 (TRANSLOCATED) 對 駐留類 (STATIONARY)，(四) 路徑類 (PATH) 對 局部類 (LOCAL)，以及 (五) 手向類 (ORIENTATION) 對 開合類 (APERTURE)。 一個包含複合動作的手語可以分析為好幾個同步的動作類別 (即手語音系的基本單位)。 五個主要音類特徵 [±M]、[±D]、[±T]、[±P] 和 [±O] 被用來交叉分類以上的動作類別，及決定它們的音響層級 (sonority hierarchy)。 我們分析手語為根節點 (root node) 是根據手語同時利用次音段的複雜性 (即類似複音段) 和動態特性 (即類似曲拱音段) 的觀察結果。
Movement (sig) is one of the major phonological parameters in sign phonology. However, there has been a lack of consensus on how to characterize it, in particular, how to organize movement classes and their associated features in a phonological representation. To fill this gap, this thesis attempts to examine whether movements are contrastive, constrained and structurally organized, based on 1473 lexical signs out of the 1982 signs documented in the HKSL dictionary (Tang 2007). The observations on movement types, repetitions, and their co-occurrence patterns motivate our proposal of new movement classes and features. Following the assumption that movement is a phonological category with an internal structure (Brentari 1998), this study adopts the feature geometry framework (Clements 1985, Sagey 1986, McCarthy 1988, Halle 1992) to analyze the relevant movement features and propose how they are organized in a hierarchical fashion. We also invoke the formal features [repeat] and [return] to capture the different realizations of “repetitions in signs, which may take the forms of non-repeated movement, unidirectional repetitions, bidirectional repetitions, repeated local movements, returning movements and trills. We propose that [repeat] and [return] are type-independent manner features because they are not restrictive to a specific movement type. However, the constrained distribution of these features in complex movements suggests a nested domain of occurrence: an outer domain (i.e. DomainM), which includes all movement classes and an inner domain (i.e. DomainS), which includes only a subset of movement classes associated with secondary movement. Finally, this thesis proposes a feature geometry with movement classes organized in a five-level hierarchy: (i) MOVEMENT FEATURE (MF) versus INHERENT FEATURE (IF) class, (ii) DISCRETE versus CONTINUOUS class, (iii) TRANSLOCATED versus STATIONARY class, (iv) PATH versus LOCAL class, and (v) ORIENTATION versus APERTURE class. A sign with complex movements can be analyzed as movement classes (i.e. the basic phonological units of signs) organized simultaneously. Five major class features [±M], [±D], [±T], [±P] and [±O] are proposed to cross-classify these movement classes and determine their sonority hierarchy. The reason why we adopt a sign-as-root-node analysis is due to the observation that signs exhibit both subsegmental complexity (i.e. complex-segment-like) and dynamicity (i.e. contour-segment-like) at the same time.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Mak, Ka Leong.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 287-300) and indexes.
Abstracts also in Chinese.
Thesis Committee --- p.i
Abstract of thesis entitled --- p.ii
Acknowledgement --- p.iv
Contents --- p.vii
List of figures --- p.xi
List of tables --- p.xvii
Notational conventions --- p.xxii
Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 1.1. --- Background --- p.1
Chapter 1.2. --- Movement as a phonological category --- p.2
Chapter 1.3. --- Research questions --- p.8
Chapter 1.3.1. --- Are movements contrastive? --- p.8
Chapter 1.3.2. --- Are movements rule-governed? --- p.10
Chapter 1.3.3. --- Are movements structurally organized? --- p.11
Chapter 1.4. --- Organization of this thesis --- p.14
Chapter Chapter 2. --- Literature review --- p.17
Chapter 2.1. --- Generative phonology: a review --- p.17
Chapter 2.1.1. --- The Sound Pattern of English (SPE) --- p.18
Chapter 2.1.2. --- Autosegmental phonology --- p.19
Chapter 2.1.3. --- Feature geometry --- p.20
Chapter 2.1.3.1. --- Basic premises --- p.21
Chapter 2.1.3.2. --- The Articulator model --- p.24
Chapter 2.1.3.3. --- Double domination --- p.28
Chapter 2.1.3.4. --- Skeleton and major classes --- p.29
Chapter 2.1.4. --- Nature of distinctive features --- p.30
Chapter 2.1.4.1. --- Feature dynamicity --- p.30
Chapter 2.1.4.2. --- Feature binarity --- p.31
Chapter 2.2. --- Movement in sign phonology: a review --- p.34
Chapter 2.2.1. --- Movement and hold as segments (MH model) --- p.35
Chapter 2.2.2. --- Movement and location as segments (HT model) --- p.36
Chapter 2.2.3. --- Movement with mora as handshape-bearing unit (Moraic model) --- p.37
Chapter 2.2.4. --- A “movement-less approach (DP model) --- p.40
Chapter 2.2.5. --- Movement as prosodic feature class node (Prosodic model) --- p.43
Chapter 2.2.6. --- Repeated movement as single-segment (OneSeg model) --- p.48
Chapter 2.2.7. --- Sign phonology models: a summary --- p.49
Chapter 2.3. --- Representing movement in our model --- p.51
Chapter Chapter 3. --- Contrastive movement types and features in HKSL --- p.55
Chapter 3.1. --- Methodology --- p.55
Chapter 3.2. --- Observations on the movement types in HKSL --- p.57
Chapter 3.2.1. --- Simple and complex movements --- p.57
Chapter 3.2.2. --- Distribution of basic movement types in HKSL --- p.58
Chapter 3.2.3. --- Contrastive movement types --- p.59
Chapter 3.3. --- Path movement --- p.62
Chapter 3.3.1. --- Degrees of freedom: traveling motions --- p.64
Chapter 3.3.2. --- Planes of articulation --- p.65
Chapter 3.3.3. --- Orientation --- p.66
Chapter 3.3.3.1. --- Problem: handpart-to-plane representation of orientation --- p.67
Chapter 3.3.3.2. --- Solution: orientation contrast by handpart --- p.68
Chapter 3.3.4. --- Direction and tracing --- p.70
Chapter 3.3.4.1. --- Problem: how to specify tracing direction --- p.72
Chapter 3.3.4.2. --- Solution: the primacy of setting in path --- p.73
Chapter 3.3.5. --- Contrastive path directions --- p.79
Chapter 3.3.6. --- Contrastive path shapes --- p.80
Chapter 3.3.6.1. --- Spherical surfaces in the signing space --- p.82
Chapter 3.3.6.2. --- Arc paths --- p.82
Chapter 3.3.6.3. --- Circular paths --- p.83
Chapter 3.4. --- Local movement --- p.85
Chapter 3.4.1. --- Orientation change --- p.86
Chapter 3.4.1.1. --- Degrees of freedom: rotating motions --- p.87
Chapter 3.4.1.2. --- Contrastive orientation features --- p.88
Chapter 3.4.2. --- Aperture change --- p.90
Chapter 3.4.2.1. --- Degree of freedom: deformation --- p.90
Chapter 3.4.2.2. --- Contrastive aperture features --- p.91
Chapter 3.4.3. --- Path movement versus local movement --- p.94
Chapter 3.4.4. --- Phonetic reduction, enhancement and implementation --- p.97
Chapter 3.5. --- Setting change --- p.100
Chapter 3.5.1. --- Path versus setting change --- p.102
Chapter 3.5.2. --- Change of setting values --- p.104
Chapter 3.5.3. --- Discrete orientation and aperture changes --- p.108
Chapter 3.6. --- Repetitions, returning movements and trills --- p.110
Chapter 3.6.1. --- Observations in HKSL --- p.113
Chapter 3.6.2. --- Full repetitions --- p.116
Chapter 3.6.3. --- Return --- p.117
Chapter 3.6.4. --- Trills --- p.119
Chapter 3.7. --- Summary: proposed movement features --- p.128
Chapter Chapter 4. --- Feature organization of movement in HKSL --- p.129
Chapter 4.1. --- Class nodes and features --- p.129
Chapter 4.1.1. --- Basic assumptions --- p.130
Chapter 4.1.2. --- Root node, IF and MF class nodes --- p.131
Chapter 4.2. --- Co-occurrence patterns of different movement types --- p.132
Chapter 4.2.1. --- Signs with no movement --- p.133
Chapter 4.2.2. --- Co-occurrence pattern and movement type class nodes --- p.136
Chapter 4.2.3. --- PATH-LOCAL distinction and class nodes --- p.138
Chapter 4.3. --- Internal structures of PATH, ORI and APER class nodes --- p.139
Chapter 4.3.1. --- SET and PATH class nodes --- p.140
Chapter 4.3.2. --- ORI and APER class nodes --- p.145
Chapter 4.3.3. --- Summary of PATH, ORI and APER class nodes --- p.149
Chapter 4.4. --- Type-independent manner features --- p.150
Chapter 4.4.1. --- Pattern of repetitions --- p.151
Chapter 4.4.1.1. --- Constraints on repetitions --- p.152
Chapter 4.4.1.2. --- Structural account for the constraints --- p.156
Chapter 4.4.1.3. --- Lexical versus post-lexical constraints --- p.162
Chapter 4.4.2. --- Exceptional movement characteristics --- p.166
Chapter 4.4.2.1. --- Discrete change --- p.166
Chapter 4.4.2.2. --- Temporal misalignment --- p.168
Chapter 4.4.2.3. --- Revised constraints on repetitions --- p.169
Chapter 4.4.3. --- Notion of domination --- p.174
Chapter 4.4.3.1. --- Phonological domain of a feature --- p.175
Chapter 4.4.3.2. --- Nested phonological domain --- p.177
Chapter 4.5. --- Multiple projections of MF class node --- p.180
Chapter 4.5.1. --- DISCRETE and CONTINUOUS class nodes --- p.181
Chapter 4.5.2. --- TRANSLOC and STATIONARY class nodes --- p.187
Chapter 4.5.3. --- Movement major classes --- p.196
Chapter 4.5.4. --- Major classes and maximal signs --- p.203
Chapter 4.6. --- Summary: proposed constraints represented in feature tree --- p.206
Chapter Chapter 5. --- Conclusion and future research --- p.211
Chapter 5.1. --- Answers to the research questions --- p.211
Chapter 5.1.1. --- Movements are categorical and contrastive --- p.211
Chapter 5.1.2. --- Movements are rule-governed and structurally organized --- p.216
Chapter 5.1.3. --- Significance of the current study --- p.222
Chapter 5.1.4. --- Limitations of the current study --- p.225
Chapter 5.2. --- Future research --- p.226
Chapter 5.2.1. --- Cross-linguistic evidence --- p.227
Chapter 5.2.2. --- Empirical evidence --- p.227
Chapter 5.2.3. --- Theory advancement --- p.228
Chapter Appendix A. --- Segmental and syllable structures in sign language --- p.230
Chapter A.1. --- In the search for segment in sign language --- p.230
Chapter A.2. --- In the search for syllable in sign language --- p.232
Chapter A.2.1. --- Syllable structure of sign --- p.233
Chapter A.2.2. --- Classification of sign syllables --- p.235
Chapter A.3. --- In the search for articulatory explanation --- p.242
Chapter Appendix B. --- Phonology-phonetics interface --- p.245
Chapter B.1. --- Levels of representation --- p.245
Chapter B.2. --- Phonetic phenomena in sign language --- p.246
Chapter B.2.1. --- Metathesis of settings --- p.253
Chapter B.2.2. --- Insertion of epenthetic movement --- p.255
Chapter B.2.3. --- Phonetic enhancement and reduction --- p.259
Chapter B.2.4. --- Repetition implementation --- p.268
Chapter B.3. --- Structure, phonology and phonetics --- p.275
Bibliography --- p.287
Index of illustrated signs --- p.301
Index of discussed issues --- p.305
Index of numbered examples --- p.308

This paper utilizes prior studies attempting to explain different possible phonological production errors among adults who learn American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language (L2). These studies have offered theoretical grounding to such production errors. One area of study in particular is further explored in this paper and that is how specific joints of the arm and hand are used in the production of signs (Mirus, et al., 2001, Meier, et al 2008). L2 learners of ASL are essentially learning a new language using a different modality and this new modality requires that they relearn how to use specific motor skills needed in order to produce sign vocabulary. To address this, an exploratory teaching module is proposed with the need for further action research to discuss its effectiveness.
text

Wong, Yuet On.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chapter Chapter 1: --- Sign phonology models
Chapter 1.0 --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 1.1 --- Structuralism and Stokoe's pioneering work --- p.3
Chapter 1.2 --- Insights from Generative phonology --- p.6
Chapter 1.2.1 --- Is handshape a segment or autosegment --- p.7
Chapter 1.2.2 --- "CV phonology, the Movement Hold Model and the Hand-Tier model" --- p.8
Chapter 1.2.3 --- Dependency Phonology --- p.10
Chapter 1.2.4 --- Interim Summary --- p.13
Chapter 1.3 --- The handshape node --- p.13
Chapter 1.3.1 --- Sandleŕةs (1989) handshape node --- p.13
Chapter 1.3.2 --- Brentaríةs (1998) handshape node --- p.16
Chapter 1.3.3 --- Eccariuśة（2002) handshape node --- p.19
Chapter 1.3.3.1 --- The Joint feature [Crossed] of the PSF node --- p.21
Chapter 1.3.3.2 --- Branching of Selected Fingers into Primary and Secondary Selected Fingers --- p.21
Chapter 1.3.3.3 --- The Secondary selected fingers node --- p.24
Chapter 1.3.3.4 --- The Thumb node in the Secondary selected fingers branch --- p.24
Chapter 1.3.3.5 --- Quantity in SSF vs. Quantity in PSF --- p.25
Chapter 1.3.3.6 --- The Point of reference node in the Secondary selected fingers branch --- p.25
Chapter 1.4 --- The proposed Handshape Unit Model --- p.25
Chapter 1.4.1 --- Handshape unit node --- p.28
Chapter 1.4.2 --- HIM node --- p.30
Chapter 1.4.3 --- The Type node --- p.31
Chapter 1.4.4 --- The Number of movements node --- p.33
Chapter 1.4.5 --- The handshape node --- p.33
Chapter 1.4.6 --- The Nonselected fingers node --- p.33
Chapter 1.4.7 --- The Selected fingers node --- p.35
Chapter 1.4.8 --- The Primary selected fingers node --- p.36
Chapter 1.4.9 --- The Thumb node --- p.37
Chapter 1.4.10 --- The Fingers node --- p.39
Chapter 1.4.11 --- The Quantity node --- p.40
Chapter 1.4.12 --- The Point of reference node --- p.40
Chapter 1.4.13 --- The Joint position node --- p.42
Chapter 1.4.14 --- The Finger position node --- p.44
Chapter 1.4.15 --- The Secondary selected fingers node --- p.45
Chapter 1.4.15.1 --- Primary vs. Secondary selected fingers --- p.45
Chapter 1.4.15.2 --- Comparing the SSF node with the PSF node --- p.46
Chapter 1.4.15.3 --- The Quantity node of the Secondary selected fingers node --- p.46
Chapter 1.4.15.4 --- The Point of reference node of the Secondary selected fingers node --- p.48
Chapter 1.4.15.5 --- Joint position node of the Secondary selected fingers node --- p.48
Chapter 1.4.15.6 --- Finger position node of the Secondary selected fingers node --- p.49
Chapter 1.4.15.7 --- Conclusion --- p.49
Chapter 1.5 --- Outline of the thesis --- p.51
Chapter 1.6 --- Notation conventions --- p.51
Chapter Chapter 2: --- Literature review and introduction to the current study
Chapter 2.0 --- Introduction --- p.53
Chapter 2.1 --- Generalizations of phonology acquisition phenomena --- p.53
Chapter 2.1.1 --- Early child speech as prephonemic --- p.53
Chapter 2.1.2 --- Commonly acquired sound segments at the end of the babbling stage --- p.55
Chapter 2.1.3 --- Characteristics of early words - Loss of phonological contrasts --- p.55
Chapter 2.1.4 --- Systematic mappings --- p.56
Chapter 2.1.5 --- Context-dependent rules / processes --- p.56
Chapter 2.1.6 --- Strategies and metalinguistic awareness in the early period --- p.57
Chapter 2.1.7 --- Stages of the phonological development --- p.57
Chapter 2.2 --- Acquisition of phonology in sign language --- p.58
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Acquisition of location --- p.59
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Acquisition of movement --- p.61
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Acquisition of handshape --- p.62
Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Acquisition of spoken and signed language phonology: Common observations --- p.62
Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Acquisition phenomena specific to handshape acquisition --- p.64
Chapter 2.2.3.3 --- Substitution --- p.66
Chapter 2.2.3.4 --- Applying a linguistic phonology model in handshape acquisition study --- p.67
Chapter 2.2.3.5 --- Group data: a reanalysis --- p.73
Chapter 2.3 --- Interim summary --- p.78
Chapter 2.4 --- Implications on the current study --- p.78
Chapter Chapter 3: --- Hypotheses and Methodology
Chapter 3.0 --- Introduction --- p.80
Chapter 3.1 --- Markedness and acquisition hypotheses of the current study --- p.80
Chapter 3.2 --- Background information for the current study --- p.89
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Subject of the present study --- p.89
Chapter 3.2.2 --- Data collection --- p.90
Chapter 3.2.3 --- Types of signs included in the present study --- p.91
Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Identification of handshape for analysis: signs with more than one handshape --- p.94
Chapter 3.2.4 --- Coding of the data --- p.96
Chapter 3.2.5 --- Criteria for acquisition --- p.98
Chapter 3.3 --- Chapter summary --- p.100
Chapter Chapter 4: --- Results
Chapter 4.0 --- Introduction --- p.102
Chapter 4.1 --- Order of Acquisition of HKSL handshapes --- p.103
Chapter 4.1.1 --- Analysis of CC's data --- p.103
Chapter 4.1.2 --- Data from other handshape acquisition studies --- p.110
Chapter 4.2 --- Not-attempted handshapes --- p.115
Chapter 4.3 --- Errors of Substitution --- p.117
Chapter 4.3.1 --- Data which confirm H2 --- p.122
Chapter 4.3.1.1 --- Quantity substitution --- p.122
Chapter 4.3.1.2 --- Point of reference substitution --- p.123
Chapter 4.3.1.3 --- Joint position substitution --- p.123
Chapter 4.3.1.4 --- Finger position substitution --- p.124
Chapter 4.3.2 --- Data which do not confirm or reject H2 --- p.124
Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- [Crossed] in the Finger position node --- p.125
Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- Secondary selected fingers substitution --- p.125
Chapter 4.3.2.3 --- Thumb feature substitution --- p.126
Chapter 4.3.3 --- Data which reject H2 --- p.126
Chapter 4.3.3.1 --- Thumb selection substitution --- p.126
Chapter 4.3.4 --- Summary of data testing against H2 --- p.127
Chapter 4.4 --- HIM and handshape acquisition --- p.128
Chapter 4.4.1 --- Defining HIM --- p.129
Chapter 4.4.2 --- H3: Accuracy of Finger selection and finger configuration is lower when HIM is specified --- p.130
Chapter 4.4.2.1 --- HIM and finger selection --- p.131
Chapter 4.4.2.2 --- Analysis of the relationship between HIM and finger configuration --- p.132
Chapter 4.4.2.3 --- Generalizations --- p.133
Chapter 4.4.3 --- Detailed analysis of signs involving HIMs --- p.135
Chapter 4.4.3.1 --- Data which confirm H3 --- p.135
Chapter 4.4.3.2 --- Data which partially confirm H3 --- p.137
Chapter 4.4.3.3 --- Data which reject H3 --- p.138
Chapter 4.4.3.4 --- Interim summary --- p.140
Chapter 4.4.4 --- HIM complexity --- p.140
Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusion --- p.142
Chapter Chapter 5: --- Physiology and Handshape Acquisition
Chapter 5.0 --- Introduction --- p.144
Chapter 5.1 --- Motoric account for handshape acquisition --- p.145
Chapter 5.2 --- Physiology Account --- p.147
Chapter 5.2.1 --- Criterion (a): Muscle Opposition in Configuration --- p.149
Chapter 5.2.2 --- Criterion (b): Independent extensor / sufficient support --- p.151
Chapter 5.2.3 --- Criterion(c): Profundus / juncturae tendinum --- p.152
Chapter 5.2.4 --- Other factors affecting the ease and difficulty of a handshape --- p.152
Chapter 5.3 --- Accounting for CĆةs acquisition data --- p.153
Chapter 5.3.1 --- Acquired handshapes --- p.153
Chapter 5.3.2 --- Attempted but not yet acquired handshapes --- p.156
Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Anńةs (1993) scoring system: An evaluation --- p.158
Chapter 5.3.2.3 --- Substitutions and Anńةs (1993) scoring system --- p.159
Chapter 5.3.3 --- Unattempted handshapes --- p.164
Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.167
Chapter Chapter 6: --- Conclusion
Chapter 6.1 --- Summary of the study --- p.170
Chapter 6.2 --- Physiology and handshape acquisition --- p.170
Chapter 6.2.1 --- p.170
Chapter 6.2.2 --- Review of Anńةs model --- p.171
Chapter 6.3 --- Bases of markedness in the current thesis --- p.172
Chapter 6.4 --- Handshape acquisition affected by factors other than markedness --- p.173
Chapter 6.5 --- Unresolved issues and limitations --- p.173
Chapter 6.5.1 --- The dependents of the Handshape Unit Model --- p.174
Chapter 6.5.2 --- The Thumb --- p.175
Chapter 6.5.3 --- Underspecification --- p.175
Chapter 6.5.4 --- Feature markedness ranking --- p.176
Chapter 6.5.5 --- Possible idiosyncrasy --- p.176
Appendices
References

Fung, Hiu Man Cat.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 250-264).
Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.
Abstracts also in Chinese.

碩士
中國文化大學
華語文教學研究所
100
The purpose of this study is to identify a potentially successful approach for teaching Chinese vocabulary to beginning and intermediate learners of Chinese as a second language through a combination of songs and Chinese sign language. We hope this approach not only increases the rate and the speed of learners’ acquisition of vocabulary, but also grows their interest in learning Chinese language. We conducted a quasi-experimental study with two pilot tests involving three different age groups of participants: children, teenagers and adults. For our quasi-experimental study, we recruited 30 graduate students from non-Chinese backgrounds who were in various masters’ programs taught in English at the Chinese Culture University. The 10-participant experimental group, who were beginning learners of CSL, would learn Chinese vocabulary through Chinese songs with Chinese sign language. The 20-partipant control groups, one beginning learners and the other intermediate learners of CSL, would learn identical vocabulary through identical Chinese songs without sign language. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to both groups before and after the 4-week intervention study. A delayed post-test was administered to both groups 3 weeks after the post-test to further understand the retention differences between the groups. The results of our study suggest that: (1) For all participants, the Chinese sign language song approach was more effective in teaching vocabulary than Chinese songs; (2) The beginning learners of CSL benefited more from the Chinese sign language song approach; (3) The core vocabulary used in everyday life with a concrete meaning and a strong connection with sign language is most suitable for the Chinese sign language song approach; (4)Tthe vocabulary introduced in the Chinese sign language song approach has to match the level and age of the learners. The combined results from the two pilot tests and the quasi-experimental study also pointed out that the adult learners of CSL equally, if not more, benefit from the Chinese sign language song approach with regard to their acquisition of vocabulary.

This dissertation represents the first systematic study of the sign language of deaf children with autism. The signing of such children is of particular interest because of the unique ways that some of the known impairments of autism are likely to interact with sign language. In particular, the visual-spatial modality of sign requires signers to understand the visual perspectives of others, a skill which may require theory of mind, which is thought to be delayed in autism (Baron-Cohen et al., 1985). It is hypothesized that an impairment in visual perspective-taking could lead to phonological errors in American Sign Language (ASL), specifically in the parameters of palm orientation, movement, and location. Twenty-five deaf children and adolescents with autism (10 deaf-of-deaf and 15 deaf-of-hearing) between the ages of 4;7 and 20;3 as well as a control group of 13 typically-developing deaf-of-deaf children between the ages of 2;7 and 6;9 were observed in a series of studies, including naturalistic observation, lexical elicitation, fingerspelling, imitation of nonsense gestures, two visual perspective-taking tasks, and a novel sign learning task. The imitation task was also performed on a control group of 24 hearing, non-signing college students. Finally, four deaf mothers of deaf autistic children were interviewed about their children’s signing. Results showed that young deaf-of-deaf autistic children under the age of 10 are prone to making phonological errors involving the palm orientation parameter, substituting an inward palm for an outward palm and vice versa. There is very little evidence that such errors occur in the typical acquisition of ASL or any other sign language. These results indicate that deaf children with autism are impaired from an early age in a cognitive mechanism involved in the acquisition of sign language phonology, though it remains unclear which mechanism(s) might be responsible. This research demonstrates the importance of sign language research for a more complete understanding of autism, as well as the need for research into atypical populations for a better understanding of sign language linguistics.
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This study utilized an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the effectiveness of a unimodal (ASL-only) instructional presentation and a multimodal (ASL+Picture Communication Symbols) instructional presentation in teaching American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary words to two deaf children with intellectual disabilities. The results indicated that, overall, instruction resulted in increases in the participants' ability to produce unknown ASL vocabulary. However, the two participants demonstrated differences in their ability to produce the target ASL vocabulary words correctly. For one participant, the ASL+PCS instructional condition was somewhat more effective, but no difference across the two conditions was demonstrated for the second participant. The results are discussed in terms of their educational and research implications, limitations, and applicability to future research.

Traditionally, the curriculum for deaf learners mainly involved language acquisition. The emphasis on academic subjects, such as science was marginal. In South Africa, the National Curriculum Statements (NCS) was introduced to redress the inequalities of the past education system. This research report is an investigation of science education for deaf learners. The study involved, firstly, exploring the experiences of educators that teach science to deaf learners and secondly, the identification of possible barriers that deaf learners experience in acquiring scientific knowledge, values and skills. Methodologically, this research project is located in the qualitative paradigm. The research participants comprised of five educators that teach science to deaf learners. The research sites were schools that cater for deaf learners, and are located in a province of South Africa. To gather data from the participants, the qualitative tools of interviews, field observations and artifact collection were utilized. Findings from the research indicate that there are intrinsic factors, such as literacy, sign language, cognition and motivation, and extrinsic factors, such as policy implementation, instructional strategies and resources that create barriers for deaf learners in science education. The participants’ suggestions that have emerged are also mentioned. Data obtained from the research provides valuable insight for deaf learners, educators that teach science to deaf learners and educational policy makers. The research report concludes with recommendations that could have implications for further research in the context of science education for deaf learners in South Africa.

Este artigo, sob forma de revisão de literatura, incide sobre a caracterização da Língua Gestual Portuguesa (LGP), utilizada pelas pessoas surdas em Portugal. Em primeiro lugar, será feita uma breve abordagem sobre a nomenclatura a adotar, clarificando a necessidade de dissociação de deficiência auditiva, baseada na visão sócio antropológica da biodiversidade enquanto indicador de saúde no ecossistema. Assim, perspetivando as pessoas surdas portuguesas enquanto elementos de uma comunidade linguística, serão, apresentadas algumas particularidades inerentes à sua língua natural: a LGP, que permite aceder a um input linguístico e comunicativo, promovendo o desenvolvimento da sua linguagem e interação com a comunidade. A LGP, à semelhança de todas as outras línguas, apresenta características exclusivas, tratando-se de um sistema de signos arbitrários e convencionais. É nesta base que este artigo encontra a sua pertinência, debruçando, ainda, a sua atenção na LGP enquanto língua, mais precisamente, nos aspetos gramaticais (sintaxe, morfologia, léxico e querologia). Apesar de ser uma língua estruturada e reconhecida como língua de ensino do nosso país, ainda se verificam algumas lacunas relativamente ao acesso da informação sobre a mesma, constatando-se, entre outros, a inexistência de instrumentos de avaliação para a sua aprendizagem.
A Língua Gestual Portuguesa (LGP) é uma língua estruturada e natural, devendo, por isso, ser a escolhida enquanto potenciadora no processo de ensino-aprendizagem das crianças surdas portuguesas. No entanto, ainda há necessidade de expandir o seu conhecimento, sobretudo sobre as várias etapas de desenvolvimento e aquisição, dando especial atenção à consciência fonológica – estudo dos sons, que neste caso deverá ser denominada de querologia (kyros-mão) – estudo dos queremas. Os estudos existentes sobre a consciência querológica, contemplada no programa curricular da LGP, demonstram que o seu desenvolvimento assume um papel importante no processo de aquisição da linguagem. A consciência querológica inicia-se desde cedo, sendo a sua aquisição progressiva ao longo de toda a infância. Contudo, a sua evolução depende do desenvolvimento cognitivo e intelectual da criança, bem como das experiências linguísticas proporcionadas. Sabendo, à priori, que o contexto onde a criança está inserida deve ser coadjuvante e promotor no contacto com a sua língua natural, e uma vez que o seu desenvolvimento depende do ambiente linguístico, abordam-se os diferentes contextos na aquisição da língua gestual, bem como os parâmetros da consciência querológica e as lacunas - concetuais e metodológicas, inerentes ao seu estudo e avaliação.
A avaliação da língua gestual Portuguesa (LGP) exige maior atenção à consciência querológica, dada a sua relevância na aprendizagem da língua. A nível nacional constata-se a inexistência de instrumentos avaliativos da consciência querológica, pelo que o objetivo deste artigo é apresentar o Instrumento de Avaliação da Consciência Querológica (IACQ-LGP) e a análise das suas propriedades métricas. O instrumento (constituído por 5 subtestes) foi aplicado a 23 participantes entre os 5 e 12 anos (9.09±1.92), 17 do género masculino (73,9%) e 6 do género feminino (26,1%). Os índices da validade de conteúdo (IVC>.71), acordo universal (>.94) e média (>.94) apontaram a relevância dos itens. A proporção de acordo (.82 e 1) indiciou o forte consenso entre peritos, bem como os valores de Kappa de Cohen (k>.84). A fiabilidade foi confirmada pela consistência interna (.78>α<.82) e correlações moderadas a fortes ao nível da estabilidade temporal, pela técnica teste-reteste (.37>r<.73), exceção ao que avalia a discriminação de pares mínimos. A validade de constructo, analisada pelas intercorrelações entre domínios apontou correlações fracas a moderadas (.12≥r.≤84), e a análise fatorial exploratória a multidimensionalidade do constructo. O IACQ-LGP parece ser um instrumento fiável e válido para avaliar a consciência querológica. Conclusões e recomendações serão apresentadas.
This article, through a literature review, aims to characterize the Portuguese Sign Language used by deaf Portuguese people. Firstly, it will be presented the approach about terminology, through the clarification between deafness and hearing impairment, based on a socio-anthropological perspective of biodiversity as a health indicator. It will also be described some specificities inherent to the natural language of Portuguese deaf people. The Portuguese Sign Language allows deaf persons to acquire a linguistic and communicative input, promoting their language development as well as their interaction with the community. This language, like any other, presents exclusive characteristics, due to the fact of being a system composed by arbitrary and conventional signs. The pertinence of this article is based on these elements, and is focused on Portuguese Sign Language as a language, specifically on grammar aspects (syntax, morphology, lexicon and kerology). Although it is a structured language, and recognized as a teaching language in our country, it is still possible to point out some gaps about the knowledge within this topic, like the absence of an assessment instrument for its learning.
The Portuguese Sign Language (PSL) is a structured and natural language and should therefore, be chosen to enable the learning process of Portuguese deaf children. However, there is still a need to expand its knowledge, especially about the various acquisition periods. Special attention should be paid to phonological awareness (which analysis the sound) that in PSL should be name cherology (kyros – from the greek hand). The cherological awareness focuses on the study of the cherems-. The scarce evidences on cherological awareness demonstrate that its development plays an important role in the language acquisition process. This awareness develops from an early age, continuing throughout childhood. However, its proficiency depends on the child's cognitive and intellectual development, as well as on the language experiences. Therefore, the children environment must be supportive and promote contact with their natural language. Due to the relevance of linguistic environment, it is important to address the different contexts in the acquisition of sign language, as well as the cherological parameters. Finally, the conceptual and methodological gaps will be addressed. There is no existent measure for the assessment of cherological awareness.
The assessment of Portuguese Sign Language (PSL) is demanding an increase interest to cherological awareness, due to its relevance for PSL’ learning and as far as we are concerned there are no instrument in Portugal. This article goal is to present the development of the Instrumento de Avaliação da Consciência Querológica (IACQ-LGP) and its preliminary psychometric properties. The IACQ-LGP was applied to 23 children, between 5 and 12 years (9.09±1.92), 17 males (73,9%) and 6 females (26,1%). Items’ content validity indexes (IVC>.71), universal agreement (>.94) and average (>.94) pointed out the relevance of all items. Agreement proportion (.82-1) indicated a strong agreement between seven experts, as well as the Cohen kappa scores (k>.84). Reliability was analyzed through internal consistency, with Cronbach alphas ranging from .78 to .82, and by moderate and strong correlations (.37>r<.73) confirming temporal stability (by test-retest technique). The only exception was discrimination between pairs (r=.13). Construct validity was analyzed through Spearman coefficients, which scores indicated weak to moderate correlations between subtests (.12≥r.≤84), and by an exploratory factorial analysis that pointed out the cherological awareness as a multidimensional construct. IACQ-LGP seems to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess cherological awareness. Conclusions and recommendations will be presented.

The thesis reviews the literature on early communication development, communication intervention with persons with severe intellectual disability, and on picture recognition and use. Drawing from both developmental and behaviourist perspectives, a theoretical base is described for designing intervention and assessment strategies to teach and monitor picto-graphic symbol use for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These strategies were investigated with students with severe intellectual disability, little or no spoken language, poor verbal comprehension and poor picture recognition skills.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The thesis reviews the literature on early communication development, communication intervention with persons with severe intellectual disability, and on picture recognition and use. Drawing from both developmental and behaviourist perspectives, a theoretical base is described for designing intervention and assessment strategies to teach and monitor picto-graphic symbol use for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These strategies were investigated with students with severe intellectual disability, little or no spoken language, poor verbal comprehension and poor picture recognition skills.