Debbie Saelee
April 27, 2008
Language Acquisition and ASL
Language develops in the first
two years of an infants’ life. By the age of one children
speak their first word and at the end of two years they have
acquired about 550 words in their vocabulary. Deaf children
begin to express their first signs at about the age of 10-12
months (Berger, 2006). In mainstream culture today there has
been much debate about language acquisition between hearing
children and deaf children. Are deaf children at a
disadvantage in language? It seems that the answer is no,
remarkably many people believe the opposite. Research has
shown that teaching sign language to infants, whether
hearing or deaf, increases their ability to learn language
at an earlier age and increases the number of words learned.
Because infants do not have the ability to respond verbally
to their parents, they tend to make gestures to communicate.
It seems that gesturing is an innate ability they have to
communicate already. Research has found that at an early
age, infants who were taught to sign were less frustrated,
higher in self-esteem and parents were more attentive this
may be due to the reduction of communication barrier between
an infant and their caregiver (Acredolo, Brown & Goodwyn,
2000). Initially with deaf infants, they become more
advanced in their gestures and soon are able to have
distinct hand gestures that resemble their parent’s signs
(Berger, 2006).
Due to the vast popularity in
“baby signs” we are seeing more books, articles and research
presented. More parents with hearing children are teaching
sign language and more support is being presented about the
benefits of sign language. It seems that sign language is
not only a language for hearing impaired or hard of hearing
individuals but for everyone and anyone. Soon this language
may not just be for the minority but majority, which I hope
will allow us to continue to learn and understand the deaf
community. Reports of educational benefits in hearing
children have encouraged parents to teach sign language in
an effort to improve their child’s vocabulary at an early
age. It seems that American Sign Language is beginning not
only a resource for communication but for increasing
language acquisition. The use of sign language in hearing
children allows them to use additional sensory channels
(expression, visual, auditory). Being able to learn language
through several sources “provides a richer language base for
young learners” (Daniels, 1996). It has also been found that
there are both short-term and long-term effects of teaching
sign language. Many children who learn it as an infant, as
suggested earlier, learn more vocabulary initially, but do
they retain the information learned if they are no longer
taught sign language. It was found that word growth
continues even after sign language is no longer used
(Daniels, 1996).
It seems that sign language is
becoming more of a resource for learning vocabulary, and the
more it is used I think the better it will be for language
development and communication between two different
communities. This use of sign language will then enhance the
environment of both verbal and non-verbal communities.
References
Acredolo, L. Brown, C. & Goodwyn, S. (2000). Impact of
symbolic gesturing on early language development. Journal of
Nonverbal Behavior. 24, 81-103.
Berger, K.S. (2006). The Developing Person: Through
Childhoods and Adolescence. New York City, New York. Worth
Publishers.
Daniels, M. (1996). Seeing language: the effect over time of
sign language on vocabulary development in early childhood
education. Child Study Journal. 26 (3), 193-208.