Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T07:27:10.193Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The first signs of language: Phonological development in British Sign Language

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2007

GARY MORGAN ,
SARAH BARRETT-JONES  and
HELEN STONEHAM
GARY MORGAN
Affiliation:
City University, London
SARAH BARRETT-JONES
Affiliation:
City University, London
HELEN STONEHAM
Affiliation:
City University, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A total of 1,018 signs in one deaf child's naturalistic interaction with her deaf mother, between the ages of 19 and 24 months were analyzed. This study summarizes regular modification processes in the phonology of the child sign's handshape, location, movement, and prosody. First, changes to signs were explained by the notion of phonological markedness. Second, the child managed her production of first signs through two universal processes: structural change and substitution. Constraints unique to the visual modality also caused sign language-specific acquisition patterns, namely, more errors for handshape articulation in locations in peripheral vision, a high frequency of whole sign repetitions and feature group rather than one-to-one phoneme substitutions as in spoken language development.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 2007 , pp. 3 - 22
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agrafiotis D., Canagarajah N., Bull D. R., & Dye M. 2003. Perceptually optimised sign language video coding based on eye tracking analysis. Electronics Letters, 39, 1703– 1705.Google Scholar
Bernhardt B. H., & Stemberger J. P. 1998. Handbook of phonological development: From the perspective of constraint-based nonlinear phonology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Bonvillian J., Orlansky M., & Novack L. 1993. Developmental milestones: Sign language acquisition and motor development. Child Development, 54, 1435– 1445.Google Scholar
Boyes Braem P. 1990. Acquisition of the handshape in American Sign Language: A preliminary analysis. In V. Volterra & C. J. Erting (Eds.), From gesture to language in hearing and deaf children (pp. 107– 127). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Brennan M. 1984. Words in hand. A structural analysis of the signs of British Sign Language. Edinburgh: Moray House College of Education.
Brentari D. 1998. A prosodic model of sign language phonology. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Butterworth G. 1992. Origins of self-perception in infancy. Psychological Inquirey, 3, 103– 111.Google Scholar
Carter M. 1983. The acquisition of British Sign Language (BSL). York Papers in Linguistics, 10, 23– 48.Google Scholar
Casey S. 2003. Relationships between gestures and signed languages: Indicating participants in actions. In A. Baker B. van den Bogaerde Beppie, & O. Crasborn (Eds.), Cross-linguistic perspectives in sign language research (pp. 95– 118). Hamburg: Signum.
Channon R. 2002. Signs are single segments. Phonological representations and temporal sequencing in ASL and other signed languages. Sign Language and Linguistics, 5, 99– 102.
Cheek A., Cormier K., Repp A., & Meier R.P. 2001. Prelinguistic gesture predicts mastery and error in the production of early signs. Language, 77, 292– 323.Google Scholar
Clibbens J., & Harris M. 1993. Phonological processes and sign language development. In D. Messer & G. Turner (Eds.), Critical influences on child language acquisition and development. London/New York: Macmillan/St. Martin's Press.
Conlin K. E., Mirus G. R., Mauk C., & Meier R. P. 2000. The acquisition of first sign place, handshape and movement. In C. Chamberlain J. Morford, & R. Mayberry (Eds.), Language acquisition by eye (pp. 51– 70). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Crasborn O. 2001. Phonetic implementation of phonological categories in sign language of The Netherlands. PhD dissertation. Utrecht: LOT.
Gesell A., & Thompson H. 1934. Infant behavior: Its genesis and growth. New York: McGraw–Hill.
Grunwell P. 1997. Natural phonology. In M. J. Ball & R. D. Kent (Eds.), The new phonologies (pp. 35– 75). San Diego, CA: Singular.
Hamilton H. 1986. Perception of sign features by deaf children. Sign Language Studies, 50, 73– 77.Google Scholar
Harris M., Clibbens J., Chasin J., & Tibbitts R. 1989. The social context of early sign language development. First Language, 9, 81– 97.Google Scholar
Holzrichter A. S., & Meier R. P. 2000. Child-directed signing in American Sign Language. In C. Chamberlain J. P. Morford, & R. Mayberry (Eds.), Language acquisition by eye (pp. 25– 40). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Juncos O., Caamano A., Justo M. J., Lopez E., Rivas R. M., & Lopez Y., et al. 1997. Primeras palabras en la Legua de Signos Espanola (LSE). Estructura formal, semantica y contextual. Revisita de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología, 17, 170– 181.Google Scholar
Kantor R. 1980. The acquisition of classifiers in American Sign Language. Sign Language Studies, 28, 193– 208.Google Scholar
Karnopp L. B 2002. Phonology acquisition in Brazilian Sign Language. In G. Morgan & B. Woll (Eds.), Directions in sign language acquisition (pp. 29– 53). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Klima E., & Bellugi U. 1979. The signs of language. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Kyle J. G., & Woll B. 1985. Sign language: The study of deaf people and their language. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Locke J. L. 1990. Structure and stimulation in the ontogeny of spoken language. Developmental Psychobiology, 23, 621– 644.Google Scholar
MacNeilage P. F., & Davis B. L. 2000. On the origin of internal structure of word forms. Science, 288, 527– 531.Google Scholar
Marentette P. F., & R. I. Mayberry 2000. Principles for an emerging phonological system: A case study early American Sign Language acquisition. In C. Chamberlain J. Morford, & R. Mayberry (Eds.), Language acquisition by eye (pp. 71– 90). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
McIntire M. 1977. The acquisition of American Sign Language hand configurations. Sign Language Studies, 16, 247– 266.Google Scholar
Meier R. P. 2005. The forms of early signs: Explaining signing children's articulatory development. In B. Schick M. Marschark, & P Spencer (Eds.). Advances in the sign-language development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children (pp. 202– 230). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Meier R. P., Mauk C., Cheek A., & Moreland C. 2006. The form of children's early signs: Iconic or motor determinants? Language Learning and Development.
Meier R. P., Mauk C., Mirus G. R., & Conlin K. E. 1998. Motoric constraints on early sign language acquisition. In E. Clark (Ed.), Proceedings of the 29th annual child language research forum. Stanford, CA: CSLI.
Meier R. P., & Newport E. L. 1990. Out of the hands of babes: On a possible sign advantage in language acquisition. Language, 66, 1– 23.Google Scholar
Mills A. (Ed.). 1983. Language acquisition in the blind child. Child language: Normal and deficient. London/San Diego, CA: Croom Helm/College-Hill Press.
Nespor M., & Sandler W. 1999. Prosody in Israeli sign language. Language and Speech, 42, 143– 176.Google Scholar
Newport E. L., & Meier R. P. 1985. The acquisition of American Sign Language. In D. I. Slobin (Ed.), The crosslinguistic study of language acquisition: Vol. 1. The data (pp. 881– 938). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sandler W. 1989. Phonological representation of the sign. Dordrecht: oris.
Seidl A., Johnson E., Redman D., & Brentari D. 2004. Segmentation of clauses in English, Dutch and American sign language. Paper presented at BUCLD, Boston, November 2004.Google Scholar
Siedlecki T., & Bonvillian J. D. 1993. Location, handshape and movement: Young children's acquisition of the formational aspects of American Sign Language. Sign Language Studies, 78, 31– 52.Google Scholar
Siedlecki T., & Bonvillian J. D. 1997. Young children's acquisition of the handshape aspect of American Sign Language: Parental report findings. Applied Psycholinguistics, 18, 17– 31.Google Scholar
Siple P., Hatfield N., & Caccamise F. 1978. The role of visual perceptual abilities in the acquisition and comprehension of sign language. American Annals of the Deaf, 123, 852– 856.Google Scholar
Smith N. V. 1973. The acquisition of phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Snow D. 1997. Children's acquisition of speech timing in English: A comparative study of voice onset time and final syllable vowel lengthening. Journal of Child Language, 24, 35– 56.Google Scholar
Spencer P. E., & Harris M. 2005. Patterns and effects of language input to deaf infants and toddlers from deaf and hearing mothers. In B. Schick M. Marschark, & P. E. Spencer (Eds.), Advances in the sign language development of deaf children (pp. 102– 134). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stokoe W. C., Casterline D., & Croneberg C. 1965. A dictionary of American Sign Language. Washington, DC: Gallaudet College Press.
Sutton-Spence R. L., & Woll B. 1999. The linguistics of British Sign Language: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Takkinen R. 2003. Variation of handshape features in the acquisition process. In A. Baker B. van den Bogaerde, & O. Crasborn (Eds.). Cross-linguistic perspectives in sign language research (pp. 81– 94). Hamburg: Signum.
Thelen E 1979. Rhythmical stereotypies in normal human infants. Animal Behavior, 27, 699– 715.Google Scholar
Thelen E. 1995. Origins of origins of motor control. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 18, 780– 783.Google Scholar
Vihman M. 1996. Phonological development: The origins of language in the child. Oxford: Blackwell.
Vihman M., & McCune L. 1994. When is a word a word? Journal of Child Language, 21, 517– 542.Google Scholar
Volterra V., & Erting C. J. (Eds.). 1994. From gesture to language in hearing and deaf children. New York: Springer–Verlag.
von Tetzchner S. 1994. First signs acquired by a Norwegian deaf child with hearing parents. Sign Language Studies, 44, 225– 257.Google Scholar
Woll B. 1998. Development of signed and spoken languages. In G. Susan P. Knight W. McCracken S. Powers, & L. Watson (Eds.), Issues in deaf education. Abingdon: David Fulton Publishers.
Woll B., Kyle J., & Ackerman J. 1988. Providing sign language models: Strategies used by deaf mothers. In G. Collis A. Lewis, & V. Lewis (Eds.), Proceedings of the Child Language Seminar (pp. 217– 228). Coventry: University of Warwick.