Discusses the development of manual sign codes for use in the education of children with deafness as an example of language planning activity. Argues that the development of manual sign codes can be seen as a misguided effort that ignores the linguistic bases of natural sign languages and the language rights of the deaf community. (contains 84…

Examines the relationship between sign language and gesture in language acquisition. Specifically, the question is asked, are sign language and nonlinguistic gestures treated differently by infants acquiring a sign language? The answer is found in reexamining data concerning two deaf children learning American Sign Language (ASL). The data…

Ordinary language behavior in ASL reveals parallel cognitive structures that are both similar to and different from spoken-language behavior. This article focuses on the metaphorical similarities between English and ASL that are found in the metaphors "Mind is a container," and "Ideas are objects." Also examined are differences in metaphor…

Co-speech gestures embody a form of manual action that is tightly coupled to the language system. As such, the co-occurrence of speech and co-speech gestures is an excellent example of the interplay between language and action. There are, however, other ways in which language and action can be thought of as closely related. In this paper we will…

The deaf education profession faces a critical juncture. First, the 2006 leadership crisis that swept deaf education's flagship institution--Gallaudet University--will propel professionals to think deeply about promoting diversity, equity, and access in deaf education teacher and leadership preparation programs. Second, personnel shortages require…

In this article, the author discusses why it is difficult to transliterate American Sign Language (ASL) and the visual realities of a deaf individual's life into creative texts written in English. Even on the sentence level, she says, written English resists the unsettling presence of transliteration across modalities. A sign cannot be "said." If…

Theory-of-mind (ToM) abilities were studied in 176 deaf children aged 3 years 11 months to 8 years 3 months who use either American Sign Language (ASL) or oral English, with hearing parents or deaf parents. A battery of tasks tapping understanding of false belief and knowledge state and language skills, ASL or English, was given to each child.…

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the introduction in several countries of universal neonatal hearing screening programs has changed the landscape of education for deaf children. Due to the increasing provision of early intervention services for children identified with hearing loss, public education for deaf children often starts…

This study investigates the personal communication memories and experiences of adult deaf people during their childhoods in their homes. In order to obtain relevant information in depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty four Cypriot deaf individuals between the ages of 19 to 54 years with different family and school…

In this article, the author shares the experiences of his wife, Cheryl, and his 5-year-old daughter, Rose, when they visited their local high school's child development class. Cheryl and Rose met with over a 100 teenagers teenagers in eight different classes to talk about their family, raising a child with Down syndrome, and their experiences with…

A review of problems with using such manual communication systems as cued speech, fingerspelling, Signed or Manual English, American Sign Language, and Pidgin Sign provides a rationale for using a combination of American Sign Language and Pidgin Sign and a few markers from Signed English for a Total Communication system. (CB)

Analysis of spontaneous storytelling samples of deaf 5- to 7-year-olds (N=15), all exposed to manually coded English for some time, differentially showed characteristics more consistent with either English or Sign Language in the language areas of explicit relations, mimed relations, incorporated relations, and English Functors. (CB)

Reports an 18-month longitudinal study of sign language acquisition in very young children of deaf parents. Results indicate that some revision of views on cognitive prerequisites for language is necessary. Implications for nonspeaking populations and for developmental theory are discussed. Reviews briefly sign language training programs for…

Discusses trends and future issues in the bilingual education of deaf children, including teacher learning and use of American Sign Language (ASL), the total communication approach, deaf teachers' use of ASL, the coding of English in signs, and signed English and ASL as complementary communication systems. (five references) (CB)

An approach that combines a signing or gestural component with an integrated approach to word learning--reading, listening, speaking, and writing--has been used successfully with mildly disabled children who demonstrate difficulty acquiring sight words through typical approaches. The seven-stage sequence of instruction is described. (CL)