Learning to Use Space in the L2 Acquisition of a Signed Language: Two Case Studies

Boers-Visker, Eveline; Bogaerde, Beppie van den

doi:10.1353/sls.2019.0003

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In one recent study on Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), Boers-Visker and colleagues studied L2 students' production of modality-specific devices, i.e. the use of space for linguistic information (Boers-Visker, 2020;Boers-Visker & van den Bogaerde, 2019). They noticed that depicting signs (labeled as classifier predicates) appeared relatively late in a free production study of two NGT L2 learners (Boers-Visker & van den Bogaerde, 2019).…”

Section: Sign Second Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…the use of space for linguistic information (Boers-Visker, 2020;Boers-Visker & van den Bogaerde, 2019). They noticed that depicting signs (labeled as classifier predicates) appeared relatively late in a free production study of two NGT L2 learners (Boers-Visker & van den Bogaerde, 2019). In a follow-up study, Boers-Visker (2020) administered a production task to elicit depicting signs from a group of NGT L2 learners, and concluded that depicting signs appeared at early stages in the acquisition, although the formational characteristics of these signs were erroneous and inconsistent.…”

Section: Sign Second Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Second language acquisition of depicting signs

Schönström

Mesch

2022

LIA

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This paper concerns the acquisition of the sign lexicon in L2 learners of Swedish Sign Language. Sampled data (conversation and narrative retelling) from a longitudinal learner corpus with 16 adult L2 signers was analyzed and compared with data from nine L1 signers. The use of three broad types of signs was analyzed: lexical signs, partly-lexical signs (i.e. depicting signs) and non-lexical signs. The results revealed some differences between L1 and L2 signers, especially with regard to depicting signs. The number of depicting signs used by L2 learners increased over time, approaching the target language use. Qualitatively, we observed differences between L1 and L2 signers in their use of depicting signs, related to handshape choice and sign constructions. We discuss these findings in light of previous research linked to L2 vocabulary as well as the role of gestural knowledge in sign L2 acquisition.

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Section: Sign Second Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sign Second Language Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second language acquisition of depicting signs

Schönström

Mesch

2022

LIA

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“…Generally speaking, M2L2 learners exhibit many typical L2 error patterns; they have a tendency to overlook phonological detail of their signed L2 (Bochner et al, 2011) and make errors due to transfer from their L1 (Chen Pichler & Koulidobrova, 2015). In addition, M2L2 learners struggle with grammatical elements specific to languages in the signed modality, so-called modality effects (Boers-Visker & Bogaerde, 2019; Marshall & Morgan, 2015). Not all modality effects are disadvantages; however, hearing adults are sensitive to iconic properties that are common to both hearing gestures and sign languages (Ortega & Özyürek, 2020), suggesting that existing gestural experience can be recruited as a starting point for more efficient sign language learning.…”

Section: How Successfully Can Hearing Parents Learn a Sign Language?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Successfully Can Hearing Parents Learn a Sign Language?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Family ASL: An Early Start to Equitable Education for Deaf Children

Lillo‐Martin

Pichler

2021

Topics in Early Childhood Special Education

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Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children experience systematic barriers to equitable education due to intentional or unintentional ableist views that can lead to a general lack of awareness about the value of natural sign languages and insufficient resources supporting sign language development. Furthermore, an imbalance of information in favor of spoken languages often stems from a phonocentric perspective that views signing as an inferior form of communication that also hinders the development of spoken language. On the contrary, research demonstrates that early adoption of a natural sign language confers critical protection from the risks of language deprivation without endangering spoken language development. In this position paper, we draw attention to deep societal biases about language in the information presented to parents of DHH children, against early exposure to a natural sign language. We outline actions that parents and professionals can adopt to maximize DHH children’s chances for on-time language development.

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“…77The M2L2 acquisition of other spatial devices—in Norwegian Sign Language and NGT, respectively—is addressed in Ferrara & Nilsson (2017) and Boers–Visker & van den Bogaerde (2019). For overviews of M2L2 acquisition, see Quinto–Pozos (2011), Woll (2013), and Chen Pichler & Koulidobrova (2015)…”

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confidence: 99%

Space Oddities: The Acquisition of Agreement Verbs by L2 Learners of Sign Language of the Netherlands

Boers-Visker

Pfau

2020

The Modern Language Journal

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This article reports the results of the first longitudinal study that systematically investigates the acquisition of verb agreement by hearing learners of a sign language. During a 2-year period, 14 novel learners of Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) with a spoken language background performed an elicitation task 15 times. Seven deaf native signers and NGT teachers performed the same task to serve as a benchmark group. The results obtained show that for some learners, the verb agreement system of NGT was difficult to master, despite numerous examples in the input. As compared to the benchmark group, learners tended to omit agreement markers on verbs that could be modified, did not always correctly use established locations associated with discourse referents, and made characteristic errors with respect to properties that are important in the expression of agreement (movement and orientation). The outcomes of the study are of value to practitioners in the field, as they are informative with regard to the nature of the learning process during the first stages of learning a sign language.

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Learning to Use Space in the L2 Acquisition of a Signed Language: Two Case Studies

Cited by 13 publications

References 31 publications

Second language acquisition of depicting signs

Second language acquisition of depicting signs

Family ASL: An Early Start to Equitable Education for Deaf Children

Space Oddities: The Acquisition of Agreement Verbs by L2 Learners of Sign Language of the Netherlands

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