Abstract
Background Deaf children vary in the use of and proficiency in signed language. The majority of studies on writing skills of children who are deaf did not assess deaf children's proficiency in signed language andor grouped together deaf children with varying sign language skills. Aims Adopting a bimodal bilingual perspective, we examined evaluative expression, an important narrative tool in both oralwritten languages and signed languages, in narratives written in Dutch by deaf children who are proficient in Sign Language of the Netherlands SLN and deaf children who are lowproficient in SLN, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. We hypothesized that deaf children who are proficient in signed language use their knowledge of evaluative expression in signed language to enrich their narratives in written Dutch, and more so than deaf children who are lowproficient in signed language and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Methods & Procedures We examined the use of eight different evaluative devices in narratives written by deaf proficiently and lowproficiently signing children, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Narratives were also examined for morphosyntactic errors and use of complex sentences. Outcomes & Results The results show that proficiently signing deaf children's narratives contain more evaluative devices that enrich the referential structure of the narrative than narratives of lowproficiently signing deaf children, and hearing bilingual and monolingual children. Conclusions & Implications We propose that proficiently signing deaf children use their knowledge of SLN to convey evaluation in their written narratives, and thus have an advantage in enriching their narratives. This study also shows that in order to gain insight into deaf people's writing, it is important to take variations in sign language proficiency into account.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 675-692 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 23 2009 |
Fingerprint
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language
- Speech and Hearing
Cite this
}
Evaluative expression in deaf children's written narratives. / Van Beijsterveldt, Liesbeth Maria; Van Hell, Adriana.
In: International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, Vol. 44, No. 5, 23.10.2009, p. 675-692.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluative expression in deaf children's written narratives
AU - Van Beijsterveldt, Liesbeth Maria
AU - Van Hell, Adriana
PY - 2009/10/23
Y1 - 2009/10/23
N2 - Background Deaf children vary in the use of and proficiency in signed language. The majority of studies on writing skills of children who are deaf did not assess deaf children's proficiency in signed language andor grouped together deaf children with varying sign language skills. Aims Adopting a bimodal bilingual perspective, we examined evaluative expression, an important narrative tool in both oralwritten languages and signed languages, in narratives written in Dutch by deaf children who are proficient in Sign Language of the Netherlands SLN and deaf children who are lowproficient in SLN, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. We hypothesized that deaf children who are proficient in signed language use their knowledge of evaluative expression in signed language to enrich their narratives in written Dutch, and more so than deaf children who are lowproficient in signed language and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Methods & Procedures We examined the use of eight different evaluative devices in narratives written by deaf proficiently and lowproficiently signing children, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Narratives were also examined for morphosyntactic errors and use of complex sentences. Outcomes & Results The results show that proficiently signing deaf children's narratives contain more evaluative devices that enrich the referential structure of the narrative than narratives of lowproficiently signing deaf children, and hearing bilingual and monolingual children. Conclusions & Implications We propose that proficiently signing deaf children use their knowledge of SLN to convey evaluation in their written narratives, and thus have an advantage in enriching their narratives. This study also shows that in order to gain insight into deaf people's writing, it is important to take variations in sign language proficiency into account.
AB - Background Deaf children vary in the use of and proficiency in signed language. The majority of studies on writing skills of children who are deaf did not assess deaf children's proficiency in signed language andor grouped together deaf children with varying sign language skills. Aims Adopting a bimodal bilingual perspective, we examined evaluative expression, an important narrative tool in both oralwritten languages and signed languages, in narratives written in Dutch by deaf children who are proficient in Sign Language of the Netherlands SLN and deaf children who are lowproficient in SLN, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. We hypothesized that deaf children who are proficient in signed language use their knowledge of evaluative expression in signed language to enrich their narratives in written Dutch, and more so than deaf children who are lowproficient in signed language and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Methods & Procedures We examined the use of eight different evaluative devices in narratives written by deaf proficiently and lowproficiently signing children, and hearing monolingual and bilingual children. Narratives were also examined for morphosyntactic errors and use of complex sentences. Outcomes & Results The results show that proficiently signing deaf children's narratives contain more evaluative devices that enrich the referential structure of the narrative than narratives of lowproficiently signing deaf children, and hearing bilingual and monolingual children. Conclusions & Implications We propose that proficiently signing deaf children use their knowledge of SLN to convey evaluation in their written narratives, and thus have an advantage in enriching their narratives. This study also shows that in order to gain insight into deaf people's writing, it is important to take variations in sign language proficiency into account.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70350093392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70350093392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13682820802301498
DO - 10.1080/13682820802301498
M3 - Article
C2 - 18821116
AN - SCOPUS:70350093392
VL - 44
SP - 675
EP - 692
JO - International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders
JF - International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders
SN - 1368-2822
IS - 5
ER -