Developmental process of signed and spoken languages' conversation in deaf children

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The Purpose of this study is, first, to investigate the developmental processes of signed and spoken languages' conversation in deaf children, and second, to describe the transitional processes from signed conversation to prints and sentences of spoken language. First, we observed deaf children's conversation in the deaf school where the sign language was implemented from the infantile stage. Their interactions among them and with teachers in a free play setting were video-recorded. From videotapes, we transcribed the conversation into signs, spoken words, gestures and other non-verbal communications. We also added their social and contextual situation. The focus of analysis was put on the functions of utterance, which could be classified into 11 categories, such as calling, proposal, acknowledgement, etc. It was also found that when some miscommunication occurred, they used several strategies such as repetition, rephrasing, interpretation, and changed those strategies and their modes according to the situation and person to be talked at. We also observed the book-sharing situation of deaf mothers and their children, putting a focus on pre-literacy activities. Results showed that before the children signed any words, some sort of rules of eye-contact and eye-direction between mothers and their children developed. It was also shown that finger-spelling was the main method bridging from the signed contents to prints and words and that finger-squiggling of spoken words which were put on the books were often observed during pre-literacy stages.