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

本研究的目的一是探讨聋儿手语和口语会话的发展过程，二是描述从手语会话到口语印刷和句子的过渡过程。首先，我们在聋哑学校观察聋哑儿童的对话，聋哑学校从婴儿阶段开始实施手语。他们之间的互动以及与老师在自由游戏环境中的互动都被录了下来。从录像带中，我们将对话转录成手势、口语、手势和其他非语言交流。我们还添加了他们的社会和背景情况。重点分析了话语的功能，将其分为召唤、提议、承认等11类。研究还发现，当出现一些沟通不周时，他们会使用重复、重新措辞、解释等多种策略，并根据谈话的情况和对象改变这些策略和模式。我们还观察了聋哑母亲和他们的孩子分享书籍的情况，把重点放在识字前的活动上。结果表明，在孩子们做任何手势之前，母亲和孩子之间就形成了一些眼神接触和目光转向的规则。研究还表明，手指拼写是将签名内容与印刷品和单词连接起来的主要方法，而且在识字前阶段，经常可以看到手指在书上乱涂乱画。

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.