Language Acquisition by Eye (review)

This is a unique collection of articles on language acquisition through the visual-manual system of signing. The intended audience may seem to be professionals working with nonhearing children, but any academic interested in language acquisition will find this text valuable. The editors succeed in achieving their three main goals: (1) bringing research and theory concerning acquisition by eye up to date, (2) highlighting the positive link between early acquisition of a signed language and subsequent reading development, and (3) explaining ‘how the child can learn more than one system of linguistic representation by eye’ (xii).

This volume comprises twelve articles, four of which were originally presented at the fifth International Conference on Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (Montreal, PQ, September 1996). The editors have grouped the articles into two sections. The seven studies in the first section explore the early acquisition of signed language by native learners. The five chapters in the second section investigate the relationship between sign language and reading development.

The first part consists of recent cross-linguistic research that explores how native learners acquire a signed language. The unifying theme is the relationship between early exposure to sign language and performance. Some of the most noteworthy findings in this section are: (1) Motherese is as much a phenomenon of signed language as it is of spoken language and plays a similar role of assisting the child in identifying the units making up the system of the signed language. (2) Language acquisition is not dependent on a specific modality. (3) Motor articulators play a major role in the early production of signs. (4) Children using sign language acquire language-specific features such as pronoun copying at an early age based on the data in their input. (5) Early exposure is a strong determinant of the rate and route of acquisition of signed language.

Section 2 includes four groundbreaking studies that examine how signing children acquire reading comprehension skills. The unifying theme of the second section is the strong correlation between early exposure and skill in sign language on one hand and literacy skills on the other. These studies advocate a bilingual model for deaf children due to a positive correlation between knowledge of ASL and learning to read English. They also identify the various factors that contribute to reading ability in signing children. One study that this reviewer found particularly interesting is Susan Mather and Andre Thibeault’s research (191–220) stressing the differences between storytelling using a visual vs. an auditory mode. The editors make excellent use of the last chapter to review past literature, summarize the findings of the studies, and suggest areas for further research. One important recommendation is the need to trace the development of both reading comprehension and decoding skills in deaf children.

The significance of this excellent resource for professionals in language acquisition and literacy among nonhearing children is profound. Parents will also find it profitable and enlightening, especially because the studies stress the parents’ crucial role in promoting early acquisition.