Lexical and grammatical abilities in deaf Italian preschoolers: The role of duration of formal language experience

We evaluated language development in deaf Italian preschoolers with hearing parents, taking into account the duration of formal language experience (i.e., the time elapsed since wearing a hearing aid and beginning language education) and different methods of language education. Twenty deaf children were matched with 20 hearing children for age and with another 20 hearing children for duration of experience. Deaf children showed a significant delay in both vocabulary and grammar when compared to same-age hearing children yet a similar development compared to hearing children matched for duration of formal language experience. The delay in linguistic development could be attributable to shorter formal language experience and not to deafness itself. Deaf children exposed to spoken language accompanied by signs tended to understand and produce more words than children exposed only to spoken language. We suggest that deaf children be evaluated based on their linguistic experience and cognitive and communicative potential.

Publication type: 
Articolo
Author or Creator: 
Rinaldi
P.
Caselli
M.C.
Publisher: 
Oxford University Press,, Oxford , Regno Unito
Source: 
Journal of deaf studies and deaf education 14 (2009): 63–75. doi:10.1093/deafed/enn019
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Rinaldi, P., Caselli, M.C./titolo:Lexical and grammatical abilities in deaf Italian preschoolers: The role of duration of formal language experience/doi:10.1093/deafed/enn019/rivista:Journal of deaf studies and deaf education/an
Date: 
2009
Resource Identifier: 
http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/47182
https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enn019
info:doi:10.1093/deafed/enn019
Language: 
Eng
ISTC Author: