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Published on: January 23, 2017
Sensitivity to conversational maxims in deaf and hearing children
Luca Surian1, Mariantonia Tedoldi, Michael Siegal
1Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini, 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy. luca.surian@unitn.it
Journal of Child Language
|September 2, 2009
Summary
Early sign language exposure, particularly bimodal/bilingual instruction, significantly enhances pragmatic competence in deaf children. This early conversational experience is crucial for developing skills in understanding truthfulness and relevance in communication.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Deaf Education
Background:
- Pragmatic competence, the ability to use language effectively in social contexts, is essential for communication.
- Deaf children's development of pragmatic skills can be influenced by factors such as language access and educational approaches.
- Previous research suggests a link between early language exposure and cognitive abilities like mindreading in deaf children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of sign language access on the development of pragmatic competence in deaf children.
- To compare the pragmatic abilities of deaf children with varying levels of sign language exposure and educational backgrounds.
- To assess sensitivity to conversational maxim violations among different groups of deaf children and hearing peers.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving four groups of children: native signers (deaf families, bimodal/bilingual instruction), native signers (deaf families, oralist instruction), late signers (hearing families, oralist instruction), and hearing children.
- Participants aged 6-11 years (deaf) and 6-7 years (hearing) were assessed using a test evaluating sensitivity to violations of conversational maxims (Quality and Relation).
- Performance was analyzed across groups to identify differences in detecting pragmatic rule breaches.
Main Results:
- Deaf children with native sign language exposure and bimodal/bilingual instruction demonstrated pragmatic competence comparable to hearing children.
- These children effectively detected violations related to truthfulness (Maxim of Quality) and relevance (Maxim of Relation).
- Native signers in bimodal/bilingual settings outperformed both late signers and native signers receiving oralist instruction on these pragmatic tasks.
Conclusions:
- Early access to sign language, especially within a bimodal/bilingual educational framework, significantly supports the development of pragmatic competence in deaf children.
- The findings highlight the critical role of early conversational experiences and the chosen instructional setting in shaping pragmatic abilities.
- These results align with prior research on theory of mind and underscore the importance of language modality and early input for deaf children's communication development.
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