Acquiring English as a second language via print: the task for deaf children

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Profoundly deaf children often face significant challenges in achieving age-level reading proficiency.
• This difficulty is attributed to cognitive and linguistic impediments stemming from limited early exposure to natural language and the challenges of acquiring English solely through the written modality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a theoretical model explaining how children can acquire language through reading and writing.
• To identify the stages and conceptual insights required for second/foreign language acquisition via print.
• To highlight the specific difficulties deaf children encounter in this process.

Main Methods:

• Development of a theoretical framework detailing stages of language acquisition through print.
• Analysis of cognitive and linguistic challenges unique to learning language via text.
• Examination of factors influencing success and failure in reading acquisition for deaf children.

Main Results:

• The model outlines successive conceptual insights necessary for learning language via print.
• Identified challenges include reliance on first-language translation, the need for explicit instruction, and difficulties with figurative language.
• The model explains the protracted reading acquisition process and plateaus experienced by many deaf children.

Conclusions:

• Acquiring language through print presents unique logical and practical hurdles for deaf children.
• The success of some deaf individuals in acquiring language via print is a significant cognitive achievement.
• Further attention from cognitive scientists is warranted for this overlooked area.