Mediated First Language in Gestural Modality : Native Swedish Sign Language Acquisition Interactions at Storytime

• This qualitative, longitudinal, single-case study aims to explore and describe naturalistic interactions between Deaf family members mediating their deaf twin acquiring Swedish Sign Language. The family was video-observed on 12 occasions from the child’s age of 10 months to 40 months. The participants’ actions and language structure are analyzed.The results are presented in three age related segments transformations comprising actions in interactional style, gaze and structure of utterances. The first segment, from the child’s age of 10 to 13 months, includes primarily one-sign utterance with steady eye-contact or focus on an object with mediating, displaced signing as if the signing is from the child’s perspective. The second segment, from 15 to 24 months, includes altering, flexible gaze-contact, multi-phrases and narrative structure. The third segment includes conversations in dynamic visual-contact utilizing non-manual structure. Mediating factors like gaze, what-question and narrative, which could be useful for pedagogical purposes, are discussed.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Case-study

Swedish sign language aquisition

deaf family

qualitative

Fallstudie

tillägnande av svenskt teckenspråk

Döv familj

kvalitativ

specialpedagogik

Special Education

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)