Adaptation and Evaluation of a German Sign Language Test: a computer-based Receptive Skills Test for deaf children ages 4-8 years old
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Many Deaf people in developed countries can be defined as bilinguals, using both a sign language and the majority language in written and/or spoken form in their everyday lives (Grosjean, 2008). Competency in the two languages can vary widely, depending, among other factors, on the age at which Deaf individuals are first exposed to a(n) (accessible) first language (L1) and second language (L2) (Mayberry & Lock, 2003). Abilities in a sign language can range on a continuum from Deaf children acquiring a sign language as a first language from their native signing Deaf parents, to Deaf children of hearing parents acquiring a sign language only when they enter school. In particular, this latter group of Deaf children who are born Deaf and have hearing parents might have delayed first language acquisition, and they comprise a special population where language is a crucial variable.