FEATURE
GALLAUDET REVOLUTION: Discoveries and Research in Sign Language
BY MELISSA HERZIG, MELISSA MALZKUHN, CLIFTON LANGDON, AND TAWNY HOLMES Exciting discoveries in cognitive, behavior, and neuroscience research from Gallaudet University researchers and around the world are showing us a new way of understanding the human brain and how it uses language. This revolution was made possible by the training of critical thinkers, innovators, and change makers at Gallaudet, which has invested in groundbreaking scientific research on the nature of the human brain. The past 30 years of cognitive neuroscience have revolutionized our understanding of the brain, and discoveries about signed languages in the brain are no exception. Scientists at Gallaudet and around the world have revealed that the human brain is open to learning and using signed and spoken languages in the same way. Some of the discoveries are: • Early and consistent exposure to ASL and English (by both hearing or deaf parents) helps with language development and reading skills; • Sign language activates the same area in the brain as spoken language, and sign language is a biological necessity for a healthy cognition and brain development; and • C hildren learning both ASL and English receive the same benefits as other bilinguals.
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Professor Laura-Ann Petitto (principal investigator, Keck and NSF-INSPIRE grants) and baby interact with the Robot Avatar thermal-Enhanced (RAVE) language learning tool prototype.
These discoveries become the foundation to how we plan, design, and implement educational strategies, tools, and resources that improve our deaf children’s education. The NAD and the Deaf communities have a long and rich history of advocacy for the right to use and learn signed languages. As advocates have found, research and data is often key to convincing decision makers, legislators, and others who disagree with them. Research by Gallaudet University’s Research Labs in Visual Language and Visual Learning Center (VL2) is providing us with evidence-based scientific findings that show signed languages (just like spoken language) support achievement of typical developmental milestones across a wide range of areas (language, reading, math, social emotional skills, and more).
