Speak Up vs Sign Up: Does Learning Signed Language Hurt Spoken Language Development?
- Jun 6, 2017
- 3 min read
I've been learning languages for fun since I was about twelve years old.
Yup, you heard that correctly--for fun! My sister used to call me a language nerd, but it's definitely true. Languages are my passion, and everything about them intrigues me--from how they're used between people, their sounds, their structures, their orthography and writing systems, to how they develop and change over time. My degree in Speech and Hearing Science with a concentration in Speech-Language Pathology deals heavily with language development. I've taken a number of courses and studied at length what typical language or speech development in children looks like so that once I am a certified Speech Pathologist, I will be able to tell where a disorder lies, and how to correct it. As a preschool teacher, I am able to watch what I've learned in the classroom in action.
One of my favorite things is to work with toddlers and two year olds because their speech and language develop so rapidly, and you can clearly see when children begin to add sounds and words to their repertoire. Working with children so young has also introduced me parents and children who use signed languages with their kids. Sometimes, families are fluent in American Sign Language while other times, they only rely on a few signs for common words and phrases, such as "more" or "please." Every now and then, there is great concern from others on the effects of children using signed language rather than spoken, and I have encountered some who've feared that children who sign will not learn to speak, or that they will develop speech and language skills at a slower rate than their peers. But, is sign language really harmful for a child's spoken language development?
The answer? A resounding no!
Children who learn sign language are not only learning an alternative form of communication, but they are becoming bilingual! Many do not realize that American Sign Language has every component of any spoken language--vocabulary, grammar, etc. Even less realized is that there are signed languages all over the world: Spanish Signed Language, French Signed Language, and Swedish Signed Language, just to name a few (I once knew a professor who was fluent in both American and Swedish Sign Language). Some benefits of bilingualism include a heightened ability to monitor the environment, and improved cognition. Research also shows that children who used sign language could also improve cognition or intelligence, and support spoken language development in both children who are hard of hearing and hearing children. Some researchers believe that children who learn a signed language can develop spoken language skills faster than children who don't.
Some tips for teachers with children who sign:
1. Encourage them to sign and speak! Signing will not prevent a child from speaking, and encouraging them to sign is encouraging them to use both languages.
2. If young children can communicate their needs through signs rather than speech, let them! It will cause you less stress when the child can say what they need--and the child will feel understood as well, and not feel the need to resort to crying, hitting or biting.
3. Talk with the parents to work out a system that works best for everyone--especially if the child is hard of hearing. They may be able to teach you a couple of useful signs that will make it easier for you to communicate with their child.
4. Don't worry if there are communication barriers at first. Children's brains are very elastic, and they learn languages quickly. They will pick up on spoken English in time, just the same as a child whose family speaks Spanish would learn English by interacting with peers at school.
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All the best,
Reina M
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