Adonia K. Smith|Jean Andrews|Melissa Ausbrooks|Mary Anne Gentry|E. Lynn Jacobowitz
A Metalinguistic Awareness Test for ASL/English Bilingual Deaf Children: The TASLA-R?
Lamar University|Lamar University
study researchers examined deaf children could demonstrate awareness asl evaluating correctness asl signs sentences discourse presented stories american sign language asl signed deaf native signersto end metalinguistic awareness testthe test american sign languagereceptive taslar created eight short storiesthe test consisted 40 items presented multiple choice format testeach 40 test items presented correct incorrect statements asl formation using phonology semantics morphology syntax pragmatic aspectsone hundred forty deaf children ages 5 21 four state schools deaf administered taslarsignificant findings follows 1 children got older increase asl metalinguistic awareness ability identify incorrect asl structures 2 deaf children deaf parents group outperformed deaf children hearing group taslar 3 comparisons taslar scores junior high group high school significant 4 scores taslar showed moderate correlation english language vocabulary reading comprehension subtests stanford achievement test 9 th hearing impaired editionthese findings discussed relation ellen bialystoks 2001 theories metalinguistic uses language cognition language development relation learning asl bilingual deaf childrenindex termsdeaf american sign language asl asl assessment bilingual metalinguistic awareness reading early childhood enter school years childrens words become increasingly complex interconnected children also gain new kind knowledge metalinguistic awarenessthis new ability makes possible think language understand words even define themberkogleason 1997 p 4