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Document Type
Article
Abstract
The US demographic of households that speak languages other than English have continued to steadily increase which has been reflected in the subgroup of those within the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing population. Although misconceptions of bilingualism such as the belief that additional language will cause harm, delay, confusion, or cognitive burden have been discredited, some professionals continue to encourage parents to speak only in one language to the child. To address a lack of information in the literature pertaining to the language development of those with both bilingualism and hearing impairment, this study examines the language development among bilingual preschool aged children with and without hearing impairment through group comparisons of total words and mean length of utterance from language sample obtained through play with parents. Tentative data shows that the total number of words produced by children with cochlear implants are comparable to children with typical hearing. Additionally, current results suggest that the length of time and usage of cochlear implants are better indicators of language outcomes rather than status of bilingualism.
Recommended Citation
Ryu, Joanne and Sundarrajan, Madhu, "What About Our Multicultural Population: Language Development Among Preschoolers With and Without Hearing Loss" (2021). Three Minute Research (3MR). 18.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/three-minute-thesis/18
