Competence in German Sign Language and German depending on age at acquisition

Description: This project uses a behavioral-electrophysiological research approach to investigate critical periods in the acquisition of syntactic and semantic aspects of a first (L1) and second language (L2). Modality-specific and modality-invariant aspects in the neural processing of German and German Sign Language are additionally investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Different groups of hearing and deaf adults who were exposed to a second language at different time points and who grew up with or without a timely available first language will be studied with the aim of identifying effects of delayed L1 acquisition on the learning of the L1 and an L2.

Duration: 2005-2011

Project leadership: Prof. Dr. Brigitte Röder, Prof. Dr. Barbara Hänel-Faulhaber

Scientific staff: Monique Kügow, Uta Salden, Nils Skotara

Funding: Subproject DFG within the framework of SFB 538 Multilingualism

Publications:

Hänel-Faulhaber, B., Kügow, M., Skotara, N., Salden, U., Röder, B. (2014): ERP correlates of German Sign Language processing provide evidence for sensitive/critical periods of language learning. In: BMC Neuroscience 15:62 (highly accessed).

Skotara, N., Salden, U., Kügow, M., Hänel-Faulhaber, B. & Röder, B. (2012): ERP correlates of early language deprivation: A comparison of native signers and signers with delayed language acquisition in processing German as L2. In: BMC Neuroscience 13:44.

Skotara, N., Kügow, M., Salden, U., Haenel-Faulhaber, B. & Röder, B.(2011): Modality specific and modality invariant aspects of language: A comparison of ERP correlates of intramodal vs. crossmodal L2-acquisition. In: BMC Neuroscience 12:48 (highly accessed).