Best Practices for Building a Bimodal/Bilingual Child Language Corpus

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Best Practices for Building a Bimodal/Bilingual Child Language Corpus
Language: English
Authors: Pichler, Deborah Chen, Hochgesang, Julie A., Lillo-Martin, Diane, de Quadros, Ronice Müller, Reynolds, Wanette
Source: Sign Language Studies. Spr 2016 16(3):361-388.
Availability: Gallaudet University Press. 800 Florida Avenue NE, Denison House, Washington, DC 20002-3695. Tel: 202-651-5488; Fax: 202-651-5489; Web site: http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/SLS.html
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 28
Publication Date: 2016
Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Contract Number: R01DC009263
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Best Practices, Sign Language, Longitudinal Studies, Bilingualism, Child Language, Computational Linguistics, Speech Communication, Language Usage, Guidelines, Foreign Countries, Code Switching (Language), Parent Child Relationship, Parent Attitudes, Cross Cultural Studies
Geographic Terms: Brazil, United States
ISSN: 0302-1475
Abstract: This article addresses the special challenges associated with collecting longitudinal samples of the spontaneous sign language and spoken language production by young bimodal bilingual children. We discuss the methods used in our study of children in the United States and Brazil. Since one of our goals is to observe both sign language and speech, as well as any language mixing, it is important for us to address issues of language choice and techniques for directing the child participant toward primary use of the target language in each session. Suggestions and guidelines for achieving this in effective yet respectful ways are presented. We are especially dependent on the participation, flexibility, and direction of our participant children's parents, who work with us to elicit samples that are genuinely representative of their children's linguistic abilities. We illustrate our procedures for training parents and other interlocutors in data-collection sessions. In return for their generous participation in our research, we address parents' questions and concerns about language development, especially in bimodal bilingual contexts. We take very seriously the need to negotiate with participants regarding their expectations for the use of the data they provide, and we abide by their wishes in this matter. The strategies presented here improve the quality of the investigations we can conduct by making the experiences of the participant families as pleasant as possible.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2020
Access URL: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/614202
Accession Number: EJ1272126
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This article addresses the special challenges associated with collecting longitudinal samples of the spontaneous sign language and spoken language production by young bimodal bilingual children. We discuss the methods used in our study of children in the United States and Brazil. Since one of our goals is to observe both sign language and speech, as well as any language mixing, it is important for us to address issues of language choice and techniques for directing the child participant toward primary use of the target language in each session. Suggestions and guidelines for achieving this in effective yet respectful ways are presented. We are especially dependent on the participation, flexibility, and direction of our participant children's parents, who work with us to elicit samples that are genuinely representative of their children's linguistic abilities. We illustrate our procedures for training parents and other interlocutors in data-collection sessions. In return for their generous participation in our research, we address parents' questions and concerns about language development, especially in bimodal bilingual contexts. We take very seriously the need to negotiate with participants regarding their expectations for the use of the data they provide, and we abide by their wishes in this matter. The strategies presented here improve the quality of the investigations we can conduct by making the experiences of the participant families as pleasant as possible.
ISSN:0302-1475