Challenges and solutions in test adaption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Enns ◽  
Vera Kolbe ◽  
Claudia Becker
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Production Test ◽  
Adaptation Process ◽  
Test Adaptation ◽  
German Sign Language

Abstract Sign language assessment tools are important for professionals working with DHH children to measure sign language development and competence. Adaptation of an existing test can be a solution when initiating assessment in a sign language community; the adaptation process must adhere to key principles and procedures. We introduce the principles of test adaptation and outline the challenges we faced in adapting the British Sign Language Production Test (Herman, Grove, Holmes, Morgan, Sutherland & Woll 2004) to German Sign Language and American Sign Language. Challenges included decisions regarding the normative sample, the use of terminology, and variations in the scoring protocols to fit with each language. The steps taken throughout the test adaptation process are described, together with a comparison of parallels and differences. We conclude that test adaptation is an effective method of developing practical tools for sign language assessment and contributes to a better understanding of sign language development.

Language-switch costs and dual-response costs in bimodal bilingual language production

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 418-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
EMILY KAUFMANN ◽  
ANDREA M. PHILIPP
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Language Switching ◽  
Switch Costs ◽  
Signed Language ◽  
Dual Response ◽  
Single Response ◽  
Mixing Costs ◽  
German Sign Language

In communication, different forms of language combinations are possible for bimodal bilinguals, who use a spoken and a signed language. They can either switch from one language to another (language switching) or produce a word and a sign simultaneously (language blending). The present study examines language control mechanisms in language switching and simultaneous bimodal language production, comparing single-response (German or German Sign Language) and dual-response trials (Blend of the German word and the German Sign Language sign). There were three pure blocks, one for each Target-response (German, German Sign Language, Blend), as well as mixed blocks, in which participants switched between all three Target-responses. We observed language mixing costs, switch costs and dual-response costs. Further, the data pattern showed a specific dual-response advantage for switching into a Blend (i.e., a dual-response trial), indicating the specific nature of a blended response in bimodal bilingual language production.

scholarly journals Validity evidence for a sentence repetition test of Swiss German Sign Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-434
Author(s):  
Tobias Haug ◽  
Aaron Olaf Batty ◽  
Martin Venetz ◽  
Christa Notter ◽  
Simone Girard-Groeber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
School Context ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Swiss German ◽  
Sentence Repetition ◽  
Cognitive Framework ◽  
Deaf Adults ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
German Sign Language

In this study we seek evidence of validity according to the socio-cognitive framework (Weir, 2005) for a new sentence repetition test (SRT) for young Deaf L1 Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS) users. SRTs have been developed for various purposes for both spoken and sign languages to assess language development in children. In order to address the need for tests to assess the grammatical development of Deaf L1 DSGS users in a school context, we developed an SRT. The test targets young learners aged 6–17 years, and we administered it to 46 Deaf students aged 6.92–17.33 ( M = 11.17) years. In addition to the young learner data, we collected data from Deaf adults ( N = 14) and from a sub-sample of the children ( n = 19) who also took a test of DSGS narrative comprehension, serving as a criterion measure. We analyzed the data with many-facet Rasch modeling, regression analysis, and analysis of covariance. The results show evidence of scoring, criterion, and context validity, suggesting the suitability of the SRT for the intended purpose, and will inform the revision of the test for future use as an instrument to assess the sign language development of Deaf children.

scholarly journals The influence of visual feedback and register changes on sign language production: A kinematic study with deaf signers

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAREN EMMOREY ◽  
NELLY GERTSBERG ◽  
FRANCO KORPICS ◽  
CHARLES E. WRIGHT
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Vertical Movement ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Tunnel Vision ◽  
The Right ◽  
Deaf Signers

ABSTRACTSpeakers monitor their speech output by listening to their own voice. However, signers do not look directly at their hands and cannot see their own face. We investigated the importance of a visual perceptual loop for sign language monitoring by examining whether changes in visual input alter sign production. Deaf signers produced American Sign Language (ASL) signs within a carrier phrase under five conditions: blindfolded, wearing tunnel-vision goggles, normal (citation) signing, shouting, and informal signing. Three-dimensional movement trajectories were obtained using an Optotrak Certus system. Informally produced signs were shorter with less vertical movement. Shouted signs were displaced forward and to the right and were produced within a larger volume of signing space, with greater velocity, greater distance traveled, and a longer duration. Tunnel vision caused signers to produce less movement within the vertical dimension of signing space, but blind and citation signing did not differ significantly on any measure, except duration. Thus, signers do not “sign louder” when they cannot see themselves, but they do alter their sign production when vision is restricted. We hypothesize that visual feedback serves primarily to fine-tune the size of signing space rather than as input to a comprehension-based monitor.

A quantitative analysis of sign lengthening in American Sign Language

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Information Load ◽  
American Sign ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Role Shift ◽  
High Information

In spoken languages, disfluent speech, narrative effects, discourse information, and phrase position may influence the lengthening of segments beyond their typical duration. In sign languages, however, the primary use of the visual-gestural modality results in articulatory differences not expressed in spoken languages. This paper looks at sign lengthening in American Sign Language (ASL). Comparing two retellings of the Pear Story narrative from five signers, three primary lengthening mechanisms were identified: elongation, repetition, and deceleration. These mechanisms allow signers to incorporate lengthening into signs which may benefit from decelerated language production due to high information load or complex articulatory processes. Using a mixed effects model, significant differences in duration were found between (i) non-conventionalized forms vs. lexical signs, (ii) signs produced during role shift vs. non-role shift, (iii) signs in phrase-final/initial vs. phrase-medial position, (iv) new vs. given information, and (v) (non-disordered) disfluent signing vs. non-disfluent signing. These results provide insights into duration effects caused by information load and articulatory processes in ASL.

scholarly journals LATVIAN ADAPTATION OF MCARTHUR-BATES COMMUNICATIVE DEVELOPMENT INVENTORIES

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 487
Author(s):  
Anna Vulāne ◽  
Olga Urek ◽  
Dace Markus
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Parental Report ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Communicative Development ◽  
Lexical Items ◽  
Communicative Gestures

The article discusses the methodology and the preliminary results of the research project entitled “Latvian language in Monolingual and Bilingual Acquisition: tools, theories and applications” (LAMBA). The project involves 25 researchers – linguists, educators, psychologists – from five institutions in Latvia and Norway, and focuses on phonological, lexical and morphosyntactic acquisition of Latvian as a native language in monolingual and bilingual settings. One of the main goals of the project is to develop a set of norm-referenced language assessment tools that would allow for accurate and time-efficient evaluation of language development in pre-school children.The article will focus specifically on the Latvian adaptation of MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories – a parental report tool that assesses the development of receptive and productive vocabulary, and certain aspects of grammar. Two CDI forms were adapted in the project: CDI Words and Gestures designed for use with children between 8 and 16 months of age, and CDI Words and Sentences designed for 16- to 36-month old children. Each CDI form contains extensive and language-specific checklists of lexical items, communicative gestures and grammatical constructions.

scholarly journals Pre-output Language Monitoring in Sign Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1079-1091
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Riès ◽  
Linda Nadalet ◽  
Soren Mickelsen ◽  
Megan Mott ◽  
Katherine J. Midgley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Speech Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Mechanism ◽  
Overt Speech ◽  
Deaf Signers

A domain-general monitoring mechanism is proposed to be involved in overt speech monitoring. This mechanism is reflected in a medial frontal component, the error negativity (Ne), present in both errors and correct trials (Ne-like wave) but larger in errors than correct trials. In overt speech production, this negativity starts to rise before speech onset and is therefore associated with inner speech monitoring. Here, we investigate whether the same monitoring mechanism is involved in sign language production. Twenty deaf signers (American Sign Language [ASL] dominant) and 16 hearing signers (English dominant) participated in a picture–word interference paradigm in ASL. As in previous studies, ASL naming latencies were measured using the keyboard release time. EEG results revealed a medial frontal negativity peaking within 15 msec after keyboard release in the deaf signers. This negativity was larger in errors than correct trials, as previously observed in spoken language production. No clear negativity was present in the hearing signers. In addition, the slope of the Ne was correlated with ASL proficiency (measured by the ASL Sentence Repetition Task) across signers. Our results indicate that a similar medial frontal mechanism is engaged in preoutput language monitoring in sign and spoken language production. These results suggest that the monitoring mechanism reflected by the Ne/Ne-like wave is independent of output modality (i.e., spoken or signed) and likely monitors prearticulatory representations of language. Differences between groups may be linked to several factors including differences in language proficiency or more variable lexical access to motor programming latencies for hearing than deaf signers.

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