RESEARCH ON THE ACQUISITION OF BRITISH-SIGN-LANGUAGE - CURRENT ISSUES

Research on the development of British Sign Language in deaf children from deaf, signing families forms an essential backdrop to discussions about the use of different communication systems in educational setti ngs. In this paper several studies are reviewed, focusing on the devel opment of different aspects of sign language, with the aim of contribu ting to informed debate in this field. Particular attention is paid to studies of early sign language development, including phonological de velopment and influences on early vocabulary development, and the rela tively few British studies are discussed in relation to some of the re search on the development of American Sign Language.