Acquisition Reversal: The Effects of Postlingual Deafness in Yoruba

Olanike Ola Orie

Published by De Gruyter Mouton 2012

Acquisition Reversal

The Effects of Postlingual Deafness in Yoruba

Olanike Ola Orie

Volume 47 in the series Studies on Language Acquisition [SOLA]

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614510451

Overview
Contents

About this book

This is the first comprehensive account of prolonged hearing loss and its impact on a language that was once spoken fluently. Although it is currently assumed that hearing loss results in speech deterioration, it is shown that language loss occurs when speakers remain deaf for a long time. The reader is introduced to a significant deaf population — postlingually deafened Yoruba speakers who have been deaf for more than twenty years and who have no access to hearing aids or speech therapy. After becoming deaf, they continue to speak Yoruba from memory and “hear” visually through lip reading. These speakers exhibit phonological, lexical and syntactic losses which mirror acquisition patterns attested in the speech of Yoruba children. Based on these similarities, it is argued that a direct link exists between language loss and first language acquisition. It is further argued that prolonged deafness results in language reversal. Finally, the book presents the first description of the sign language and gestures used by deafened speakers to augment their spoken language. These findings will be of value to linguists, speech, language and hearing therapists, anthropologists, Africanists, deaf studies researchers, and non-specialists who are interested in hearing health and wellness.

Author / Editor information

Olanike Ola Orie, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Topics

Frontmatter Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	i
Contents Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	v
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Chapter 1. Postlingual Deafness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter 2. The Yoruba: the people and their language Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	25
Chapter 3. Deafness, Societal Attitude, and Language Adaptation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	53
Chapter 4. Yoruba Sign Language: A Basic Description Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	81
Chapter 5. Postlingual Deafness at Age 5: Patterns of Loss after 25 Years Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
Chapter 6. Postlingual Deafness at Age 8: Patterns of Loss after 25 Years Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	172
Chapter 7. The Connection of Postlingual Deafness Language Loss to Acquisition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
Chapter 8. Summary, Suggestions for Rehabilitation and Further Research Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	250
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	258
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	279

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
Audience: Linguists, speech, language and hearing therapists and researchers, cross-cultural Deaf studies researchers and teachers, psychologists, anthropologists, Africanists, social and public health workers and specialists in Deaf studies and Yoruba studies
Pages
- Front matter: 11
- Main content: 281
Illustrations
- Tables: 14
- Other: One map
Keywords: Language Acquisition; Yoruba; Deaf Communities; Sign Languages; Language Attrition

eBook

Published: October 1, 2012
ISBN: 9781614510451

Hardcover

Published: September 14, 2012
ISBN: 9781614510437