LINGUISTICS FOR DEAFNESS AND LANGUAGE AND LEARNING IMPAIRMENTS MOD.1

The course is included among the main learning activities of the Bachelor's degree in Languages, Civilisation and Science of Language and has the aim to provide students with some methodological tools useful for the linguistic analysis of data obtained from populations of individuals with hearing loss, populations with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.
The main objective is to develop the ability to analyse some clinical and linguistic variables aspects that characterize hearing impairment . Moreover, it has the aim to develop the skills necessary to analyse the linguistic data collected from people with hearing loss and people with linguistic deficits, through the use of tools provided by theoretical linguistics.

1. Knowledge and understanding
The student knows how the oral language is acquired by individuals with hearing impairment and the linguistic difficulties deaf individuals, individuals with learning disabilities, children with language disorders have in the use of the complex syntactic structures of their language.
The student knows processes and the stages of language acquisition in typically developing children and in children with hearing impairment.
The student knows the clinical and personal variables that may influence oral language acquisition in individuals with hearing impairment.
The student knows and understands the linguistic theories that account for some linguistic phenomena observed in comprehension and production by typically developing individuals, individuals with hearing impairment, individuals with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.
The student is introduced to some standardized and non-standardized linguistic tools used for the assessment of the linguistic competence in typical and atypical language acquisition.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding
The student knows how to use the linguistic terminology and the tools of analysis of formal linguistics to describe the language difficulties of individuals with hearing impairment, individuals with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.
The student is able to carry out a simple linguistic analysis of data obtained from individuals with hearing impairment, individuals with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.
The student is able to apply the acquired knowledge during the course to collect and analyse new linguistic data.

3. Making judgements
The student is able to formulate and argue hypotheses on the basis of the knowledge acquired during the course.
The student is able to critically analyze new data on production and comprehension collected from individuals with hearing impairment, individuals with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.

4. Communication:
The student is able to present the hypotheses and the linguistic phenomena discussed during the course using the correct linguistic terminology.
The student is able to interact with the peers and the professor in a critical and respectful way.

5. Learning skills
The student is able to develop critical thinking.
The student is able to look for and read both the references mentioned in the course program and new references necessary to study some phenomena concerning the linguistic competence of individuals with hearing impairment, individuals with learning disabilities, and children with language disorders.

Knowledge of general linguistics and the theory of syntax.

The linguistic difficulties that hearing impaired people and people with linguistic deficits encounter and the error they make during first language acquisition will be analysed through the tools provided by linguistic theory. The clinical and personal variables that may influence language acquisition in deaf individuals will be presented and discussed during the course (degree of hearing loss, type of device used, age of hearing loss detection, age of diagnosis, age of hearing aid/cochlear implant fitting, family and linguistic background, knowledge of a sign language).

Lesson notes.

Arosio, F. Branchini C., Barbieri L., Guasti M.T. 2014. Failure to produce direct object clitic pronouns as a clinical marker of SLI in school-aged Italian speaking children. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics 28(9):639-663.

Bertone, C., Cardinaletti, A., Grosselle, S., Volpato, F. (2011). Le abilità di comprensione dell'italiano in sei adolescenti sordi segnanti LIS. In E. Franchi e D. Musola (a cura di), Acquisizione dell'italiano e sordità, Venezia, Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, 87-105.

Caselli, M. C., Maragna, S, Pagliari Rampelli, L, Volterra, V. (2006). Linguaggio e Sordità. Firenze: La Nuova Italia (capp. 1-3-4).

Chesi, C. (2006). Il linguaggio verbale non standard dei bambini sordi. Roma EUR.

Franceschini, Michela; Volpato, Francesca Comprensione e produzione di frasi relative e frasi passive: il caso di due bambini gemelli sordi italiani, Grammatica applicata: apprendimento, patologie, insegnamento, Milano, Studi AItLA2, pp. 75-90

Guasti, M.T., Language Acquisition, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 2016 (Capitoli 1 e 10).

Guasti, M. T., Papagno, C., Vernice, M., Cecchetto, C., Giuliani, A., Burdo, S., (2012). The effect of language structure on linguistic strengths and weaknesses in children with cochlear implants: Evidence from Italian. Applied Psycholinguistics.

Guasti, M. T. (2013). Oral skills deficit in children with developmental dyslexia. Advances in
language Acquisition, 416–424.

Marini, A. (2010). Manuale di neurolinguistica. Carocci Editore. (Capitolo 4: 4.1-4.8; Capitolo 10)

Rinaldi P., Di Mascio T., Knoors H., Marschark, M. (2015). Insegnare agli studenti sordi. Aspetti cognitivi, linguistici, socioemotivi e scolastici. Bologna: Il Mulino (Cap. 2).

Stella, G. (2013). Disturbi specifici del linguaggio e dell’apprendimento. In: D’Amico, S. e De Vescovi, A. (2013). Psicologia dello Sviluppo del Linguaggio. Bologna: Il Mulino. Cap. 12: pp 299-321.

Volpato, F. (2008). Clitic pronouns and past participle agreement in Italian in three hearing-impaired bilinguals Italian/LIS. Rivista di Linguistica, 20(2). 308-345.

Volpato, F. (2011). Valutazione delle abilità linguistiche dei bambini con impianto cocleare: uno strumento per indagare la produzione delle frasi relative. In E. Franchi e D. Musola (a cura di), Acquisizione dell'italiano e sordità, Venezia, Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, 71-85.

Volpato, F. (2018). La prova di grammatica. In A. Cardinaletti (a cura di), Test linguistici accessibili per studenti sordi e con DSA. Pari opportunità per l'accesso all'università, FrancoAngeli, pp. 180-205

Other materials may be suggested during the course.

Final written exam consists of 8 open questions and 6 multiple-choice questions. It lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and aims at verifying the students' knowledge of language structures and processes, their skills in the description of the personal and clinical variables that influence the deaf individuals' linguistic competence and the analysis skills of linguistic data obtained from populations of hearing impaired individuals, individuals with learning disabilities and developmental language disorders.

Face-to-face lessons and materials available in the Moodle platform.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development