DCAL Lay Summaries

Lay summaries provide clear and accessible explanations of our research findings, making complex information easier to understand. These summaries help share our work with a wider audience, highlighting the impact and importance of our research.

Explore our collection of lay summaries below to learn more about the work happening at DCAL. Below are our lay summaries:

Modification of indicating verbs in BSL

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Jordan Fenlon, Adam Schembri, and Kearsy Cormier.
• Link: Modification of indicating verbs in British Sign Language

Clive Mason provides an overview of a research project published by Jordan Fenlon, Adam Schembri, and Kearsy Cormier on the modification of indicating verbs in British Sign Language, based on corpus data.

Language impairments in the development of sign: Do they reside in a specific modality or are they modality-independent deficits?

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Bencie Woll and Gary Morgan.
• Link: Language impairments in the development of sign: Do they reside in a specific modality or are they modality-independent deficits?

Clive Mason interviews Bencie Woll about a research project she worked on with Gary Morgan. Their paper explores whether language impairments in the development of sign are specific to the modality or if they reflect broader language deficits.

Accent or not? Language attitudes towards regional variation in British Sign Language

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Kate Rowley and Kearsy Cormier.
• Link: Accent or not? Language attitudes towards regional variation in British Sign Language

Kate Rowley and Kearsy Cormier investigated the British deaf community's awareness of and attitudes towards regional variation in British Sign Language (BSL). They found that BSL signers highly value regional differences, viewing them as enriching the language and equating these variations to accents in spoken English, thereby reinforcing BSL's status alongside English.

Ghost writing: Deaf translators within the Deaf Community

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Robert Adam, Breda Carty, and Christopher Stone.
• Link: Ghost writing: Deaf translators within the Deaf Community

Robert Adam, Breda Carty, and Christopher Stone explore the role of 'ghostwriters' – deaf individuals who act as language brokers, translators, and interpreters within the Deaf community. 

The Organization of Working Memory Networks is Shaped by Early Sensory Experience

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Velia Cardin, Mary Rudner, Rita F De Oliveira, Josefine Andin, Merina T Su, Lilli Beese, Bencie Woll, and Jerker Rönnberg.
• Link: The Organization of Working Memory Networks is Shaped by Early Sensory Experience

Cardin et al. found that early sensory experience shapes working memory networks, with deaf individuals using the superior temporal cortex for cognitive tasks. This suggests auditory regions adapt to process higher-order functions in the absence of hearing.

The effect of visual language in the brain and cochlear implant success

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Charmaine Rebecca Lyness, Bencie Woll, Ruth Campbell, and Velia Cardin.
• Link: The effect of visual language in the brain and cochlear implant success

This paper examined how visual language exposure influences brain plasticity and cochlear implant success. They found that early sign language experience can reshape auditory brain areas, potentially affecting speech perception outcomes after implantation.

Dissociating cognitive and sensory neural plasticity in human superior temporal cortex

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Velia Cardin, Eleni Orfanidou, Jerker Ronnberg, Cheryl M. Capek, Mary Rudner, and Bencie Woll.
• Link: Dissociating cognitive and sensory neural plasticity in human superior temporal cortex

This paper found that sensory deprivation and sign language experience reshape the superior temporal cortex differently, showing distinct neural adaptations while maintaining core functions.

Bilingual toddlers show increased attention capture by static faces compared to monolinguals

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Victoria L Mousley, Mairéad MacSweeney, and Evelyne Mercure.
• Link: Bilingual toddlers show increased attention capture by static faces compared to monolinguals

This paper identified that bilingual toddlers respond faster to static faces than monolinguals, suggesting early language experience shapes social attention.

Best practices for sign language technology research

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Neil Fox, Bencie Woll, and Kearsy Cormier.
• Link: Best practices for sign language technology research

This paper discusses the importance of developing sign language technologies that are inclusive and beneficial to the Deaf community. They emphasise the need for collaboration with deaf individuals throughout the research process to ensure that technological advancements align with the community's needs and preferences

How do face masks impact communication amongst deaf/HoH people?

• Lead Authors/Researchers: Eva Gutierrez-Sigut, Veronica M. Lamarche, Katherine Rowley, Emilio Ferreiro Lago, María Jesús Pardo-Guijarro, Ixone Saenz, Berta Frigola, Santiago Frigola, Delfina Aliaga, and Laura Goldberg.
• Link: How do face masks impact communication amongst deaf/HoH people?

This research project explored the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. The study explores how face masks created communication barriers, affecting access to information and mental wellbeing.

Rethinking Constructed Action in BSL

• Lead Authors/Researchers:  Kearsy Cormier, Sandra Smith and Zed Sevcikova
• Link: Rethinking Constructed Action

The authors explore how clearly defining linguistic phenomena, using constructed action (CA) in British Sign Language as an example can help resolve inconsistencies in interpretation. They note that differing assumptions about CA have led to contradictions, and they propose specific criteria for identifying and annotating it in narrative data. Their analysis shows that applying these criteria to usage data reveals distinct types of CA more clearly.

More lay summaries will be added regularly. Check back for updates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is a lay summary?
  A lay summary is a brief explanation of research, presented in a clear and accessible way.
• Who are lay summaries for?
  Lay summaries are for anyone interested in learning about our research and its outcomes.
• Where can I learn more about DCAL's research?
  Visit our Research Page for detailed insights into our ongoing projects.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us at dcal@ucl.ac.uk.