Who is running this project?

This project is led by PhD student Emily Wright, under the supervision of Professor Ludovica Serratrice and Professor Vesna Stojanovik in the School for Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences.

What is this project about?

This project explores the development of language and cognition in deaf children who use cochlear implants and two spoken languages, with English as an Additional Language (EAL). The project is funded by the ESRC SeNSS. By crossing the bilingualism and the deafness dimensions in a 2×2 design we will assess the contribution of each to the children’s language and cognitive skills. We currently know that bilingualism may confer an advantage in cognitive skills and that deafness has a detrimental effect. An outstanding question is whether bilingualism may have a protective effect in the case of deaf children. An investigation into the advice given by UK professionals to parents on raising a deaf child to use two spoken languages will also be conducted. You can read more about the project here.