# Effects of age of acquisition and of community on argument ordering

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $40,286

## Abstract

Project Summary
 One of the most prevalent consequences of infant deafness worldwide is delayed age of exposure
to language which is known to lead to lower performance on language tasks both in the eventual first
(Mayberry, 1993; Mayberry & Eichen, 1991) and second languages (Mayberry, 2007; Mayberry & Lock,
2003). The proposed studies investigate the development of argument ordering in three populations of
deaf individuals who were exposed to three distinct sign languages: American Sign Language (200 years
old), Vanuatu Sign Language (5 years old) and Fijian Sign Language (30 years old). Together, the three
proposed studies examine the interplay of age of first exposure to language (Aim 1) and age of language
community (Aim 2) on the development of argument ordering.
 In typical development, children with early language exposure to an established language produce
the argument ordering of their environment in their early multi-word productions and rely on
morphosyntactic argument marking in comprehension by the age of six years. In emerging sign
languages, grammatical devices, including word order, develop over subsequent generations or cohorts
as children not only acquire the language around them but create linguistic structure. The proposed
studies use a picture description paradigm to elicit productive language from deaf participants who are
signers of either an established language (ASL) or an emerging language (Vanuatu and Fiji). For analysis
of which orders of arguments are prevalent in each population, stimuli of the production tasks are divided
into event types based on transitivity and reversibility. These factors are salient in child language
development and have been shown to elicit different argument ordering in emerging sign languages and
homesign. Between subject analyses will compare the argument ordering of participants within each
study as a function of their age of first exposure to language. Comparison across the three studies of the
proposal will elucidate the effects of age of language community on the argument ordering used by deaf
people in various settings. Together, the proposed studies will provide insight the creation and acquisition
of language by deaf people around the world.
 In addition, this research project will enhance the applicant’s graduate school training, and greatly
increase her chances to have a productive career as an independent researcher focusing on the effects of
language deprivation and delay due to infant deafness.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10825319
- **Project number:** 1F31DC021625-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Rachel Elizabeth Miles
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $40,286
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10825319

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10825319, Effects of age of acquisition and of community on argument ordering (1F31DC021625-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10825319. Licensed CC0.

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