A Study on the Communicative Functions in Children with and without Hearing Loss

Kang, Geong Sook; Min, Byung Ran

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2006;11(3): 179-192.

Geong Sook Kang^` , and Byung Ran Min^`

강정숙(Geong Sook Kang)| 민병란(Byung Ran Min)

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating whether children with hearing impairment have any difference in their use of the communicative functions compared with normal children, when they are both similar in language comprehension ability. The study was based on the previous findings that the pragmatic development relates to the language development in other areas, as well as preceding research results that children with hearing impairment have difficulties in developing the communicative abilities. The study subjects were a group of children with hearing impairment(nine children aged between four and six) and a group of normal children(nine children aged between four and five) that are similar in language comprehension ability. The study searched for any difference in the communicative functions of five categories between the two groups and any difference in the sub-communicative functions by each category during the mother-child interaction. In the results, firstly, both groups generally showed similar aspects in the usage ratio of the communicative functions by category and only one category, the comments category, showed any significant difference between the two groups. Secondly, both groups also represented similar aspects in the usage ratio of the sub-communicative functions and the sub-communicative functions that showed any significant difference between the two groups were labeling, time and attributions. Based on the above findings, it may be concluded that children with hearing impairment do not show any characteristic different from normal children in using the communicative functions when they have similar language comprehension ability.

Keywords: 의사소통 기능 | 청각장애 | communicative function | hearing impairment