Cross-Language Activation in DGS-German Bilinguals: Initial Observations from Assessment Data and Literature Review

<p dir="ltr">This project investigates cross-language activation between German Sign Language (DGS) and written German, exploring how knowledge of DGS may influence the processing of printed words. Through a partnership with researchers at Humboldt University of Berlin and Rochester Institute of Technology, and supported by the German Research Foundation, I examined data from two assessments: a standardized German language proficiency test and a DGS sentence repetition task. Participants included Deaf native signers, hearing native signers (CODAs), hearing late learners of DGS, and hearing non-signers. I cleaned and analyzed raw accuracy data, created group-level visualizations, and compared performance variability across groups. Preliminary findings for the German proficiency test indicate greater variability in the Deaf signer group, and consistently low accuracy across groups on two specific items, possibly due to outdated or ambiguous test stimuli. I also conducted a comprehensive literature review of behavioral and ERP studies on sign-print co-activation in Deaf bilinguals, with a focus on semantic judgment and N400 effects. Moving forward, we plan to analyze EEG and behavioral data from the same participants to identify neural markers of DGS–German co-activation, with a focus on the N400 ERP component. We will examine participant-level factors such as age of DGS acquisition and frequency of sign language use to assess their influence on co-activation patterns.</p>