Exploring the factors that influence SRT performance in young adults using South African sign language

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dc.contributor.advisorHuddlestone, Kateen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorBaker, Anneen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDu Toit, Simoneen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-05T09:26:22Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T20:20:48Z
dc.date.available2024-03-05T09:26:22Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T20:20:48Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aimed to explore the proficiency of young adult users of South African Sign Language (SASL), using a sentence repetition test (SRT) as an assessment tool. SRTs are argued to be valid and reliable for sign language testing, and can be used to establish proficiency, as well as to determine which factors influence performance (Hauser, Paludnevičienė, Supalla and Bavelier 2006:166). As such, an SASL SRT displays the potential to be an efficient and cost-effective measurement of SASL proficiency. The study examined what general SASL performance on an SRT looks like in young deaf adults, and how their age of acquisition (AoA) affects their performance. The SASL-SRT consisted of 20 sentences, video recorded by native deaf signers, ranging in complexity and length. Sentences were between three and seven signs in length and included different grammatical constructions, such as questions, imperatives, negation, and verb agreement. The participants were 15 young adults recruited with the help of the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) and the NID Training College in Worcester, Western Cape and their ages ranged from 19 to 36 years, with AoA ranging from birth to 20 years of age. The mean age of the participant group was 29.3 and they had a mean AoA of 7.3 years. The participants were divided into groups of four, and presented with the video recorded SRT sentences displayed on a screen. After viewing each sentence, participants were prompted to repeat it, and their repetitions were video recorded. These recordings were then transcribed and scored according to the closeness of the match that the participant’s sentence was to the model sentence. The three categories for scoring were as follows: (i) whether the sentence was an exact repetition, referred to as overall score; (ii) whether the repetition of the manual items was a match to the model sentence, i.e., excluding all non-manual markers (NMMs); and (iii) whether the sign order was identical to the model sentence. Omissions, additions, phonological and lexical variants, lexical substitutions, and repetitions/self-corrections were also counted, along with the total number of target signs produced in each sentence. Statistical analyses showed that AoA is a strong predictor of the performance of the young adults on the SASL-SRT and that an extended length of exposure does not compensate for a late AoA. Overall scores ranged from 0% to 74%, with a mean overall score of 30%. Scores increased when NMMs were excluded from the analysis, with a maximum score of 84% achieved by one participant, and a mean score of 52%. This indicates that further research into the functions and optionality of discourse and grammatical NMMs is required. The number of target signs produced amounted to a mean of 87%, which indicated that participants largely understood the meaning of sentences, and that they could reproduce most of the signs seen in the model sentences. Sign order largely matched the model sentences, providing evidence that SASL has a verb-final basic sign order. This thesis shows evidence of the importance of an early AoA and that it plays a significant role in the performance of young adults. The study revealed that, while several areas require further research, the current state of the SASL-SRT shows robustness as a sign language assessment tool.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie het ten doel gehad om die vaardigheid van jong volwasse gebruikers van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal (SAGT) te ondersoek deur 'n sinsherhalingstoets (sogenaamde "SRT" – sentence repetition test ) as assesseringsinstrument te gebruik. SRT's word aangevoer as geldig en betroubaar vir gebaretaaltoetsing, en kan gebruik word om vaardigheid vas te stel, asook om te bepaal watter faktore prestasie beïnvloed (Hauser, Paludnevičienė, Supalla en Bavelier 2006:166). As sodanig toon 'n SAGT-SRT die potensiaal om 'n doeltreffende en koste-effektiewe meting van SAGT-vaardigheid te wees.Die studie het ondersoek ingestel na hoe algemene SAGT-prestasie op 'n SRT by jong dowe volwassenes lyk, en hoe hul ouderdom van verwerwing (sogenaamde "AoA" - age of acquisition) hul prestasie beïnvloed. Die SAGT-SRT het bestaan uit 20 sinne, video-opgeneem deur vlot dowe gebaretaalgebruikers, wat wissel in kompleksiteit en lengte. Sinne was tussen drie en sewe gebare lank en het verskillende grammatikale konstruksies ingesluit, soos vrae, bevele, ontkenning, en werkwoordooreenstemming. Die deelnemers was 15 jong volwassenes wat met die hulp van die Nasionale Instituut vir Dowes (NID) en die NID Opleidingskollege in Worcester, Wes-Kaap, gewerf is. Hul ouderdomme het tussen 18 en 36 jaar gewissel, met AoA wat gewissel het van geboorte tot 20 jaar oud. Die gemiddelde ouderdom van die deelnemersgroep was 29,3 jaar en hulle het 'n gemiddelde AoA van 7,3 jaar gehad. Deelnemers is verdeel in groepe van vier en die SRT-sinne is deur middel van video-opnames op 'n skerm vir die deelnemers vertoon. Nadat hulle elke sin bekyk het, is deelnemers gevra om dit te herhaal, en hul herhalings is op video opgeneem. Hierdie opnames is dan getranskribeer en aangeteken volgens die nabyheid van die deelnemer se sin aan die modelsin. Die drie kategorieë vir puntetelling was soos volg: (i) of die sin 'n presiese herhaling is, waarna verwys word as algehele telling; (ii) of die herhaling van die gebare ooreenstem met die modelsin, d.w.s. algehele telling, nie-handmerkers (sogenaamde "NMM's" – non-manual markers) uitgesluit; en (iii) of die gebaarvolgorde identies is aan die modelsin. Weglatings, byvoegings, fonologiese en leksikale variante, leksikale substitusies en herhalings/selfkorreksies is ook getel, tesame met die totale aantal teikengebare wat in elke sin geproduseer is.Statistiese ontledings het getoon dat AoA 'n sterk voorspeller is van die prestasie van die jong volwassenes op die SASL-SRT en dat 'n lang blootstellingslengte nie vergoed vir 'n laat AoA nie. Algehele tellings het gewissel van 0% tot 74%, met 'n gemiddelde algehele telling van 30%. Tellings het toegeneem toe NMM's uitgesluit is van die analise, met 'n maksimum telling van 84% wat deur een deelnemer behaal is, en 'n gemiddelde telling van 52%. Dit dui daarop dat verdere navorsing oor die funksies en opsioneelheid van diskoers en grammatikale NMM's vereis word. Die aantal gebare wat geproduseer is, beloop 'n gemiddelde van 87%, wat daarop dui dat deelnemers grootliks die betekenis van sinne verstaan, en dat hulle die meeste gebare wat in die modelsinne gesien word, kan weergee. Gebaarvolgorde stem grootliks ooreen met die modelsinne, wat bewys lewer dat SAGT 'n werkwoord-finale basiese gebaarvolgorde het. Hierdie tesis toon bewyse van die belangrikheid van 'n vroeë AoA en dat dit 'n belangrike rol speel in die prestasie van jong volwassenes. Die studie het aan die lig gebring dat, hoewel verskeie gebiede verdere navorsing vereis, die huidige stand van die SAGT-SRT robuustheid as 'n gebaretaalassesseringsinstrument toon.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxi, 70 pages : illustrations, includes annexuresen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130513
dc.language.isoen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSouth African sign languageen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshYoung adults -- Deafnessen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSign language acquisitionen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSign language -- Study and teaching -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.subject.otherSentence repetition testen_ZA
dc.titleExploring the factors that influence SRT performance in young adults using South African sign languageen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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