Abstrakt
Signed languages of the deaf are realized in physical space and use space as a means of expression. When referring to a spatial configuration of physical entities, signers place corresponding signs in an iconic way into "projection" space that surrounds them.
Therefore, the role of perspective-taking in signed spatial language (i.e. the way languages express spatial relations, locations, motions, etc.) is crucial. Signers are required to handle and maintain complex mental representations of spatial configurations during language production and comprehension.
One of the spatio-cognitive processes that have been traditionally associated with signed spatial language is mental rotation (Shepard & Metzler, 1971). Since the late 1980s, there has been ongoing research of how signed language use affects mental rotation skills in the deaf and hearing signers.
Most of the studies of mental rotation abilities of signers have been conducted with users of American Sign Language (ASL), providing strong evidence for enhanced mental rotation skills of ASL signers - as well as of ASL learners - compared to non-signers (most notably Talbot & Haude, 1993, and Emmorey et al., 1998). In my talk, I present results of a pilot study carried out with users Czech Sign Language (CzSL) and Czech non-signers. 17 hearing CzSL signers, 28 hearing CzSL learners and 28 hearing non-signers took part in an on-line mental rotation task.
CzSL learners were significantly more successful in the task than non-signers. No significant difference was observed between signer group and the other two subject groups (as a possible effect of the sample size), although mean score of signers was higher compared to non-signers.
The results of the learner group suggest that even a relatively short experience with CzSL may facilitate mental rotation abilities of the CzSL learners.