International Conference on Sign Language Acquisition (ICSLA) aims at disseminating recent research findings on sign language acquisition from an interdisciplinary perspective that would ultimately develop ways to help deaf children access language as early as possible across the globe.

Previous ICSLAs were in Lisbon (2013) and in Amsterdam (2015), which were all successful events that brought experts in the field from different countries together. These events also attracted the attention of non-professionals such as parents with deaf children, and enabled a platform where most recent findings on language development in deaf children were discussed.

The 3rd ICSLA will take place in Turkey, where there has been a proliferation of research on Turkish Sign Language and interest in implementing it in deaf education for the last 10 years. We think this event will boost the interest in sign language and sign language education for both the deaf and the hearing community not only in Turkey, but in other parts of the world, as well.

Conference themes mainly address any aspect of sign language acquisition, including but not limited to:

• Sign language acquisition as L1 & L2
• Bimodal bilingualism
• Literacy
• Iconicity
• Language disorders (e.g., SLI)
• Use of sign language in atypical populations (e.g., children with Autism, Down syndrome)
• Role of gesture in sign language acquisition (L1 & L2)
• Cognitive and neural underpinnings of sign language acquisition
• Use of multimedia & technology
• Homesign, village sign languages, emerging sign languages
• Crosslinguistic aspects of sign acquisition
• Late sign language acquisition
• Links between social development and sign language acquisition
• Sign language acquisition in the context of cochlear implants
• Role of input (native & nonnative)

Special Session:

“The use of technology and media in sign language learning and teaching”

There will be also a special session on the most recent applications of technology and media used in sign language learning and teaching. For further information, also see Abstract Submission & Program.

http://www.icsla2018.com/