Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre
DCAL started its research in 2006 and now is in its fourth year of activity. It is the largest research centre in this field in Europe with nearly 40 staff and research students, about 1/3 of whom are Deaf. You can read about our research team and many research projects by clicking on the linksat the left of this page.
The vast majority of research studies on language and thought are based on languages which are spoken and heard. DCAL's research provides a unique perspective on language and thought based on Deaf people's communication. DCAL places sign languages and Deaf people in the centre of the general understanding of how language and communication work within linguistics, psychology and child development.
Our two key themes are:
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1) Modality
We study how language and thought that are visual and spatial are both similar to and different
from language and thought processed through hearing and through speech. We try to answer the question: Is there such a thing as a ‘Deaf Brain’?
2) Experience
Almost all hearing children learn a first language automatically from their parents.
Most deaf children have a different experience since they may have delayed access to a first language, whether spoken or signed.
Thus deaf children are ‘typically atypical’.
We study how language learning has later effects on education, identity, and social integration with both deaf and hearing people
DCAL works closely with colleagues in science, education, medicine, and social services and the voluntary sector
to make sure that our research leads to real impacts on deaf people's lives.
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