ABSTRACT
Enrollment in signed language courses is on the rise around the world. In the United States, the most recent report from the Modern Language Association identified American Sign Language as the third most studied language among higher education students. Many principles regarding second language acquisition and pedagogy generalize to signed languages, but learning a visual-manual language also presents unique challenges that have only recently received empirical attention. This chapter reviews the growing literature on the acquisition of a visual-manual phonological system and grammar in adult learners of signed languages who have a native spoken language. Results from electrophysiology and neuroimaging are scarce but included where available. One theme that emerges is the need for more research to better understand the neural changes that support acquisition of signed languages; specific avenues for future research that would enrich our understanding of the neurocognition of second language acquisition more generally are proposed.
