ABSTRACT
This chapter has been about the acquisition of sign language in general, with reference to BSL as far as possible. We have seen that sign language acquisition tends to parallel spoken language acquisition in the stages it passes through, although it seems to begin earlier, possibly because of its visual-motor rather than vocal production. We have noted that the conditions under which sign language is acquired may be different from those common in spoken language acquisition, in that a deaf child's parents are often not the primary source of sign language input. This has led to interesting evidence on the role of language input which suggests that input may not be necessary in the same quality and quantity as was previously imagined. Since members of the deaf community have to function in the hearing community also, we looked finally at how BSL acquisition might contribute to the acquisition of English as a second language, and concluded that bilingualism and biculturalism was a reasonable goal for deaf people.
