Code Switching in Deaf Adults

Code switching is a complex and pervasive part of the everyday communication of deaf individuals. Seven deaf subjects who acquired a signed language at different times in their lives were asked to relate a signed story under different listener conditions. Listeners were deaf and hearing persons who also learned to sign at different ages. These signed videotaped segments were then rated for use of American Sign Language and English-like sign behavior. Results indicate that deaf signers who have deaf parents and learned ASL at a very early age evidenced the most code switching behavior. Their signed segments were also rated as most English like. Least likely to vary were early signers with hearing parents. These deaf adults preferred to communicate in ASL across most conditions. Parental hearing status, age of acquisition of signed language, setting, listener hearing status and story were all important in influencing code switching in deaf individuals.