Bilingualism and bimodal bilingualism in deaf people: a neurolinguistic approach

This chapter summarizes studies of the neurobiology of bilingualism and bimodal bilingualism, suggesting that when two spoken languages are learned with a similar proficiency they typically become represented in the same brain areas. It discusses whether this pattern also applies to languages that differ greatly in terms of perception, production, and processing requirements, like sign languages. It might be that the neurobiological models of bilingualism of spoken languages processed by a hearing brain turn out to be inappropriate for understanding the neurobiology of sign language and of bimodal bilingualism in a deaf brain. In fact, there are variables associated with the context and the conditions of language acquisition that shape and determine the mapping of language in the brain. The relevant research literature on this topic is discussed at this point.