Do ASL signers automatically translate English into ASL?

What is it about?

There is a reason to think that deaf signers do automatically translate English into ASL when reading, but this has never been shown using measures of brain activity. Here, we show that signers use the sensory and motor parts of the brain differently when they read English words whose ASL translations use only one hand, compared to words whose ASL translations use both hands. This tells us that as they read, they are imagining producing the ASL sign.

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Why is it important?

Our findings show that the movement-related aspects of ASL are involved when deaf signers read. This could impact our understanding of reading in deaf individuals because typically there is not a lot of focus on how the brain's sensorimotor system is involved in reading. But if deaf readers are imagining producing signs as they read, it would be very important to know whether that is helping or hindering their reading abilities. This effect may also differ in readers who are strong and those who are weak readers, which could help us develop educational strategies for deaf signers.

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