Deputy director of the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) at City University London, Dr Gary Morgan delivered a lecture on the role of language in the development of executive functions. The session was intended for Faculty of Education students specialising in Special Education and Hearing and Language and lecturers from UIC Barcelona and other universities.
One of the key issues in psychology today is the relationship between language and cognitive development, specifically the relationship between language and executive functions, defined as the skills involved in goal-directed behaviour (such as planning, attention, problem-solving, etc.). The results are instrumental when it comes to intervening in the education of both hearing and hearing-impaired students.
These functions are developed in the period from childhood to adolescence or early adulthood. "Language development," explained Morgan, "is different in deaf and hearing children. This difference may have a major effect on the establishment and development of executive functions. Determining the kind of relationship that exists between language and executive functions will help open new avenues for educational intervention."
Gary Morgan is deputy director of the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) at City University London. This centre studies the impact of deafness and early language development on cognitive functions and how communication is shaped by deafness and the use of sign language.
Morgan's research focuses on language acquisition, comparing sign and spoken language development, as well as specific language impairment in signing children and Theory of Mind in deaf children. His work has been published in acclaimed journals such as Child Development and Applied Psycholinguistics.
