title: Vocabulary Knowledge of Deaf and Hearing Postsecondary Students.
abstract: Deaf children generally are found to have smaller English vocabularies than hearing peers, although studies involving children with cochlear implants have suggested that the gap may decrease or disappear with age. Less is known about the vocabularies of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) postsecondary students or how their vocabulary knowledge relates to other aspects of academic achievement. This study used thePeabody Picture Vocabulary Testto examine the vocabulary knowledge of DHH and hearing postsecondary students as well as their awareness (predictions) of that knowledge. Relationships between vocabulary knowledge and print exposure, communication backgrounds, and reading and verbal abilities also were examined. Consistent with studies of children, hearing college students demonstrated significantly larger vocabularies than DHH students both with and without cochlear implants. DHH students were more likely to overestimate their vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary scores were positively related to reading and verbal abilities but negatively related to sign language abilities. Among DHH students they also were positively related to measures of spoken language ability. Results are discussed in terms of related cognitive abilities, language fluency, and academic achievement of DHH students and implications for postsecondary education.
authors.forename: Thomastine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarchet
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marschark
authors.forename: Georgianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borgna
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Convertino
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sapere
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dirmyer
keywords: Hearing loss; achievement; language; metacognition; vocabulary