The cherology awareness in Portuguese sign language

Abstract The Portuguese Sign Language (Linguagem Gestual Portuguesa, LGP) is a structured and natural language and should therefore be elected to enable the learning process of Portuguese deaf children. However, there is still a need to expand its knowledge, especially about the various acquisition periods. Special attention should be paid to cherology - study of the appropriation and the process of construction of this competence by the child/subject. The scarce evidence on cherology awareness demonstrate that its development plays an important role in the process of language acquisition. Therefore, the children environment must be supportive and promote contact with their natural language. Due to the relevance of linguistic environment, it is important to address the different contexts in the acquisition of sign language, as well as the cherology parameters. Finally, the conceptual and methodological gaps will be addressed. There is no existent measure for the assessment of cherology awareness.