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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
Original scientific paper
Received: February 13, 2025.
Revised: April 09, 2025.
Accepted: April 12, 2025.
UDC:
37.091.3::811.163.2’221.24
10.23947/2334-8496-2025-13-1-117-125
© 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
*
Corresponding author: diana.georgieva@trakia-uni.bg
Abstract: The proposed scientific text describes an experimental study, the purpose of which is prioritized to test an
interactive digitally based system Signmatics for mastering linguistic content in Bulgarian Sign Language (BGSL) by students
who study it as a second language (E2). The formed sample includes 62 participants –- students studying in a bachelor’s
program in the specialty of Special Education. The study uses a quasi-experimental design of non-equivalent groups: an
experimental group of 30 students (48.39%) which was subjected to the digitally based intervention and a control group of
32 students (51.61%), trained in conventional ways. The verification of receptive and expressive language skills in BGSL at
the level of phonetics, vocabulary and morphosyntax was carried out by applying a standardized language test, decomposed
into 3 subtests. The comparative approach to the results of the study convincingly shows that the interactive Signmatics
system applied in a real time frame has a high efficiency coefficient in mastering the visual language at the level of vocabu-
lary (F=26.574, p<0.000), morphosyntax (F=1.423, p<0.001). At the phonetic level, no statistically significant difference was
found between the two groups (F=0.001, p=0.971), an explanation for which can be sought in the specificity of the visual
phonemes, as building blocks of the sign. The latter finding suggests the idea of maintaining continuity between modern
digital technologies and traditional strategies for teaching and learning linguistic material which have stood the test of time.
Keywords: signmatics, digital based system, multimodal learning, Bulgarian Sign Language.
Diyana Georgieva
1
1
Faculty of Education, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, e-mail: diana.georgieva@trakia-uni.bg
Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal
Learning of Hearing Students in Bulgarian Sign Language
Introduction
In recent years, the learning of sign language by hearing people as a second language has become
an up-to-date issue, generating fruitful discussions and innovative research. In the scientific paradigm of
researchers, sign languages, as a significant factor in nurturing social interaction (Adam and Braithwaite,
2022; Kusters, 2020; Balkanska, 2013; Balkanska and Lozanova, 2021), are on an equal footing with
spoken languages in terms of their naturalness, vitality, autonomy, complexity and expression (Fenlon et
all., 2007; Dimich and Sesum, 2011). Learning a language that is realized in a visual modality different
from spoken language (M2) is a real challenge for hearing people, which stimulates the scientific ambition
to find ways to optimize sign language learning. Traditional teaching models are being transformed and
expanded to include a new “digital” level, in which multimodality as a natural feature of human perception,
an important and specific fragment of the categorization of the world, continues to reign – a problem that
is the subject of constant scientific interest (Tsankov and Levunlieva, 2024; Tsankov and Dermendzhieva,
2024; Dermendzhieva and Tsankov, 2023; Dermendzhieva and Tsankov, 2022).
In light of these changes, visual language researchers are focusing their creative efforts on using
operants and algorithms based on advances in digital technologies for teaching and mastering the
individual components that make up their complex composite as semiotic systems.
The Bulgarian Sign Language (BGSL) is a legitimate, strictly regulated language, different from the
Bulgarian language, and elevated to a pedestal by the members of the cultural community of Bulgarian
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
deaf people. Its teaching and study as E2 (M2) is an integral part of higher education in Bulgaria. The
modern language training of specialists in the separate structural units of universities requires special
attention in terms of the quality of formation of a wide range of competencies (Lozanova and Stoyanova,
2022; Angelova, 2017), the search, development and application of effective methods and technologies
operating in a digital format. This becomes especially relevant at the stage of increasing competitiveness
in the global educational space, developing international cooperation of the university in connection with
the internationalization and the implementation of academic mobility programs.
On the chronogram of time, signs of introducing digital innovations into the practice of teaching and
learning visual language were positioned about two decades ago, when a team of specialists created an
interactive system called Sign Tutor (Aran et all., 2009). The interactive technology is designed to master
basic language knowledge by hearing students learning Turkish Sign Language (TSL) as a second sign
system. The generated visual feedback, providing automatic assessment of the produced sign unit, and
the source of information about the precision of the performed sign are among the dominant advantages
of the system. The implanted integrated circuit for unifying the parameters of the sign, including non-
manual signals – linguistic head movements, give the technology a unique style of functioning.
A major priority in de Villiersе (2014) research is the development and testing of a visually-based
system for mastering language content in South African Sign Language (SASL). An intriguing feature of
the technology, which surpasses existing sign language learning systems to date, is its capacity to produce
detailed and specific feedback to the user. The new algorithm, taking into account the user‘s experience,
automatically guides them to the correct model of linguistic behavior. An additionally introduced operation
allows the feedback to take the form of a context menu.
The quest to dicovering optimal solutions for early communicative intervention in deaf children
(Ackovska, Kostoska and Gjuroski 2012) finds expression in the creation of an interactive e-learning
platform in Macedonian Sign Language (MSL). The collection of game modules and panels is oriented
towards optimizing language preparation, improving memory parameters and mental capacity in deaf
children. They are encouraged to perceive manual symbols reproduced by 3D animations of a child who
follows the user‘s choice: dactylem, word, sign denoting a specific object. A mobile application for children
SiLearn, which functions as a visual lexicon, was created by another team of authors (Joy, Kannan and
Sreeraj, 2019). Language tests of 28 deaf students show a rapid pace of mastering sign vocabulary.
The research initiative of scientific and cultural figures (Papadimitriou et all., 2025) leads to the
successfully implemented SL-ReDu project, which focuses on the teaching and learning of Greek Sign
Language (GSL) as E2. The high results achieved by 150 students are determined by the module intro-
duced in the system for visual detection of isolated lexical items, and the HRNet framework for detection
of the skeleton of the body, hands and face of the communicator in 2D and 3D format.
Another research project (Vijitkunsawat et all., 2023), demonstrating the value of digital solutions,
found evidence of a multimodal learning space modeling technology that stimulated the learning of Thai
Sign Language (ThSL). In experimental conditions, students were encouraged to independently select
lexical items and practice the language material using animation.
A developed product in the form of an avatar complements the digital achievements related to the
study of American Sign Language (ASL) and reflected in the scientific literature (Quandt et all., 2020). The
graphic model is three-dimensional and acts as an educator teaching language content at a basic level.
In the systematized scientific analyses on a global and especially on a national scale, a free
research niche is still being discovered, which awaits to be updated with new data related to the remarkable
potential of software programs offering multimodal options for teaching and mastering a semiotic system
functioning in a triad of codes: visual, motor and spatial.
This is a convincing argument that served as a framework for organizing and conducting the experi-
mental study, the goal of which is related to testing an interactive digitally based system for mastering lin-
guistic content in Bulgarian Sign Language by students who study it as a second language (E2). The object
of the study is the formation of sign competence in hearing students of the scientific specialty of Special
Education, receiving academic training in BGSL, and the subject is the optimization of the educational peda-
gogical practice for teaching and learning the national visual language through a multimodal educational
environment, designed and formed through the resources of the interactive computer program Signmatics.
Signmatics is an interactive multimodal computer program for learning Bulgarian Sign Language
(BGSL), including multiple communicative modes – gestural, oral, written, tactile. The digital technology,
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
version 1.0, was created in 2009 within the framework of the social project Grant M-Tel by the Union of
the Deaf in Bulgaria (UBD). A diverse team of highly qualified specialists, distinguished by their creative
charge, dedication, responsibility and innovation in their mission to establish and popularize BGSL in a
broad social and educational context, participated in the development and administration of the program.
The program consists of several modules. The first module is a lexicon of 5200 sign units, which are a
solid basis for the formation of lexical competence in BGSL. Of particular note is the built-in filter, which pro-
vides an additional opportunity to separate signs according to grammatical (parts of speech: signs nouns,
signs verbs, signs adjectives, signs adverbs, etc.) and age criteria (preschool age, primary school age, etc.).
The second module is related to options for combining signs into complete wholes – sentences,
which implies mastering morphological and syntactic skills – an integral part of sign language compe-
tence. The submodule with pre-composed grammatical constructions complements the program design
by demonstrating the linguistic capacity of Bulgarian sign language.
The third module includes content that introduces the user to the unique essence of BGSL and
the distinctive culture of the Bulgarian deaf people. This is extremely valuable information that acts as a
motivator for immersion in a new subject.
The last module is intended for checking or self-checking knowledge. The attractive algorithm that
is followed turns the mastery of signs into an intriguing activity that leads to successful results.
Materials and Methods
Design
The study used a quasi-experimental design of non-equivalent groups to evaluate the effectiveness
of an interactive digitally-based Signmatics system in an educational environment. The choice of design
is practically justified – the researcher has the opportunity to form two comparable groups, one of which
receives an educational intervention with digital technology, and the other continues to use conventional
methods for studying BGSL.
The independent variable was decided to be the digitally based Signmatics system used during the
lecture sessions. The dependent variables defined were the following: perception and expression of the
sign parameters (phonology), knowledge and use of lexical sign units (vocabulary), knowledge and use of
morphosyntactic information (morphosyntax).
The formulated research question concerns the existence of a significant difference between the
academic achievements of students who study BGSL using the digital program Signmatics, compared to
those who are taught using conventional methods for mastering linguistic content.
The research question suggests the following hypotheses:
Н
01
: The difference between the average levels of operating with the visual-spatial characteristics of
signs by students placed in different experimental conditions (using/not using interactive digitally-
based technology) will not be distinguished by a high significance value.
Н
02
: The difference between the average levels of knowledge and use of lexical sign units by students
in different experimental conditions (using/not using interactive digitally based technology) will not
be distinguished by a high significance value.
Н
03
: The difference between the average levels of knowledge and use of morphosyntactic information by
students positioned in different experimental conditions (using/not using interactive digitally-based
technology) will not be distinguished by a high significance value.
Sampling method and research ethics
Non-random sampling was used for this study. It was formed by 62 statistical units – students from two
courses, trained in the bachelor’s program “Special Education”, a full-time form of training. The students, hav-
ing an equal start in studying BGSL, were divided into two groups. One group included the students (N=30),
who were trained in visual language by applying the digital program (treatment group), while the other group
of students (N=32) were mastering sign language competence through a traditional approach (control group).
The preliminary procedure included the preparation of forms certifying the possibility of consent or
refusal by the students to participate in the pedagogical experiment.
For the purposes of the study, the researcher conducted a 3-month lecture course on BGSL, with
both groups of students being prepared in parallel, but in different pedagogical conditions. The students
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
from the treatment group were offered training in BGSL through a specialized software interactive language
program Signmatics, with the capacity for encoding and decoding signing, oral and written messages;
with opportunities for perception and expression at the level of vocabulary and grammar, revision and
self-testing of knowledge by using auditory, visual, motor and tactile modalities. The characteristics of the
program give a multimodal character to the pedagogical interaction.
Instrument and Procedures
The main instrument used in the study was a standardized test aimed to measure receptive and
expressive skills in the Bulgarian Sign Language in 3 categories (phonology, vocabulary, morphosyntax),
the elements of which constituted the content of the three subtests. The phonological subtest, through
which students could present their skills, included 2 tasks: receptive (33 items) and expressive (28 items).
The vocabulary subtest contained items through which students could demonstrate knowledge of the
semantic component of the sign (56) and precision in its expression (54 items). Receptive and expressive
skills in morphosyntax were also assessed in two tasks. For the first task, 18 items were selected (for
expressing plurality, classifying verbs for movement and location, modifications of verbs for type, etc.),
and for the second one – 15 items.
The assessment of receptive and expressive skills in BGSL was carried out by the researcher who
has 13 years of experience in teaching the basics of Bulgarian Sign Language, and by a specialist – a
native speaker of the national sign language. The latter belongs to the so-called CODA group (Children
of Deaf Adults).
Data Analysis
The following statistical procedures were used: a Shapiro-Wilk test of normality to check the
distribution of the data sets in the four linguistic categories; Cronbach‘s alpha procedure for examining the
internal consistency of items in the three subscales; Descriptive statistics to classify the data and obtain
summarized characteristics for the individual variables in the entire sample; An One-Way ANOVA test to
assess statistical differences in the results of the 3 domains registered in the two groups. The adopted
significance level is α=0.05. The empirical data were processed with the SPSS 16.0 statistical package.
Results
The internal consistency of the scale was calculated using the Cronbach’s Alpha procedure (Table 1).
The item scores in the three subscales showed very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha=0.846).
Table 1. Internal consistency between the tests
Test Number of items Cronbach’s alpha values
Receptive phonology 33 0.803
Expressive phonology 28 0.813
Receptive vocabulary
Expressive vocabulary
56
54
0.807
0.824
Receptive morphosyntax
Expressive morphosyntax
18
15
0.821
0.851
The Shapiro-Wilk test on all domains assumes a value of p>0.05, which is a clear indicator of
normality of the distribution.
Table 2 presents the means and standard deviations for the students‘ achievements in the three
subtests of the two groups, and Table 3 draws attention to the significance effect of the digital program
Signmatics in relation to different Sign language contexts.
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations for the student’s achievements in the three subtests
Subtests Group N Mean Standard Deviation
Phonology
Control
Treatment
32
30
14.62
14.64
5.28
5.29
Vocabulary
Control
Treatment
32
30
15.43
17.70
4.57
5.42
Morphosyntax
Control
Treatment
32
30
15.41
16.84
4.75
5.40
Table 3. Differences between students in different Sign language contexts
Sign Language contexts Group M SD F Sig.
Phonological
Control 14.62 5.28 0.001 0.971
Treatment 14.64 5.29
Lexical
Control 15.43 4.57 26.574 0.000
Treatment 17.70 5.42
Morphosyntactic
Control 15.41 4.75 1.423 0.001
Treatment 16.84 5.40
Н
01
: The first hypothesis raised was that the difference between the average levels of operation with
the sign parameters by the students positioned in different experimental conditions would not
be distinguished by a high significance value. The registered results did not reveal a statistically
significant difference in the performance of the two groups, which means that the application of the
interactive digital program Signmatics did not have a significant main effect on the phonological
component (F=0.001, p= 0.971). In comparative terms, the treatment group achieved results
(M=14.64, SD=5.29), which were similar to those of the control group (M=14.62, SD=5.28). This
was an argument for accepting the first null hypothesis.
Н
02
: The second hypothesis contained a statement about the absence of a statistically significant
difference between the average levels of recognition and reproduction of lexical sign units by students
in different conditions of pedagogical interaction. In contrast to the previous linguistic category,
statistical procedures identified a significant effect of digital technology on academic achievement
in the lexical subtest (F=26.574, p<0.000). The comparative analysis of the arithmetic mean values
in the two groups showed a convincing superiority of the treatment group (M=17.70, SD=5.42) over
the control group (M= 15.43, SD=4.57) in relation to the studied domain. A prerequisite arose for
rejecting the second hypothesis.
Н
03
: According to this hypothesis, the difference between the average levels of knowledge and use
of morphosyntactic information by students trained in different pedagogical conditions would not
be distinguished by a high significance value. By analogy with the lexical domain, the interactive
program also demonstrated a significant effect at the morphosyntactic level (F=1.423, p<0.001).
The observed difference between the average values in the groups showed a statistically significant
performance of students from the treatment group (М=16.84, SD=5.40) compared to the control
group (М=15.41, SD= 4.75), which is why this hypothesis was also rejected.
Discussions
The conducted experimental study was motivated by the need to supplement and enrich the
scientific and applied research niche in a field that offers digital solutions for multimodal learning in a
language that is unique in itself with its multimodal nature. The research focus was directed at identifying
the effect of the application of an interactive digitally based system Signmatics in teaching Bulgarian
Sign Language (BGSL) to students who study it as a second language (L2). The testing of language
skills in their receptive and expressive aspects was carried out in three domains: phonology, vocabulary
and morphosyntax. Depending on the pedagogical conditions of the language training in BGSL, the
respondents were differentiated into two groups: a treatment group, in which the mastery of linguistic
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
content was ensured by the Signmatics software program, and a control group, in which the students
studied the basics of BGSL using generally accepted methods. Three hypotheses were raised in support
of the formulated research question.
The first hypothesis assumed the absence of a statistically significant difference in the phonological
skills of students situated in different experimental conditions. The students from the treatment group
demonstrated higher achievements compared to the students forming the control group in the subtests
for perception and expression of the spatial-kinetic characteristics of the sign but the difference was
reported as statistically insignificant. The registered result was not surprising given the complex structure
of the sign, the parameters of which are distinguished by simultaneous realization in the signing space.
The performance of the first language task allowed the most accessible and at the same time the most
challenging parameters of the visual lexical sign for the students‘ perception to come to the fore. The
results formed a differentiated picture, outlining a general trend of precision in the perception of the
participants from both groups in the order of more than 70% on average for each parameter. The highest
degree of accuracy was registered in the area of localization and orientation of the palm. The errors made
were the least frequent ones: about 40% for both groups regarding palm orientation and below 40% for
the localization parameter. These reactions clearly show that localization, followed immediately by palm
orientation, are the first visual-spatial segments that are learned by hearing adults (Schmidt, 1993). In
the remaining three parameters, and especially in linguistic movement and non-manual markers, the
quantitative indicator of accuracy in perception dropped to 53%. Non-manual markers turned out to be
a weak link in the students‘ linguistic behavior, which was logical, taking into account earlier studies of
the mentioned characteristic (Beal, 2020). An interesting trend was found within the limits of the errors
generated. When the sign presented for perception was produced close to the face (as a location), the
students showed a tendency to perceive differences in non-manual signals. In contrast, the distant
position during the execution of the sign led to the omission of changes, which had a persistent effect
among the participants. The most logical explanation for this linguistic situation can be found in the visual
attention that students fix primarily on determining the shape of the hands and the movement, while at
the same time the face of the communicative partner remains largely outside the field of their observation.
In the second task, which was related to the assessment of the expressive aspect, the movement and
configuration of the hand also turned out to be problematic areas of implementation. The highest error
distribution indicator is in the movement parameter (28%), closely followed by the shape of the hand (25%),
non-manual markers (23%) and the orientation of the palm (20%). The lowest error rate is registered in
the in the parameter localization (14%). The errors found are very similar to those registered in the first
task, with a small change in the non-manual markers, which in terms of accuracy of execution overtake
the configuration of the hand.
The analysis of the data showed that the phonological component was the only one in which students
receiving the Signmatics educational intervention did not achieve statistical improvement compared to
their colleagues from the control group. There is a deep reason for the similar results obtained in the two
phonological tasks. Most likely, the interference of spoken language manifests its effect, especially when
it comes to non-manual signals. Expressive facial features accompany verbal languages in the course of
communication, but do not convey linguistic data in the way that these elements perform a linguistic function
in visual languages. Therefore, students mastering visual language as a second sign system make enormous
efforts to decompose the broad category of “facial expression” into specific segments of linguistic information.
The findings in this domain are a reference to a conclusion related to the use of the interactive
computer technology together with traditional forms of sign language instruction. Placing special emphasis
by the teacher on the specific features of the five parameters of the visual-spatial sign, explanations of the
way in which the sign is motivated, as well as the development of tests to verify phonological knowledge,
are among the effective strategies for forming phonological competence in students mastering BGSL as E2.
The second hypothesis assumed that the difference in the perception and production of sign lexical
items by students placed in different experimental situations would not have statistical significance.
Vocabulary is a fundamental aspect in the acquisition of sign language. Mastering a foreign language, which
is realized in a new modality for native speakers of the spoken language (M2E2), requires a major lexical
volume. In this domain, a significant contrast was registered in the academic performance of students from
the two groups, in favor of the treatment one, which created a condition for rejecting the null hypothesis.
Within the first task, designed to identify receptive skills, out of the 56 lexical units set, representing
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
different “parts of speech”: signs nouns, signs verbs, signs modifiers, a high percentage of correctly
recognized signs (95.5%) was noted among students drawing lexical knowledge from the interactive
program, and 80.7% among those whose lectures were held in an environment not equipped with digital
means. Both results are visibly high, but the statistically significant preponderance belongs to the treat-
ment group. To some extent, the high values can be explained by the lack of minimal pairs of sign units in
the constructed lexical task, which strategy was used to assess the phonological component. The general
tendency for maximally accurate perception can be due to the different human models of representation
of gesture signs that are included in the interactive program. During the training, the students had the
opportunity to observe and imitate all the specialists who have a different manner of presenting lexical
signs, which increased their interest in enriching their lexical cdmpetence.
A statistically significant advantage in the lexical capacity of the students participating in experimental
training in BGSL was registered when performing the second task, the content of which was aimed at
establishing their expressive skills. In addition to the quantitative aspect (87.3% ^ 73.7%), the reproduction
of signs was distinguished by accuracy, which was more typical for the representatives of the treatment
group. The strong expression of this qualitative characteristic is due to the uniform amplitude and the
constant pace of “articulation” of signs by the performers of sign production recorded on the digital device.
In the traditional setting, the teacher, in his or her effort to convey knowledge about the reproduction of the
signs and subject to the specifics of “live” performance, can change the amplitude and pace of expression,
and this probably led to exaggerated articulation in students, on the one hand, or to a lack of accuracy in
performance, on the other.
The results of the specific empirical study are indicative of the role of digital technology in building
lexical erudition, as well as the degree of mastery of a lexical database. Its advantages are reflected in
the students‘ performance in both language tests and strengthen the effect on their assessment of correct
production. The ability to choose a communicative option allows them to fully immerse themselves in the
language situation, and the presence of feedback is their corrective for the language actions they have taken.
The third hypothesis postulated the absence of a statistically significant difference between the
academic achievements in morphosyntax of the students from the two groups. The mastery of the
morphosyntactic rules of the BGSL was assessed in two tasks. The performance of the participants in
the treatment group was clearly influenced by operating with the software program, as evidenced by
the higher results recorded in the first language task for the perception of morphosyntactic structures
(71.57% ^ 58.69%). The interactive software motivates students to perceive linguistic material that
functions through rules completely different from oral language. The multimodal component of the program
provides students with an alternative format for mastering morphosyntactic concepts. In the second
task for measuring expressive skills, the students from the treatment group again had greater success
in arranging lexical units in sign syntactic chains. The quantitative expression of correctly reproduced
morphosyntactic constructions is about 72.69%. The accuracy rate decreased sharply in their colleagues
(59.79%). Omission of signs was observed almost three times more often in the control group. There were
also cases in which participants stopped after reading the sentence and showed all nonverbal signals of
confusion before proceeding to produce the wrong variant.
It should be noted that this result was lower than the result in the lexical probe, which means that
the performance of one perceptual task does not predict the specificity in the implementation of another.
At the same time, achievements in the impressive component within one linguistic category can serve as
a basis for predicting the status of the expressive component.
Conclusions
The conducted experimental study was focused on identifying the effect of the use of digital
technology on the mastery of linguistic content in BGSL by students studying it as a second language.
Attention was concentrated on assessing their academic achievements in three linguistic categories:
phonology, vocabulary knowledge, morphosyntax by administering a language test decomposed into
three subtests for diagnostic verification of receptive and expressive skills.
The results of the implementation at the vocabulary level showed a remarkable change in the
group of students placed in a digital educational environment. They dominated in terms of accuracy,
demonstrating their capabilities in both modal modes – receptive and expressive.
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Georgieva, D. (2025). Signmatics: An Interactive Digital Based System for Multimodal Learning of Hearing Students in
Bulgarian Sign Language, International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE),
13(1), 117-125.
The findings revealed that the digital application positively affects the speed of learning and
consolidation of morphosyntactic concepts. The statistically significant improvement belonged again to
the students from the treatment group. Although the result in this domain was lower than the lexical
achievements, it is a clear indicator that the interactive program Signmatics can be a promising, evidence-
based, additional strategy in the student audience where the basics of BGSL are studied.
The mastery of the phonological component was similarly represented in both groups of students,
which is a reference to other factors determining success in this area. One of them is the new modality
within which sign language is implemented. The different linguistic situation requires the acquisition of
a new motor skill and its application for the creation of an entirely new phonological component with a
set of other articulatory organs that do not overlap with those involved in the phonological structures of
the spoken language. This inspires the idea of achieving synchronization between digital and traditional
educational technologies, which find an intersection in multimodality.
Despite its solid traditional foundation, BGSL teaching has been modified over time through
the integration of modern and creative elements, such as digital technologies. This combination of
conventionality and creativity can lead to significant success in mastering a unique linguistic code that
has a clearly defined role.
Acknowledgements
This study is financed by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, in the frames of the National
Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, first pillar “Innovative Bulgaria”, through the
Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (MES), Project No BG-RRP-2.004-0006-C02 “Development
of research and innovation at Trakia University in service of health and sustainable well-being”, subproject
“Digital technologies and artificial intelligence for multimodal learning – a transgressive educational per-
spective for pedagogical specialists” No Н001-2023.47/23.01.2024.
Conflict of interests
The author declares no conflict of interest.
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