Learning language with cochlear implants

Cochlear implants have unlocked a new world for people who are deaf - especially children.

But once they can hear with the device, doctors know very little about how they make sense of the sounds.

A study is underway at Ohio State University to understand that learning process.

They're using cameras at 6 different angles - plus eye-trackers to record interactions as parents teach new words.

Researchers want to know what catches a child's attention. And how it relates to the way other children with no hearing loss learn language.

Derek Houston, Ph.D. said, "The hearing loss affects the entire system. And it affects how they communicate and how they interact in a multi-modal way."

Researchers have already learned that when a parent names an object, and what the child is doing, is vital to absorbing the information.

Parents say they've learned to talk more. The more spoken language a child hears, the more he learns.

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