VUB linguist Beatrijs Wille joins the Young Academy

Dr Beatrijs Wille, a linguist and speech therapist affiliated with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University (UGent), has been elected as a member of the Young Academy. Her research into language development and educational opportunities for deaf children provides valuable insights into how both Dutch and Flemish Sign Language (VGT) contribute to their learning and development. Her membership will run until 31 March 2030, with the official inauguration taking place on 5 March 2025 at the Palace of Academies in Brussels.

Dr Wille’s work centres on the early communication and language development of deaf children—a group that faces unique challenges in education and literacy. Her research explores how children who are born deaf or hard of hearing acquire language in different environments, whether with hearing or deaf parents, in settings where sign language is used, or where only spoken language is offered. A key focus of her work is how early language experiences shape later language skills and reading development. Studies show that deaf children who have access to sign language from an early age typically develop a stronger foundation for literacy than those exposed only to spoken language. These findings have significant implications for education policy and the support available to deaf students in both mainstream and specialist education.

"In Flanders, education for deaf children is still largely based on spoken language, which often puts them at a disadvantage from the start"

Bilingual Education: Dutch and Flemish Sign Language

In addition to language acquisition and literacy, Wille examines the impact of bilingual education, where both Dutch and Flemish Sign Language are used in the classroom. In Flanders, education for deaf children is still largely based on spoken language, meaning they often start with a disadvantage. Wille’s research at KU Leuven, conducted under the supervision of Professor Dr Mim Vermeerbergen and funded by the Ministry of Education, investigates how a bilingual education system can be effectively implemented and the benefits it offers to deaf students.

She also studies how the combination of sign language and written language can improve reading comprehension. International studies suggest that deaf children who use sign language as their primary means of communication perform better in reading when teaching strategies are adapted to their visual learning style. Her work contributes to the scientific evidence supporting these educational models.

International Experience and Collaboration

After completing her PhD at UGent in 2018, where she researched early communication between deaf children and their parents, Wille worked as a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego in the Mayberry Laboratory for Multimodal Language Development. In 2020, she received a grant from Academia Belgica and the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a project on early gestures in deaf children, in collaboration with Professor Capirci at the LaCAM Laboratory in Rome.

She is currently a visiting professor at UGent, where she teaches the course Introduction to Flemish Sign Language. Her research is published in both academic journals and policy-oriented reports, and she regularly presents her findings at international conferences.

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