The Role of Gesture in Communication Development

Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics

关键词: Speech and gesture;    Language acquisition;   

DOI  :  10.17161/KWPL.1808.547

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This study investigated the role of gesture in communication development. Gestural categories, based on communicative function, were identified from longitudinal videotapes of one mother-child pair. The results of the study indicated that gestures can be reliably delineated. In addition, they served a number of communicative functions: 1) attention directing; 2) referent specifying; 3) requesting information or action; 4) supporting the verbal message and 5) answering yes/no questions. Although the pair's activity influenced the gestural category utilized, a developmental pattern emerged. As the child's linguistic sophistication increased, the mother's use of gestures decreased and the child's increased. The results are discussed with respect to the available literature.

【 授权许可】

Unknown