Open AccessA descriptive analysis of early word combinations in deaf children's signed utterances[Note 1. Preparation of this article was financially supported by the ...]
Author(s) -
Torigoe Takashi,
Takei Wataru
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
japanese psychological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5884
pISSN - 0021-5368
DOI - 10.1111/1468-5884.00172
Subject(s) - gesture , sign language , psychology , sentence , linguistics , word (group theory) , manual communication , sign (mathematics) , language development , communication , developmental psychology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , philosophy
The use of pointing and its place in word combinations and the organization of sentences were examined in children acquiring Japanese Sign Language as a first language. Subjects were three deaf children of signing deaf parents, and were aged from 1 year 9 months to 3 years 1 month at the time of observation. They were observed and videotaped periodically in free play settings. Pointing gestures were observed frequently in the earlier utterances in the development of sign language. It was also found that some pointing was referentially redundant and had a fixed position at the end of a sentence. This suggests that pointing, as well as being used referentially, plays a grammatical role in organizing the sentence.