Title: The nature and functions of gesture in children's communication /
Authors: Iverson, Jana M.; Goldin-Meadow, Susan; Goldin-Meadow, Susan.
Publisher: Jossey-Bass Publishers,
Year: 1998
Subjects: Language acquisition.; Gesture; Children Language
Abstract: Movements of the hands that co-occur with speech - gestures - are the subject of this volume in the New Directions for Child Development series. Although gesture has always been considered relevant to talk, it has usually been seen as a stream separate from speech, one that can reflect the attitudes and feelings of speakers but that is not centrally involved in language. It was not until recently that gesture became a "legitimate" interest of language researchers. The chapters herein focus on the spontaneous gestures that accompany speech, especially the speech of children. Together they confirm that gesture is a robust and integral part of communication that can provide unique insights into the mind.
Contents: Speech and gesture integration / David McNeill -- The development of gesture and speech as an integrated system / Susan Goldin-Meadow -- Gestures, signs, and words in early language development / Olga Capirci, Sandro Montanari, Virginia Volterra -- Encouraging symbolic gestures : a new perspective on the relationship between gesture and speech / Susan W. Goodwyn, Linda P. Acredolo -- What stuttering reveals about the development of the gesture-speech relationship / Rachel I. Mayberry, Joselynne Jaques, Gayle DeDe -- Gesture when there is no visual model / Jana M. Iverson -- Gesture when there is no speech model / Jill P. Morford.