婴儿指示性手势与其语言学习的关系

指示性手势是指明空间中某个物体、处所或事件的手部动作,在婴儿1岁时出现,与婴儿的语言学习存在着较强的相关,然而目前尚不清楚为什么会存在此相关。可能存在两种内在机制:(1)指示性手势影响婴儿的学习环境——引发了适时的语言输入;(2)影响学习者本身——帮助婴儿创造有效的学习状态并示意给他人。未来的研究需要探讨这两种机制如何交互作用,以及如何将指示性手势作为诊断或干预工具,用于识别和帮助有语言障碍风险的个体。

The relationship between infants' pointing gestures and language learning

A pointing gesture is the simultaneous extension of the arm and index finger to something in space,such as an object,a person,a location,or an event.Pointing emerges around 12 months of age,and is positively associated with infants' language learning;however,it is not clear why such a correlation exists.In this paper,we consider two processes that could influence the relationship between pointing and language development:(1) pointing may influence learning by eliciting contingent linguistic input from the social environment;(2) pointing may create an effective learning state in infants.Future studies are needed to examine how the dynamic interaction of these two processes facilitate language learning,and to explore the use of pointing as a diagnostic or intervention tool for children who are at risk for language delays.