Language acquisition through sign language

Using gestures in everyday life promotes speech development and expands active vocabulary. But how and why exactly? Maria from talking hands explains this in this article.

How is communication learned?

In language acquisition, we distinguish two types of vocabulary: what I understand (receptive) and what I can subsequently speak myself (active). The more information our brain has about a word, the more sustainably it is stored. The word can then be retrieved and spoken more quickly and easily in the future. So, when we incorporate as many senses as possible into learning a word, it shortens our learning process. This is for example how it happens with the flipbooks from talking hands. By flipping through the booklet, you see the individual images of the sign played as a film, which provides your child with a great sense of self-efficacy and appeals to various senses. They tactilely feel the flipbook in their hands, see the film as well as the word in written form, and finally incorporate the hand movements into their own motor processes when they imitate the sign. This gives their brain the opportunity to properly 'comprehend' the word, regardless of whether a child is hearing or not.

Advantages of using gestures

Because it, for example, also teaches your child a certain understanding of symbols, since different signs have specific meanings. Additionally, it supports shy children, for whom it is easier to perform a hand gesture than to pronounce certain words aloud, in communication. When learning vocabulary for foreign languages later on, gestures also provide excellent support. It also helps in conflict situations to communicate one's emotions more easily to others, as well as to understand the emotions of others. Needs and wishes can often be communicated much more easily with the help of gestures, which not only reduces frustration but also alleviates helplessness. Not to forget: the fun children have in accompanying words and actions in their everyday life with exciting hand movements that even friends can understand.

Gestures as part of communication

Are gestures something foreign to us? No, not at all. Gestures are innate to every person. The development of gestures is a fundamental part of our communication development, as can be seen, for example, in how early babies perform movements with their hands, even before they can speak. In the brain, the control centers for hand movements, mouth, and lip movements are located next to each other, so multiple areas in our brain are activated when we connect speech with our hands. But then, can it happen that my child eventually only signs and no longer speaks? This fear is completely unfounded as well. Our brain uses gestures as a bridge, which is why speech acquisition is not impaired, but rather, on the contrary, promoted in its speed and efficiency. To support your child's communication, it is enough to start with a few simple gestures that are easily incorporated into everyday life to support speech. You will see how quickly your child adopts the gestures themselves and is eager to learn more of them.