Presents a longitudinal study of six children which investigates the relationship between language development and the development of nonverbal representation. Concludes that the results suggest an interrelational hypothesis and proposes an interpretation in terms of reciprocal interaction between the two parameters. (Author/MES)

Gestural behavior between mothers and young children was hypothesized to be important in the acquisition of communicative competence. It was presumed that a typology of gestural function could assess non-verbal behavior. Data consisted of sound film samples of feeding and bathing events of three subject pairs. Initially the children ranged in age…

Describes the "special destiny-special faculty" paradigm that has dominated western thinking about the nature and origins of language and argues instead that language systems are like technologies and that language acquisition and use involves a range of capacities and skills, a view that could be called the "mosaic development…

The works cited on this extensively annotated bibliography represent approaches for understanding the language development of disadvantaged children. The subjects covered are bilingualism and dialectology, developmental influences (ethnic, family and home, instructional, and social and economic) and developmental status and processes (behavioral,…

This dissertation examines the thesis that it is the human language system which largely makes possible the human capacity for modifiability of responses called "intelligent" and "adaptive" modes of interaction with the environment. Chapter titles are (1) A Process View of Human Behavior, (2) Aspects of the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Cognitive…