Studies infants' symbolic gestures in and out of context with objects varying in degree of perceptual/contextual support. Results indicate vocabulary production correlates with symbolic gesture out of context and that vocabulary comprehension correlates with symbolic gesture in context. Gestures that bear the strongest relationship to language are…

Discusses the value of a familiarity with mythological figures in emotional, intellectual, and personal development. (SB)

Discusses development of symbolic thinking in toddlers as a step in language acquisition and skill development. Examines means of encouraging this symbolic problem solving, such as setting the stage for problems, helping children plan problem-solving strategies, and encouraging children in self-evaluating their skills. Examines development of…

Twenty-four 12- to 19-month-old children were studied to examine the cognitive basis for the emergence of verbs. Substantial increases in verb comprehension across contexts, abstract cognition, and the ability to engage in symbolic action were observed, suggesting a relationship between underlying cognitive development and increased verb…

A controlled study involving 60 randomly selected 4- to 5-year-old children from Guyana (South America) assessed whether providing the opportunity for fantasy play to children in nursery schools that do not provide such opportunity would have an effect on the children's level of symbolic, language, and cognitive ability. Subjects included 20…

A journalism writing course which trains students in techniques of newsgathering and reporting, emphasizing objectivity, accuracy, clarity, and journalistic style, is described. The objectives of the course include: (1) recognition of nonverbal cues transmitted by a speaker; (2) description of conveyed meanings of emotive language in news articles…

THIS BOOK ABOUT THE FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE IN HUMAN LIFE EMPHASIZES LEARNING HOW TO CLASSIFY, DEFINE, AND ANALYZE. FOLLOWING AN EXPLANATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ROOTS OF LANGUAGE, CHAPTERS ON ANALYSIS, MEANING, SIGNS, AMBIGUITY, SEMANTIC GROWTH, AND METAPHOR LEAD TO A DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION OF LANGUAGE,…

This course in semantics investigates verbal and nonverbal symbols and their denotations, emotional values, and levels of abstraction in an attempt to open channels of communication between the students and those with whom they communicate. Concepts, ideas, and skills included in the course are as follows: (1) that words are tools to help with the…