This book brings together papers which address a range of issues regarding the nature and structure of sign languages and other gestural systems, and how they exploit the space in which they are conveyed. The chapters focus on five pertinent areas reflecting different, but related research topics: * space in language and gesture, * point of view and referential shift, * morphosyntax of verbs in ASL, * gestural systems and sign language, and * language acquisition and gesture. Sign languages and gestural systems are produced in physical space; they manipulate spatial contrasts for linguistic and communicative purposes. In addition to exploring the different functions of space, researchers discuss similarities and differences between visual-gestural systems -- established sign languages, pidgin sign language (International Sign), "homesign" systems developed by deaf children with no sign language input, novel gesture systems invented by hearing nonsigners, and the gesticulation that accompanies speech. The development of gesture and sign language in children is also examined in both hearing and deaf children, charting the emergence of gesture ("manual babbling"), its use as a prelinguistic communicative device, and its transformation into language-like systems in homesigners. Finally, theoretical linguistic accounts of the structure of sign languages are provided in chapters dealing with the analysis of referential shift, the structure of narrative, the analysis of tense and the structure of the verb phrase in American Sign Language. Taken together, the chapters in this volume present a comprehensive picture of sign language and gesture research from a group of international scholars who investigate a range of communicative systems from formal sign languages to the gesticulation that accompanies speech.

This book brings together papers which address a range of issues regarding the nature and structure of sign languages and other gestural systems, and how they exploit the space in which they are conveyed. The chapters focus on five pertinent areas reflecting different, but related research topics:
* space in language and gesture,
* point of view and referential shift,
* morphosyntax of verbs in ASL,
* gestural systems and sign language, and
* language acquisition and gesture.
Sign languages and gestural systems are produced in physical space; they manipulate spatial contrasts for linguistic and communicative purposes. In addition to exploring the different functions of space, researchers discuss similarities and differences between visual-gestural systems -- established sign languages, pidgin sign language (International Sign), "homesign" systems developed by deaf children with no sign language input, novel gesture systems invented by hearing nonsigners, and the gesticulation that accompanies speech. The development of gesture and sign language in children is also examined in both hearing and deaf children, charting the emergence of gesture ("manual babbling"), its use as a prelinguistic communicative device, and its transformation into language-like systems in homesigners. Finally, theoretical linguistic accounts of the structure of sign languages are provided in chapters dealing with the analysis of referential shift, the structure of narrative, the analysis of tense and the structure of the verb phrase in American Sign Language. Taken together, the chapters in this volume present a comprehensive picture of sign language and gesture research from a group of international scholars who investigate a range of communicative systems from formal sign languages to the gesticulation that accompanies speech.

SAVE when you order this item as part of a set. Inventario II: Palabras y Enunciados, sold in packages of 25 for easy re-ordering, is one of the two standardized, parent-completed report forms that make up the the Spanish adaptation of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs), which was designed by top language researchers to assess language and communication skills in young children ages 8-30 months. With the Inventarios, professionals can tap into parents' invaluable day-to-day knowledge about their children's language and communication skills--and respond to legislation that requires parental input in child evaluations. The forms focus on current behaviors and salient emergent behaviors that parents can recognize and track. Numerous studies document the reliability and validity, clinical utility, and research potential of the CDIs and Inventarios. The CDIs were normed on approximately 1,800 children in three locations, and the Inventarios were normed on more than 2,000 children. The CDI and Inventario forms were developed separately to reflect the vocabulary and grammatical structure of each language. Inventario II: Palabras y Enunciados is a words and sentences form for use with children ages 16-30 months. In the first part of the form, parents document the child's production and use of hundreds of words divided into semantic categories. The second part analyzes the child's early forms of grammar and the complexity of the child's multi-word utterances. Parents identify the words the child has understood or used and provide written examples of the child's three longest utterances. This form generally takes 20-40 minutes to complete and 20-30 minutes to score by hand. Also available are the Inventario I: Primeras Palabras y Gestos and the User's Guide and Technical Manual. These forms are part of the MacArthur-Bates Inventarios del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (Inventarios). The Inventarios and their English version, the CDIs, are standardized, parent-completed report forms that track young children's language and communication skills. Top language researchers developed the report forms, designing them to focus on current behaviors and salient emergent behaviors that parents can recognize and track. This product is sold in a package of 25. Learn more about the MacArthur-Bates CDIs.

With the Inventarios, the Spanish adaptation of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs), professionals can tap into parents' invaluable day-to-day knowledge about their children's language and communication skills--and respond to legislation that requires parental input in child evaluations. Top language researchers developed these standardized, parent-completed report forms to assess language and communication skills in young children ages 8-30 months. They've designed the forms to focus on current behaviors and salient emergent behaviors that parents can recognize and track. The Inventarios have three components: Inventario I: Primeras Palabras y Gestos. This words and gestures form is for use with children ages 8-18 months. The first part of the form prompts parents to document the child's understanding of hundreds of early vocabulary items separated into semantic categories such as animal names, sound effects, and question words. Parents mark the words understood or used, and the form yields separate indexes of words understood and words produced. The second part of the form asks parents to record the communicative and symbolic gestures the child has tried or completed. This form generally takes 20-40 minutes to complete and 20-30 minutes to score by hand. Inventario II: Palabras y Enunciados. This words and sentences form is for use with children ages 16-30 months. In the first part of the form, parents document the child's production and use of hundreds of words divided into semantic categories similar to the ones on Inventario I. The second part analyzes the child's early forms of grammar and the complexity of the child's multi-word utterances. Parents identify the words the child has understood or used and provide written examples of the child's three longest utterances. This form generally takes 20-40 minutes to complete and 20-30 minutes to score by hand (it is also desktop scannable with the appropriate software). User's Guide and Technical Manual. The manual for the Inventarios is written in English and provides detailed instructions for administering, scoring, and interpreting the forms; various uses of the inventories for clinical and research purposes; background information on the development of the forms; technical reports on reliability and validity; and tables and graphs of norming data. Numerous studies document the reliability and validity, clinical utility, and research potential of the CDIs and Inventarios. The CDIs were normed on approximately 1,800 children in three locations, and the Inventarios were normed on more than 2,000 children. The CDI and Inventario forms were developed separately to reflect the vocabulary and grammatical structure of each language. Learn more about the Inventarios and the CDIs.

SAVE when you order this item as part of a set. Inventario I: Primeras Palabras y Gestos, sold in packages of 25 for easy re-ordering, is one of the two standardized, parent-completed report forms that make up the the Spanish adaptation of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs), which was designed by top language researchers to assess language and communication skills in young children ages 8-30 months. With the Inventarios, professionals can tap into parents' invaluable day-to-day knowledge about their children's language and communication skills--and respond to legislation that requires parental input in child evaluations. The forms focus on current behaviors and salient emergent behaviors that parents can recognize and track. Numerous studies document the reliability and validity, clinical utility, and research potential of the CDIs and Inventarios. The CDIs were normed on approximately 1,800 children in three locations, and the Inventarios were normed on more than 2,000 children. The CDI and Inventario forms were developed separately to reflect the vocabulary and grammatical structure of each language. Inventario I: Primeras Palabras y Gestos is a "words and gestures" form for use with children ages 8-18 months. The first part of the form prompts parents to document the child's understanding of hundreds of early vocabulary items separated into semantic categories such as animal names, sound effects, and question words. Parents mark the words understood or used, and the form yields separate indexes of words understood and words produced. The second part of the form asks parents to record the communicative and symbolic gestures the child has tried or completed. This form generally takes 20-40 minutes to complete and 20-30 minutes to score by hand. Also available are the Inventario II: Palabras y Enunciados and the User's Guide and Technical Manual. These forms are part of the MacArthur-Bates Inventarios del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (Inventarios). The Inventarios and their English version, the CDIs, are standardized, parent-completed report forms that track young children's language and communication skills. Top language researchers developed the report forms, designing them to focus on current behaviors and salient emergent behaviors that parents can recognize and track. This product is sold in a package of 25. Learn more about the MacArthur-Bates CDIs.