Using Sign Language with Babies - Essay Example

Using Sign Language with Babies Using Sign Language with Babies Since the dawn of man, communicating with infants and babies has involved a logical progression of linguistic attributes that often takes years to master. Mothers have long since struggled with understanding what the most effective way to communicate with their babies might be as they wait for language to become possible. It is that gap of up to 2 years that has lead to the debate over using sign language with babies as a way to communicate via expressions what the human voice cannot quite grasp at such a young age. In the end, some scholars have proposed the creation of baby sign language as a means of addressing this communication barrier in the short term, yet the issue is far from solved. While some claim that it is entirely possible to communicate with young babies by using a series of sign language based gestures, others argue that it can inhibit actual language development in the long term. This position paper strives to examine both sides of this issue in order to make an informed determination as to the efficacy of using baby sign language. One of the main arguments revolving around whether or not to use sign language with babies involves the notion that teaching signs to babies will help them to learn more words. It seems that little to no research affirms this belief, however, as it is more likely that body signs and symbols may simply improvement methods of communications between the two parties, and enable the parent to understand what the baby is actually trying to say. While this is certainly important, particularly for frustrated parents who simply cannot determine what their baby might be upset about, it does not indicate that babies actually are learning through the process (DeLoache & Chiong, 2009). To be clear, however, there are still many scholars that do contend that a combination of verbal speech and body or hand gestures can contribute to a baby expanding their vocabulary at an early age. This has been one of the disagreements that make advocating such a position, either in favor or against, so difficult. It is important to note that baby sign language does not refer to American Sign Language, as it is more talking about communicative gestures made specifically between parents and their young babies. While it is possible to teach a baby American Sign Language, it would be similar to using any type of verbal language, and is not the focus of this study. When referring to the use of baby sign language, however, scholars are typically referring to the action of encouraging babies to communicate with their hands, in a variety of different ways. One positive way of encouraging sign language with babies is to reinforce the child when he or she points at an object or being. If, for example, a baby points energetically at a dog, then the parent can respond by pointing at the animal as well and verbally explaining ‘that’s a dog’. This reinforces to the baby that their pointing has an intended outcome and, while they may not understand what the parent is saying, over time they will begin to develop new words. Research does show that this action does show some promise in expanding the vocabulary of babies even before they begin to speak (Barnes, 2012). Baby sign language can also involve the teaching of symbolic gestures to babies. This involves mimicking actions with the hands that are meant to represent something else. Another potential usefulness of sign language can involve the responses that babies might give to their parents, such as pulling at their shirt to indicate their desire to have it taken off. What ever the actual definition of baby sign language, it involves communication in the end. There are, however, many baby signs that might not be representative of anything significant, so many professional believe to encourage to babies to mimic such gestures is simply not helpful to their overall language development. It has been noted that most bevies do begin the action of actively pointing with their fingers between the ages of 9 and 12 months (Walters, Meier, & Pizer, 2012). Most parents view this as a major breakthrough in communication, and few can argue with that. Babies, for example, learn to master the art of communicating what they want simply by catching the parents eyes with the own, and the casting their eyes on the object they desire. Parents also begin to understand what a baby wants to say when they point at a toy or other item that they want or require. Some psychologists have noticed a situation where babies who use sign language gestures more frequently with their parents actually get more immediate and positive feedback (Fitzpatrick, 2014). This encourages interaction between the two, which facilitates future verbal language development and perhaps even speeds up the process. During this particular research, for example, it was noted that babies who point at a new object often elicits a response from the mother that results in the baby hearing what the object actually is. It is understood that babies are naturally curious, so if the sign language that they utilize provides an instant response to that action, then the child may very well be internalizing the information in a positive way that translates into future growth and development. In addition, similar research into baby sign language indicates that parents often respond to such gestures in a more emphatic manner, creating a type of infant directed speech that seems to resonate with the child in a more positive manner. There are also indicating factors that the use of baby sign language may help promote social skills. One recent study asked 20 mothers to add symbolic gesture and body language to their daily speech patterns with their infants. In infants involved in the study ranged from 8 to months of age. This study ends up contradicting earlier findings that baby sign language helps in the development of language, as there were no noticeable benefits observed between the control group and group using baby sign language (Kirk, 2013). One interesting component of this particular study, however, was that it was observed that mothers became more responsive to the nonverbal cues that their infants were sending. In addition, the parents that used sign language seemed to be more willing to encourage indecent exploration and creativity of the part of their children. The reality is that research is so divided about the actual benefits of using baby sign language that one cannot definitively state that it should be used. At the same time, there appears to be no findings linked to the discovery that such gesture use with infants is a negative addition to language development (Kirk, 2013). As such, it is the position of this writer that baby sign language is useful in establishing a more grounded sense of communication between infant and parent. Its use should not be discouraged. Studies have shown that, as children age, those that used baby sign language early on in life tend to be problem solvers and they have a more enhanced development of vocabulary. Because of this, it is important to consider the positive attributes of baby sign language in terms of image association. Infants may not be able to verbalize what they are thinking or feeling, but they can communicate with the hands and face. As such, parents should feel free to encourage such expression with their own actions in support of the development of communication skills within their child. References Barnes, S. K. (2012). Sign language with babies: What difference does it make? Dimensions of Early Childhood, 38(1), 21. DeLoache, J. and Chiong, C. (2009). Babies and baby media. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(8), 1115-1135. Fitzpatrick, E. (2014). How handy are baby signs? First Language, 34(6), 516-518. Kirk, E. (2013). To sign or not to sign? Child Development, 84(2), 574-590. Walters, K., Meier, R., and Pizer, G. (2007). Bringing up baby with baby signs. Sign Language Studies, 7(4), 387-430. Read More