Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Language Development01:22

Language Development

1.1K
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
1.1K
Language01:16

Language

1.0K
Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
1.0K
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

939
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
939
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

978
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
978
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

4.1K
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
4.1K
Genetic Lingo01:11

Genetic Lingo

118.1K
Overview
118.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Language Access is a Catalyst for Early Numerical Abilities.

Developmental science·2026
Same author

Avoiding unintended consequences: science of reading policies may harm deaf children.

Journal of deaf studies and deaf education·2026
Same author

Is a linguistic model needed to build abstract event representations?

Cognition·2026
Same author

Delayed First Language Exposure Negatively Impacts Representation of Small Quantities: Evidence from Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2025
Same author

Signers and Speakers Show Distinct Temporal Kinematic Signatures in Their Manual Communicative Movements.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2025
Same author

The organization of verb meaning in Lengua de Señas Nicaragüense (LSN): Sequential or simultaneous structures?

Glossa (London)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
06:07

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm

Published on: May 15, 2019

9.2K

What sign language creation teaches us about language.

Diane Brentari1, Marie Coppola2,3

  • 1Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
|August 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Mapping the path from gesture to homesign to sign language offers new insights into language emergence. This research explores communication systems to understand how new languages form.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication
07:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.4K
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
06:07

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm

Published on: May 15, 2019

9.2K
Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication
07:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Gesture in Communication

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.4K
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

7.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics
  • Anthropology

Background:

  • Understanding language emergence is a complex challenge with contributions from various scientific disciplines.
  • Previous research on language acquisition, evolution, primate communication, and pidgin/creole languages offers partial explanations.
  • A novel area of study focusing on gestural communication systems provides a unique perspective on language creation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the pathway from gesture to homesign systems to sign languages as a critical area for understanding language emergence.
  • To highlight the significance of studying these communication systems for both sign language research and the broader field of language evolution.
  • To provide a framework for analyzing the fundamental components and circumstances required for new languages to form.

Main Methods:

  • Focusing on three types of communication systems: gesture, homesign systems, and sign languages.
  • Analyzing the developmental trajectory and structural properties of these systems.
  • Comparing the progression from simple gestures to complex homesign and established sign languages.

Main Results:

  • The progression from gesture to homesign to sign language provides a traceable model for language genesis.
  • Homesign systems demonstrate the innate capacity for language creation in the absence of a fully formed linguistic model.
  • Sign languages represent complex, fully developed languages that emerge from simpler gestural origins.

Conclusions:

  • Mapping the evolution from gesture to homesign to sign language is crucial for understanding the fundamental principles of language emergence.
  • This research bridges disciplines like primatology, anthropology, psychology, and linguistics.
  • The study of gestural communication systems offers profound insights into how humans create and develop language in general.