Iconicity and Sign Lexical Acquisition: A Review

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Sign Language Studies

Background:

• Iconicity, the link between a word/sign and its meaning, is well-established as a facilitator of spoken language acquisition.
• Sign languages exhibit high iconicity, yet research on its impact on sign language acquisition yields mixed results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review existing literature on the role of iconicity in first (L1) and second (L2) sign language acquisition.
• To reconcile conflicting findings regarding iconicity's influence on sign language learning.
• To identify factors contributing to disagreements in current research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review of studies on sign language acquisition (L1 and L2).
• Analysis of methodological variations and definitions of iconicity across studies.
• Theoretical discussion on the nuanced effects of iconicity in sign language.

Main Results:

• Contradictory findings in L1 sign acquisition may stem from overly broad definitions of iconicity; finer operationalization may reveal effects.
• In L2 sign acquisition, iconicity positively impacts learning conceptual-semantic aspects but negatively affects phonological form acquisition.

Conclusions:

• The impact of iconicity on sign language learning is multifaceted, with both positive and negative influences.
• Considering the gradient nature of iconicity and the form-meaning relationship in signs is crucial for understanding its learning effects.
• Further research with refined definitions and methodologies is needed to fully elucidate iconicity's role in sign language acquisition.