New paper in Language Learning: Iconicity and Gesture Jointly Facilitate Learning of Second Language Signs at First Exposure in Hearing Nonsigners

14 April 2024
A woman is standing in front of a blue background, facing the camera with a neutral expression. She has her hands raised with palms facing outwards and fingers spread. She is wearing a white V-neck top with thin horizontal stripes.
The paper “Iconicity and Gesture Jointly Facilitate Learning of Second Language Signs at First Exposure in Hearing Nonsigners” by Dilay Z. Karadöller, David Peeters, Francie Manhardt, Aslı Özyürek, and Gerardo Ortega has been published.

Here we show that if a hearing person begins to learn sign language as a second language they will learn those signs faster if the sign looks like what it represents AND if the hearing person knows a gesture that looks like the sign. That is iconicity and gesture jointly facilitate sign learning in hearing adults and that parameter location plays the most important role in this learning. It was supported by a Vici (2015-2020) and Veni Grants (275-890-21) awarded to Prof. Aslı Özyürek and Gerardo Ortega, respectively.

Link to paper

Accessible summary 

YouTube link for the video in international sign and English 

 

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