Communicative functions during the pre-grammatical stage: a case study / Las funciones comunicativas durante la etapa pregramatical: un estudio de caso,

RODRÍGUEZ, FERNANDO GABRIEL; ESPAÑOL, SILVIA

INFANCIA Y APRENDIZAJE

Elselvier

Lugar: Madrid; Año: 2019 vol. 42 p. 413 - 458

0210-3702

This study contributes empirical evidence regarding communicativefunctions in the pre-grammatical period. The aim was to explore thesefunctions in child-adult dyadic interactions during what in language acquisitionresearch has been called the two-word period. The study draws from thedata corpus of a child 19?29 months old and the system of sign categories(gestures, non-verbal vocalizations, verbal vocalizations, uni- and bimodalcompositions) developed by Rodríguez & Español. In order to study thecommunicative functions in this period, an observational code was developedin accordance with Strauss and Corbin?s Constant Comparative Method,which is suitable for encompassing the entire repertoire of a child?s signuse. The study in general allowed some functions absent in adult communicationto be identified, and the qualitative analysis in particular revealeda use of semiotic resources that supports the idea of a cognitive processingstructure common to gesture and word.