Before L1

• DOI: 10.1075/gest.8.2.04lis
• Publication Date: 2008-08-13T01:56:59Z
• Authors: Ulf Liszkowski
• Keywords: Deixis; Symbolic communication; Modality (human–computer interaction)

This paper investigates the social-cognitive and motivational complexities underlying prelinguistic infants’ gestural communication. With regard to deictic referential gestures, new recent experimental evidence shows that infant pointing is a complex communicative act based on skills cooperative motives. representational findings suggest need re-interpret these gestures as initially non-symbolic social acts . Based available empirical evidence, argues communication emerges foundation of human first in already before language. Representational symbolic communication, instead, transformation vocal modality and, perhaps, through non-symbolic, socially situated routines.