Communicative functions during the pre-grammatical stage: a case study

Abstract

This study contributes empirical evidence regarding communicative functions in the pre-grammatical period. The aim was to explore these functions in child-adult dyadic interactions during what in language acquisition research has been called the two-word period. The study draws from the data corpus of a child 19–29 months old and the system of sign categories (gestures, non-verbal vocalizations, verbal vocalizations, uni- and bimodal compositions) developed by Rodríguez & Español. In order to study the communicative functions in this period, an observational code was developed in accordance with Strauss and Corbin’s Constant Comparative Method, which is suitable for encompassing the entire repertoire of a child’s sign use. The study in general allowed some functions absent in adult communication to be identified, and the qualitative analysis in particular revealed a use of semiotic resources that supports the idea of a cognitive processing structure common to gesture and word.