Question
Asked 16 May 2014

Proto-language: the child's first semiotic system in systemic functional linguistics by Halliday - any thoughts?

During this phase, children work up their own idiosyncratic vocalisations or gestures to create signs with meanings like 'I want that' or 'hello Mum' or 'I like that'. Has anyone investigated this phase of learning by children?

Most recent answer

Martin Davies
University of Stirling - retired
M.A.K. Halliday: The Language of Early Childhood.  London & New York: Continuum. 2004.  Part I Infancy and Protolanguage, pp. 6 - 152.

All Answers (4)

John Sowa
VivoMind Resarch, LLC
I don't know of any research that addresses that question directly.  But you might look at the publications by Laura Ann Petitto.  She did some of studies of chimpanzees learning sign language.  She also studied bilingual infants who were raised by parents who spoke or signed two different languages:  English, French, American Sign Language (ASL), or Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ).  She even found some who were bilingual in ASL and LSQ -- even though they could hear, they babbled with their hands, not vocally.
For references, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura-Ann_Petitto .  I also discuss this point briefly in slides 18 to 21 of http://www.jfsowa.com/talks/goal2.pdf .
1 Recommendation
Sajad Kabgani
Deakin University
 Hi
Though not directly relevant to the issue you are following, psychoanalytic observations have something to say in this regard. As you know, the stage you are working on includes complex psychological process. Hope it turns out to be helpful.
Good luck with your study. 
Gregg Lloren
University of the Philippines Cebu
Try looking into Gunther Kress and Theo Van Leeuwen's work on reading images. They have studied children in their formative years of communication using images. You might just find something from their studies. 
Martin Davies
University of Stirling - retired
M.A.K. Halliday: The Language of Early Childhood.  London & New York: Continuum. 2004.  Part I Infancy and Protolanguage, pp. 6 - 152.

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