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<p>Richard Arnold wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>In a message
dated 3/18/01 9:14:37 AM Central Standard Time,</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>rathmann@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU
writes:</font></font>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>the
sign advantage can be explained by</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>the earlier development
of the motor control system for the manual</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>articulators</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>compared with the development
of the motor control system for the vocal</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>articulators. This does
not mean that the development of language is</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>different in the two modalities,
only that the _expression_ of the</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=-1>language may start slightly
earlier in the signed modality.</font></font>
<br> </blockquote>
<p><font face="Arial"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>I agree. It seems
to be a more physiological reason for this phenomena. It is</font></font></font>
<br><font face="Arial"><font color="#000000"><font size=+0>simply the ease
of use rather than linguistic ability.</font></font></font></blockquote>
[snip]
<p>There's another explanation for the apparent disparity between the appearance
of the first spoken word and the first signed word, and that is the eyes
and the ears of the beholder. Because of the phonological variability
in early child speech, it is often difficult for the layperson to distinguish
the commonalities that could constitute a "word" for the child. Signs
being so much larger provide more ability to distinguish meaning in noise.
<br>Susan Fischer
<br>
<p>--
<br>Susan Fischer
e-mail: fischer@mail.rit.edu
<br>NTID/RIT HLC-2420
phone: 1-716-475-6558 (v/TTY)
<br>Dept. Of Research
fax: 1-716-475-7101
<br>96 Lomb Memorial Drive
web: <A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~sdfncr">http://www.rit.edu/~sdfncr</A>
<br>Rochester, NY 14623-5604
(under perpetual construction!!)
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