signing in hearing babies

[Ioana Marian]

I want to add a reference on the discussion regarding
the development on Signing Babies.
I know about the research of Greenfield regarding
the relationship between object manipulation and
language development in Broca's area.
The Greenfield hypothesis, that the Broca's area
is used in the early developmental stages in
motor sequences coordination, generated the idea
of the "cortical software re-use".
Dr.Ronan Reilly made a connectionist simulation
which shows that a motor sequences training of
a network, using the task of manual object assembly,
will facilitate the acquisition of language on
that network. This can support the hypothesis
of the re-use of cortical circuits
used earlier on the object manipulation and
later on the language production.
So, the acquisition of language can be prepared
and facilitated - neurobiologicaly - by the motor
training and signing.
The same neurophisiologically effect can have
signing in the hearing babies .

Reilly, R.G. (in press). The relationship between
                  object manipulation and language development in
                  Broca's area: A connectionist simulation of
                  Greenfield's hypothesis. Behavioral and Brain
                  Sciences.

Reilly, R.G. 1997. Brocas area and the
                  development of object assembly and language
                  production skills. In: Proceedings of AI-97,
                  University of Ulster, Magee College, September.

Reilly, R.G. 1997. Cortical software re-use: A
                  neural basis for creative cognition. In: Proceedings
                  of Mind 2, Dublin City University, September.

Ioana Marian
Student at the Psychology Department
Cluj-Napoca,Romania