"The relationship of language to cognition, especially in development, is an issue that has occupied philosophers, psychologists, and linguists for centuries.
In recent years, the scientific study of sign languages and deaf individuals has greatly enhanced our understanding of deafness, language, and cognition.
This Counterpoints volume considers the extent to which the use of sign language might affect the course and character of cognitive development, and presents a variety of viewpoints in this debate. This volume brings the language-thought discussion into a clearer focus, both theoretically and practically, by placing it in the context of children growing up deaf and
the influences of having sign language as their primary form of communication. The discussion is also sharpened by having
internationally recognized contributors, such as Patricia Siple, Diane Lillo-Martin, and Ruth Campbell, with
specialties in varied areas, all converging on a common
interest in which each has conducted empirical research. These contributors clarify and challenge the theoretical
assumptions that have driven arguments in the
language-thought debate for centuries. An introduction by the editors provides a historical overview of the issues as well as a review of empirical findings that have been offered in response to questions about language-thought relations in deaf children. The final chapters are structured in the form of ""live"" debate, in which each contributor is given the opportunity to respond to the other perspectives presented in this volume."
Contributors 1: Marc Marschark and Victoria S. Everhart: Relations of Language and Cognition: What Do Deaf Children Tell Us? 2: Patricia Siple: Universals, Generalizability, and the Acquisition of Signed Language 3: Diane Lillo-Martin: The Modular Effects of Sign Language Acquisition 4: Ruth Campbell: Read the Lips: Speculations on the Nature and Role of Lipreading in Cognitive Development of Deaf Children 5: Ruth Campbell: Making Faces: Coextant Domains for Language and Visual Cognition 6: Diane Lillo-Martin: In Support of the Language Acquisition Device 7: Patricia Siple: Modules and the Informational Encapsulation of Language Processes 8: Victoria S. Everhart and Marc Marschark: Models, Modules, and Modality Index
Reviews for Relations of Language and Thought: The View from Sign Language and Deaf Children
<br> Both general academic readers and those who specialize in issues revolving around sign language will find the book valuable....The work is well integrated and focused, and the authors speak to one another's points. --Choice<p><br>
