Summary

The preceding chapters have examined the role of visual information in three aspects of early linguistic development which form the core of “meaning” in semantic and pragmatic theory: the meanings of words; the construction of propositions; and the use of illocutionary force. These are also areas in ontogenesis where concept development and language development are especially interrelated. The major concern was to understand the extent to which visual information facilitates the process of language acquisition. A number of recurrent themes emerged from the analyses in which differences in the conceptual development of blind and sighted children are reflected in their early language, yet at the same time, certain adaptive strategies are clearly in operation. This chapter briefly summarizes the major findings of the investigation and in the final section, draws together the principal themes of the analysis in order to articulate the important role of visual information in the emergence of meaning and to identify some of the areas where non-linguistic conceptual development influences early language learning.

First words

The role of visual information in the acquisition of early lexemes appears to be significant. While superficially the blind and sighted children appear to have many similar forms, a closer examination of word use reveals differences that suggest the important role of vision as a stimulus in motivating children to construct hypotheses about the nature and meaning of words as symbolic vehicles.