choosing and learning a language 69
Language and thinking develop together
Language allows us to communicate with others. It also allows us to
communicate with ourselves. The language a child learns when he is
young gives him the tools to develop his thinking — the language he
uses to talk to himself. So even how we think depends on how much
language we know and can use.
Daniel is deaf. He can
communicate a little
through gestures,
expressions on his face,
and through signs his
family made up.
This is what Daniel can
tell his mother about his
day:
Fishing bad...
little fish.
But if Daniel and his family shared a language, they
could communicate much more. And Daniel’s ability to
think and plan would be stronger.
Today I went fishing, but I only caught little ones,
about this long. I had to throw them back. Maybe
tomorrow I will go fishing near the bridge.
The more children are able to learn a language — whether they speak
or sign — the more they can understand their world, express themselves,
think, hope, plan, and communicate with the people around them.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)