This study of preschool classrooms does analyze the efficacy of marking the
relation between what is said and what is happening with gestures.
Overwhelmingly, gesture facilitates reaching a practical understanding of
what's happening. These practices (educating attention) reduce ambiguity
among Latino and Euro-American infants just learning to talk, especially
when an utterance is initially misunderstood.
Zukow-Goldring, P., Romo, L., & Duncan, K. R. (1994). Gestures speak louder
than words: Achieving Consensus in Latino classrooms. In A. Alvarez & P.
del Rio (Eds.), Education as cultural construction (pp. 227-238). Madrid:
Fundacion Infancia & Aprendizaje; (in press). In Mercer, N. (Ed.), The
English Language: Bilingualism in Education. London: BBC.
My more recent work with infants elaborates the theoretical approach
(social ecological realism). Let me know if you'd like more information.
Pat Zukow-Goldring
Patricia Zukow-Goldring, Ph. D.
Research Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles
Center for the Study of Women Mailing address:
3835 Ventura Canyon
276 Kinsey Hall Sherman Oaks CA 91423
405 Hilgard Avenue email: zukow who-is-at ucla.edu
Los Angeles CA 90095-1504 phone: (818) 905-6293