Published on Apr 1, 2014
Human languages have astonishing diversity.
Among the nearly 7000 that now exist, some use speech and others use no sounds at all, relying on hands and the body to communicate.
Professor of Language and Human Communication Carol Padden presents an overview of the social and cultural conditions in which humans spontaneously create sign languages, even when they have spoken languages, and what such languages teach us about human possibility and creativity.
Among the nearly 7000 that now exist, some use speech and others use no sounds at all, relying on hands and the body to communicate.
Professor of Language and Human Communication Carol Padden presents an overview of the social and cultural conditions in which humans spontaneously create sign languages, even when they have spoken languages, and what such languages teach us about human possibility and creativity.
