Language plays an important role in learning the meaning of numbers , according to a study conducted by psychologist Susan Goldin-Meadow, from the University of Chicago (USA).
In an investigation with deaf people from Nicaragua who had not learned "formal" sign language, Goldin found that they were unable to understand the value of numbers beyond three, because they did not handle a language with the necessary symbols to count. On the contrary, deaf people who had been able to use sign language since childhood could learn and understand the meaning of large figures. The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal PNAS .
The study reveals that language shapes the way children learn math concepts . "It's not just the vocabulary that matters, but understanding the relationships between words – the fact that 'eight' is more than seven and minus 'nine' -" clarifies Goldin-Meadow. "The research does not determine which aspects of language are doing the job, but it does suggest that language plays an important role in number acquisition ," adds colleague Betty Tuller, from the Foundation's Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS). National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States, co-author of the article.
