Nonverbal Communication in Young Children

Abstract

Nonverbal communication is an essential and integral component of the communicative competence and contributes significantly to the affective aspect of human interaction. Researchers have only recently begun to emphasize nonverbal communication in young children. However, most of this research has focused on specific aspects rather than the overall system of nonverbal communication. In this paper, the broad scope of the field of nonverbal communication is discussed. Further, a variety of modes of nonverbal communication and their relation to language development are described.