A new study from Hebrew University reveals that young learners often grasp entire phrases before understanding their individual components. This “whole-to-part” approach suggests that children have an inherent bias toward holistic learning, challenging the traditional view that language is usually acquired by assembling smaller parts into larger structures. The findings shed light on the flexibility and resilience of language acquisition across diverse contexts, including situations where formal language input is limited.

 

Holistic Learning Insights 

Prof. Inbal Arnon from the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Prof. Susan Goldin-Meadow from the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago, have uncovered a fascinating process in language development. Contrary to previous understanding, children don't always build language by assembling smaller units into larger structures. Instead, they frequently start by comprehending whole phrases and later break the down into specific parts.

 

Unexpected Communication Strategies

The study focused on homesigners—deaf children who create their own gestural communication systems without exposure to formal sign or spoken language. These children initially use gestures to represent complete meanings, without distinguishing between specific hand shapes or motions. As they develop, they begin to dissect these whole gestures, creating smaller, meaningful components that can be recombined to express more nuanced ideas. 

 

“Our findings suggest that children are not merely responding to their environment but may come with an inherent preference for certain ways of learning language, including the ability to start with broad meanings and discover parts later,” explains Prof. Arnon. “This has important implications for understanding the flexibility and resilience of language learning across different contexts. Children’s ability to grasp language by moving from wholes to parts may serve early communicative needs, allowing them to convey complex ideas before developing more intricate structures.”

 

"Our findings suggest that children are not merely responding to their environment but may come with an inherent preference for certain ways of learning language, including the ability to start with broad meanings and discover parts later.” - Prof. Inbal Arnon

 

The research has profound implications for understanding language acquisition. It demonstrates that whole-to-part learning is not just a strategy for challenging linguistic environments, but a natural approach children bring to communication.  This insight provides new perspectives on language evolution, adaptation, and the developmental stages of emerging communication systems.

 

The full research paper, “Whole-to-part development in language creation,” is published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences and can be accessed here.

 

Researchers:

• Prof. Susan Goldin-Meadow, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago
• Prof. Inbal Arnon, Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

 

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s premier academic and research institution. With over 23,000 students from 90 countries, it is a hub for advancing scientific knowledge and holds a significant role in Israel’s civilian scientific research output, accounting for nearly 40% of it and has registered over 11,000 patents. The University’s faculty and alumni have earned eight Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards a Fields Medal, underscoring their contributions to ground-breaking discoveries. In the global arena, the Hebrew University ranks 81st according to the Shanghai Ranking.