Our hands have always been able to talk. Even without the highly developed nuance of sign languages, the right gesture can invite a lover, repel an enemy and express confusion or excitement. Aside from many universally understood gestures like the middle finger, we also use our hands in vaguer ways to express more complicated concepts while speaking. But how do these gestures affect our speech and communication in general?
“In development, it is well known that gestures precede speech in many ways, and also predict speech,” says Pilar Prieto, a linguist at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She and her colleagues have been conducting several experiments on the use of gestures to determine their importance in communication, as well as their development in children in recent years.
