Influences of spoken and signed language on numerical cognition

Abstract

Language conveys the cultural symbols and concepts of number. The specific way that numerical information is expressed in language shapes the mental processes that underlie numerical reasoning. These influences can occur across multiple levels, including phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, semantic, conceptual and visuo-spatial. In this Review, we explore the interactions between language and the development of numerical cognition, contrasting two language modalities. We examine how signed languages — which are expressed manually and perceived visually — and spoken languages — which are expressed orally and perceived aurally — influence numerical processing. By synthesizing multidisciplinary evidence from children and adults, we highlight how signed languages provide insights into how language shapes the acquisition of numerical concepts and skills. Finally, we detail open questions in the study of signed languages to guide a more comprehensive investigation of numerical cognition and the human mind. How numerical information is expressed in language shapes the mental processes that underlie numerical reasoning. In this Review, Berteletti and colleagues compare the impacts of spoken and signed languages on numerical cognition and detail how future work with signed languages can enrich understanding of these impacts.