Pretend play and embodied language: The case of deaf children

This work explores the relationship between Sign Language (SL) and pretend play by considering how the embodied and enactive nature of SLs may support pretense in childhood. First of all, we will examine the iconic and bodily aspects of SLs, considering studies on morpho-phonology and reflections on iconicity and metaphors. In particular, we will highlight how linguistic iconicity and use of the signing space constitute embodied and situated language features which stand out as specific traits of SLs. Secondly, we will provide a short overview of several theories on pretend play and how these have shifted in time from metacognitive approaches upholding the importance of Theory of Mind towards more enactive and embodied approaches highlighting the importance of environmental and social factors. Finally, we will outline how the literature on pretend play in deaf children has, on one side, suggested that SL may have a positive impact on childhood pretense, but, on the other, that this is still heavily loaded with mentalistic and metacognitive contents. Our hope is that future researches on pretend play in deaf children may benefit from considering the highly embodied and enactive nature of SLs.