Gestes coverbaux et bébé-signes dans l’expression de l’offre et de la requête dans une crèche bilingue

Abstract This paper focuses on the analysis of interactions between three French-speaking children and a Spanish-speaking childcare assistant in a bilingual childcare centre. This study examines how manual gestures (co-speech gestures, emblems and baby-signs) contribute to the expression of offers and requests during mealtimes. The results show that the Spanish-speaking childcare assistant mainly uses baby-signs during mealtimes. These gestures serve several functions, which we present in the article. The findings give rise to a need to revise the current definition and categorisation of baby-signs, and to reflect on how they could fit in Kendon’s continuum.