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Putting language back in the body: speech and gesture on three time frames
Spencer D Kelly1, Jana M Iverson, Joseph Terranova
1Department of Psychology-Neuroscience Program, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA. skelly@mail.colgate.edu
Developmental Neuropsychology
|October 31, 2002
Summary
Nonverbal actions are crucial for language, influencing its evolution from primates, children's language acquisition, and adult real-time processing. This embodied perspective highlights the grounding of neural, cognitive, and social language aspects in bodily action.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The emergence and processing of human language are complex phenomena.
- The role of nonverbal actions in language development and real-time use remains an area of active investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the multifaceted role of nonverbal actions in language processing across evolutionary, developmental, and real-time adult contexts.
- To explore the embodied nature of language, emphasizing the grounding of neural, cognitive, and social components in bodily action.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical investigation and speculation on evolutionary timelines.
- Hypothesizing the influence of nonverbal behaviors on child language acquisition.
- Argumentation for the continued role of nonverbal actions in adult moment-to-moment language processing.
Main Results:
- Nonverbal actions are posited to have played a foundational role in the evolution of formal language systems from primate ancestors.
- Evidence suggests that nonverbal behaviors significantly influence how children acquire language.
- Nonverbal actions continue to be integral to the dynamic, real-time processing of language in adults.
Conclusions:
- Language processing is fundamentally embodied, with neural, cognitive, and social aspects deeply rooted in bodily actions.
- Nonverbal communication is not merely supplementary but a core component of language across its evolutionary, developmental, and functional dimensions.