Language and kinesic complexity

Situating Language in the Real-World: The Role of Multimodal Iconicity and Indexicality

“…In short, language used in face-to-face online communication is a multimodal phenomenon (Kendon, 2014;Perniss, 2018;Vigliocco et al, 2014) enacted through the combination of different resources -speech/signs, body gestures and object manipulations -the use of which is pervasive and, we argue, advantageous to comprehension and learning. In the language as situated framework, these features are not defined negatively (e.g., "non-linguistic" signals, "non-manual" components), but are instead conceived as part and parcel of language (Kendon, 2012(Kendon, , 2014Liddell, 2003;Perniss, 2018;Slobin, 2008;Vigliocco et al, 2014). For this reason, the language as a system view is not incompatible with the perspective proposed here: rather, the latter includes the former, with language as a structure of categorical components being part of a broader, diversified ensemble that constitutes language use situated in the communicative and physical context.…”

“…In this paper, along with other scholars (e.g., Hasson et al, 2018;Holler & Levinson, 2019), we argue that we should broaden our lens beyond a notion of language as something that can be investigated in a single communicative channel (e.g., vocal or manual) to the study of language as situated, namely, as the ensemble of speech (or sign) in specific communicative and physical contexts as dynamically presenting during communicative interactions. This perspective forces a rethinking of the traditional distinction between what we consider as linguistic and non-linguistic (Fontana, 2008;Kendon, 2012Kendon, , 2014Slobin, 2008). Similarly, it pushes us to rethink what we consider a 'core' feature of language and what is instead a secondary or even negligible attribute.…”

“…Most importantly, while language certainly exists as the categorical components of speech and signs, these components are never alone in the situated communicative context where language is learnt and used: online, face-to-face interactions present a composite and richer message exploiting simultaneously multiple articulators and channels. Other cues, such as gesture, prosody and eye gaze (to name a few) are always present, have been argued to be essential for the phylogenetic and ontogenetic emergence of language, and are key components of meaning-making (Holler & Levinson, 2019;Kendon, 2012Kendon, , 2014Perniss, 2018;Vigliocco et al, 2014).…”