Introduction to Gesture and SLA : Toward an Integrated Approach
Author
Summary, in English
The title of this special issue, Gesture and SLA: Toward an Integrated Approach, stems in large part from the idea known as integrationism, principally set forth by Harris (2003, 2005), which posits that it is time to “demythologize” linguistics, moving away from the “orthodox exponents” that have idealized the notion of language. The integrationist approach intends a view that focuses on communication—that is, language in use, language as a “fact of life” (Harris, 2003, p. 50). Although not all gesture studies embrace an integrationist view—indeed, the field applies numerous theories across various disciplines—it is nonetheless true that to study gesture is to study what has traditionally been called paralinguistic modes of interaction, with the paralinguistic label given on the assumption that gesture is not part of the core meaning of what is rendered linguistically. However, arguably, most researchers within gesture studies would maintain just the opposite: The studies presented in this special issue reflect a view whereby gesture is regarded as a central aspect of language in use, integral to how we communicate (make meaning) both with each other and with ourselves.
Publishing year
2008
Language
English
Pages
133-146
Publication/Series
Studies in Second Language Acquisition
Volume
30
Issue
2
Full text
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Document type
Journal article (comment)
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Topic
- General Language Studies and Linguistics
Keywords
- bilingualism
- second language acquisition
- gesture
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1470-1545