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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

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