title: Putting language back in the body: speech and gesture on three time frames.
abstract: This article investigates the role that nonverbal actions play in language processing over 3 different time frames. First, we speculate that nonverbal actions played a role in how formal language systems emerged from our primate ancestors over evolutionary time. Next, we hypothesize that if nonverbal behaviors played a foundational role in the emergence of language over evolution, these actions should influence how children learn language in the present. Finally, we argue that nonverbal actions continue to play a role for adults in the moment-to-moment processing of language. Throughout, we take an embodied view of language and argue that the neural, cognitive, and social components of language processing are firmly grounded in bodily action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology-Neuroscience Program, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA. skelly@mail.colgate.edu
authors.forename: Spencer D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Jana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Iverson
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terranova
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niego
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D032882:Comprehension; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D005868:Gestures; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D019579:Neocortex / Q000502:physiology; D009633:Nonverbal Communication / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology