Language and Gesture

This landmark study examines the role of gestures in relation to speech and thought. Leading scholars including psychologists linguists and anthropologists offer state-of-the-art analyses to demonstrate that gestures are not merely an embellishment of speech but are integral parts of language itself. The volume contributes to a rapidly growing field of study offering a wide range of theoretical perspectives. It has strong cross-linguistic and cross-cultural components examining gestures by speakers of Mayan Australian East Asian as well as English and European languages.