Gesture, Icon, Metaphor. Introduction to Gesture Analysis 3301-JF2650-2ST
The course introduces the basic concepts of gesture analysis within the framework of semiotics, cognitive linguistics, and multimodal communication. Students will explore how gestures function as meaningful components of human interaction, complementing and enhancing spoken language. Through a combination of theoretical discussions and practical applications, participants will develop the skills necessary to analyze and annotate gesture data.
While not a strict requirement, students will be asked to bring their own laptops to class for data-analysis sessions.
Course participants will be evaluated based on assignments involving audio-visual data annotation and analysis. Some of the planned tasks require installing EXMARaLDA Partitur Editor, an open-source application supported by all major operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux). The app will be introduced in class.
Key topics:
- Peircean semiotics;
- Iconicity in language;
- Modes of iconic representation in gesture;
- Indexicality and attention to gesture;
- Kendon’s continuum;
- McNeill’s gesture typology: iconics, metaphorics, deictics, beats;
- Describing gesture form
- Annotation of audio-visual data in Exmaralda Partitur Editor
- Metaphor and metonymy in gesture interpretation
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
The graduate has in-depth familiarity with:
- K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in the discipline of linguistics, especially gesture analysis, in accordance with their chosen specialization (and educational path)
- K_W04 concepts and principles concerning the protection of intellectual property and copyright
Abilities
The graduate is able to:
- K_U01 apply the advanced terminology, theories and methods of linguistic research to solve complex and original research problems within gesture analysis in accordance with his/her chosen specialization (and educational path)
- K_U04 apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law
Social competences
The graduate is ready to:
- K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources, especially in the context of cognitive linguistics
- K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required
Assessment criteria
The final grade is based on 3-4 research assignments including tasks such as the collection, analysis and discussion of data in written and spoken form.
(W, U, K)
Active participation is obligatory. The maximum amount of absences is 3
Bibliography
Cienki, A. (2010). Multimodal metaphor analysis. In L. Cameron & R. Maslen (Eds.), Metaphor Analysis: Research Practice in applied Linguistics, Social Sciences and the Humanities (pp. 195–216). Equinox.
Cienki, A., & Müller, C. (2009). Words, gestures, and beyond: Forms of multimodal metaphor in the use of spoken language. In C. Forceville & E. Urios-Aparisi (Eds.), Multimodal Metaphor (pp. 297–328). Walter de Gruyter.
Evans, V., & Green, M. (2009). Cognitive linguistics: An introduction. Edinburgh Univ. Press.
EXMARaLDA. (2024). www.exmaralda.org
Fricke, E. (2024). Indexicality, Deixis, and Space in Gesture. In A. Cienki (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Gesture Studies (pp. 84–111). Cambridge University Press.
Gawne, L., & Cooperrider, K. (2024). Emblems: Meaning at the interface of language and gesture. Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics, 9(1).
Johnson, M. (1987). The Body in the Mind the Bodily Basis of Meaning, Imagination, and Reason. University of Chicago press.
Kendon, A. (2017). Pragmatic functions of gestures: Some observations on the history of their study and their nature. Gesture, 16(2), 157–175.
Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible action as utterance. Cambridge University Press.
McNeill, D. (1992). Hand and mind: What gestures reveal about thought. University of Chicago Press.
McNeill, D. (2006). Gesture and Communication. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (Vol. 5, pp. 58–66). Elsevier.
Mittelberg, I., & Hinnell, J. (2024). Iconicity, Schematicity, and Representation in Gesture. In A. Cienki (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Gesture Studies (pp. 56–83). Cambridge University Press.
Mittelberg, I., & Waugh, L. (2014). Gestures and metonymy. In C. Müller, A. Cienki, E. Fricke, S. Ladewig, D. McNeill, & J. Bressem (Eds.), Handbook of linguistics and communication science (pp. 1747–1766). Mouton de Gruyter.
Mittelberg, I. (2010). Geometric and image-schematic patterns in gesture space. In V. Evans & P. Chilton (Eds.), Language, cognition and space: The state of the art and new directions (pp. 351–385). Equinox.
Müller, C. (2014). Gestural modes of representation as techniques of depiction. In C. Müller, A. Cienki, E. Fricke, S. Ladewig, D. McNeill, & J. Bressem (Eds.), Handbook on mutlimodality and human interaction (pp. 1687–1702). Mouton de Gruyter.
Müller, C. (2024). A Toolbox of Methods for Gesture Analysis. In A. Cienki (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Gesture Studies (pp. 182–216). Cambridge University Press.
Radden, G. (2021). Iconicity. In X. Wen & J. R. Taylor (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of cognitive linguistics (pp. 268–296). Routledge.
Schmidt, T., & Wörner, K. (2013). EXMARaLDA. In J. Durand, U. Gut, & G. Kristoffersen (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Corpus Phonology (pp. 402–419). Oxford University Press
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: