Social interaction relies on more than just spoken words
In short: Researchers studying social interaction found that human communication is a holistic process involving both language and bodily movements. By examining how people use various multimodal resources, the research suggests that meaning is built through a combination of speech, gestures, and physical presence rather than through text alone.
This reflection uses conversation analytic studies, ranging from classic linguistic topics like deixis to more recent investigations into mobility and sensoriality, to argue for a broader view of communication. It highlights the challenge of moving past a purely language-focused or purely visual perspective to understand how entire bodies participate in social action.
Why it matters: Communication is a full-body experience that extends far beyond the words we speak.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Mondada (2016). Challenges of multimodality: Language and the body in social interaction. Journal of Sociolinguistics.
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