Editorial: Gesture-Speech Integration: Combining Gesture and Speech to Create Understanding

摘要

Gestures and speech are tightly linked. Since McNeill (1992) argued that gesture and speechform a single integrated system, research has shown that gestures and speech interact with eachother across a variety of domains. Listeners can benefit from observing a speaker’s gestures (e.g.,Kelly, 2001), and similarly, speakers demonstrate improved communication and task performancewhen they gesture (e.g., Cook et al., 2010). In 15 articles, this Special Issue further examines howgesture and speech are integrated during speaking and listening. The functions of gesture, andpotential mechanisms underlying gesture’s beneficial effects are considered, and together, thesearticles highlight the impact that both producing and observing gestures can have on individuals’learning and communication across the lifespan. Here, we summarize some of the overarchingthemes that emerge from this collection.