Language And Action

Language in Action demonstrates the viability of mathematical research into the foundations of categorial grammar, a topic at the border between logic and linguistics. Since its initial publication it has become the classic work in the foundations of categorial grammar. A new introduction to this paperback edition updates the open research problems and records relevant results through pointers to the literature. Van Benthem presents the categorial processing of syntax and semantics as a central component in a more general dynamic logic of information flow, in tune with computational developments in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Using the paradigm of categorial grammar, he describes the substructural logics driving the dynamics of natural language syntax and semantics. This is a general type-theoretic approach that lends itself easily to proof-theoretic and semantic studies in tandem with standard logic. The emphasis is on a broad landscape of substructural categorial logics and their proof-theoretical and semantic peculiarities. This provides a systematic theory for natural language understanding, admitting of significant mathematical results. Moreover, the theory makes possible dynamic interpretations that view natural languages as programming formalisms for various cognitive activities.

This work consists of an examination and revision of some of the main theses of Speech Act Theory in relation to the problem of ideology and action-guiding language. Starting from the idea that linguistic philosophy must take into account how the social structure of the linguistic community may influence and direct the way its language is used, a critical method of analysis is proposed, developing Speech Act Theory in a way suitable for this purpose. The main guideline of this proposal is the consideration that a theory of action rather than a theory of meaning should be taken as central in the analysis of language. The notion of illocutionary force, the problem of intentions and conventions in the constitution of speech acts, the definition of context, and the classification of speech acts, are then discussed. Based on the conclusions of this discussion a pragmatic method for the analysis of language is formulated.

The Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotsky (1896–1934) has been one of the central figures in the recent shift from the cognitive to the social and the cultural in educational and psychological research. A. N. Leontiev’s (1903–1979) activity theory has had a similar impact in the West. A. A. Leontiev’s (1936–2004) psycholinguistic theories have also started to attract increasing attention. The ideas of these scholars have also made their mark on second and foreign language learning research outside Russia. However, there is no one widely accepted, monolithic Vygotskian or Leontievian theory. Furthermore, the nature and role of language in action and activity remain open for debate. This edited volume presents 19 chapters bringing together different views from a number of disciplines for a critical analysis and reappraisal of the relationship between language and action. The topics range from theoretical and methodological issues related to sociocultural and activity theoretical views of language to empirical research reports on classroom interaction, identity, language assessment, teacher education and second and foreign language learning. The overall aim of Language in Action: Vygotsky and Leontievian Legacy Today is to shed light on the nature of human action and activity and the role that language has in mediating and shaping what we think, do, and learn. At the same time, the book serves as a showcase of different socially oriented approaches to the study of what we as human beings are and what we do with language.

Your Silence Will Not Protect You collects the essential essays and poems of Audre Lorde for the first time, including the classic 'The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House'. A trailblazer in intersectional feminism, Lorde's luminous writings have inspired a new generation of thinkers and writers charged by the Black Lives Matter movement. Her lyrical and incisive prose takes on sexism, racism, homophobia, and class; reflecting struggle but ultimately offering messages of hope that remain ever-more trenchant today. Also a celebrated poet, Lorde was New York State Poet Laureate until her death; her poetry and prose together produced an aphoristic and incomparably quotable style, as evidenced by her constant presence on many Women's Marches against Trump across the world. This beautiful edition honours the ways in which Lorde's work resonates more than ever thirty years after they were first published.

International Series in Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 7: Language and Action: A Structural Model of Behaviour presents studies that tackle human action, relationship between key decisions and outcomes, and the forces that give shape to events. The book particularly focuses on the activity system of conversation. The first chapter provides an introduction to and overview of the structural model of behavior. Chapter 2 reviews several experiments concerning conversation structure. Chapter 3 covers linguistic analogy, while Chapter 4 provides an overview of the structure of discourse. The fifth chapter discusses the theories and models of conversation structure. Chapter 6 tackles the human aspects, while Chapter 7 covers the applications. The eighth chapter presents the conclusion, which includes the evaluation of methods and theoretical issues. The book will be of great interest psychologists, psychiatrists, and other scientists concerned with behavioral structure of conversation.

The first book-length comparative study of Wittgenstein's and Davidson's philosophies, exploring their similarities and demonstrating their continuing relevance to modern debates.

Face-to-face conversation between two or more people is a universal form, and perhaps the basic form, of social interaction. It is the primary site of social interaction in all cultures and the place where social and cultural meaning takes shape. Face-to-face conversation between children and parents can also be an important context for social and cognitive development. Given the universality, frequency and importance of conversation in social life, a psychological model of conversation is required for an understanding of the central issues in social and developmental psychology. This book provides such a model. Language in Action presents a critical examination of four models of conversation: the Code model based on Chomsky's linguistic views; the Speech Act model of Austin and Searle; the Inferential model of Grice, and the Conversation Analytic model of Sacks and Schegloff. It also considers the Brown and Levinson model of politeness in conversation. Using many examples from natural talk and drawing on the positive aspects of the reviewed models, Turnbull proposes a new Social Pragmatic model of conversation as social interaction. He also describes the research paradigm of Social Pragmatics that experimental psychologists can use to study conversation. This book will be invaluable for advanced students in psychology, sociology, language and linguistics and communication. It will also make fascinating and lively reading for anyone wanting a greater understanding of this fundamental form of social interaction.

This book explores embodiment in second language education, sociocultural theory and research. It focuses on process drama, an embodied approach that engages learners’ imagination, body and voice to create a felt-experience of the second language and culture. Divided into three parts, it begins by examining the aesthetic and intercultural dimension of performative language teaching, the elements of drama and knowing-in-action. The central part of the book examines issues related to play, emotions, classroom discourse and assessment when learning a language through process drama, in a sociocultural perspective. The third part is an analysis of the author’s qualitative research, which informs a subtle discussion on reflective practitioner methodology, learner engagement and teacher artistry. Each chapter includes a drama workshop, illustrating in practice what embodying language in action can look like when working with asylum seekers, adult learners with intellectual disabilities, pre-service teachers, international students and children involved in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programme. A unique combination of theory, research and reflective practice, this book provides valuable insights for teacher/artists, teacher educators and researchers in the fields of performative and sociocultural language learning.