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.
In his introduction to this wide-ranging collection, author and "psychonaut" Pinchbeck (2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl) reaffirms his hypothesis that, based on Mayan predictions, "December 12, 2012 may usher in a new world age" necessitating a "rapid evolution of collective intelligence" in order to avoid cataclysm.
With contributions from leading international researchers, ContemporaryPerspectives on Reading and Spelling offers a critique of current thinking on the research literature into reading, reading comprehension and writing. Each paper in this volume provides an account of empirical research that challenges aspects of accepted models and widely accepted theories about reading and spelling.
Professor Stern puts applied linguistics research into its historical and interdisciplinary perspective. He gives an authoritative survey of past developments worldwide and establishes a set of guidelines for the future. There are six parts: Clearing the Ground, Historical Perspectives, Concepts of Language, Concepts of Society, Concepts of Language Learning, and Concepts of Language Teaching.
Theory of Mind and the Triad of Perspectives on Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Inspired by the often uncomfortable interplay between autistic individuals, parents and professionals in understanding autistic spectrum conditions, Olga Bogdashina uses the concept of Theory of Mind (TOM) to consider these groups' different (and often conflicting) perspectives. TOM is the ability to imagine and make judgements about what others feel and think; its absence in autistic individuals is called 'mindblindness'.
