Processing Language Through the Body: The Necessity of Embodiment Processes

传统上，特别是句法和语义似乎被认为是非人类认知的独立实体。挑战这些观点的一个假设是具身认知方法，它认为一个人的认知受到人体不同特征的影响。这一方法已被应用于不同的语言问题。运动理论强调运动系统在言语感知中的特殊重要性，认为语言声音是通过储存在大脑中的发音模式来识别的。另一方面，实体语义学方法假设大脑中的语义表征与知觉和运动系统联系在一起，当单词被感知时，唤起知觉体验。虽然有一些证据表明，这些过程可能与语言理解有关，但我的博士论文的目的是证明这些过程是否确实是强制性的或支持性的。不言而喻，这个问题必须针对不同的语言学领域分别回答。我的论文将主要集中在体现语义学上。重要的是，理解过程将发挥与生产过程类似的作用，而迄今为止的研究主要集中在语言理解上。我目前正在进行一项关于言语产生中的具体化语义学的小实验，这是MPHIL项目的一部分。为了确定具体化是否是人类语言的必要条件，除了对早期儿童语言的分析外，行为方法和心理生理学方法的结果可能是有洞察力的。此外，运动皮质受损患者和行动受限患者的产生和理解过程可能决定了这些功能对人类语言知识和使用的重要性。对体现过程的研究不仅在语言学领域本身具有重要作用。当然，它涉及到它最关键和最被讨论的问题之一，即语言处理是否是一个自主的过程，决定了几种语言学模型和理论的性质。另一方面，它也与一个哲学问题联系在一起。如果能够证明具体化过程是人类语言作为认知过程的必要条件，这将是克服传统的人-世界二元论在有机体-环境的相互作用和互惠方面的一步。此外，更好地理解具体化过程可能有助于提高不同语言障碍的治疗水平。例如，已经描述了物体使用的描述如何改善了触觉失语和视性失语患者在命名任务中的表现。对其他语言障碍也可能有类似的支持作用。

Traditionally, particularly syntax and semantics seem to be thought of as independent entities inhuman cognition. One hypothesis that challenges these views is the Embodied CognitionApproach, claiming that a person's cognition is influenced by different features of the human body.This approach has been applied to different linguistic problems. The Motor Theory emphasises aparticular importance of the motor system in speech perception, suggesting that linguistic soundsare identified through articulatory patterns that are stored in the brain. On the other hand, theEmbodied Semantics Approach assumes that semantic representations in the brain are linked toperceptual and motor systems, evoking perceptual experiences when words are perceived. Whilethere is some evidence that such processes might be involved in language comprehension, theaim of my doctoral thesis would be to prove whether these processes are indeed compulsory orrather supportive. Self-evidently, this question has to be answered separately for different linguisticareas. My thesis would mainly focus on embodied semantics. Importantly, comprehensionprocesses would play a similar role as production processes, while research has mainly focussedon language comprehension so far. I am presently conducting a small experiment on embodiedsemantics in speech production in terms of a 4000 word essay being part of the MPhil programme.To determine whether embodiment is a necessary condition of human language, results of bothbehavioural methods and psychophysiological methods besides the analysis of early childlanguage might be insightful. Moreover, production as well as comprehension processes inpatients with damages to the motor cortex as well as persons with limited mobility might determinethe importance of those functions for human language knowledge and use.The investigation of embodiment processes plays a significant role not only within the field oflinguistics itself. Of course, it relates to one of its most crucial and discussed problems, namelywhether language processing is an autonomous process, determining the nature of severallinguistic models and theories. On the other hand, it is also associated with a philosophicalproblem. If it is possible to show that embodiment processes are a necessary condition of humanlanguage as a cognitive process, this would be one step to overcome traditional person-worlddualism in terms of an organism-environment mutuality and reciprocity. Moreover, a betterunderstanding of embodiment processes might be helpful to improve the therapy of differentlanguage disorders. For instance, it has already been described how the involvement ofdescriptions of the use of objects improves the performance in naming tasks by patients with tactileand optic aphasia. Similar supporting effects might be conceivable for other language disorders aswell.