The Interaction of Prosody and Gesture

This course delves into the concept of multimodal language, specifically focusing on the interaction between co-speech gestures and prosody. Grounded in the assumption that both modalities constitute an integrated system in communication (McNeill 1992), students will explore the integration of prosody and gestures throughout the duration of this course. Fundamental aspects of prosody, including prosodic constituents and categories, will be discussed, providing a comprehensive understanding of this essential component of languages. Simultaneously, students will delve into the basics of co-speech gestures, examining their form and function. Subsequently, the course will address the interplay between gestures and prosody, exploring how gestures align with prosodic prominence, the temporal relationship between gestures and accents, and the analyses of both systems that contribute to the modeling of prosody-gesture integration. The central objective of this course is to furnish participants with an in-depth comprehension of the interaction between prosody and gestures in communication. By exploring the intricacies of their integration, the course aims to enhance students’ understanding of how these modalities form their dynamic relationship in communication.