Cogprints

IMITATION IN LANGUAGE AND SPEECH Roles and functional base

Allott, Robin (2003) IMITATION IN LANGUAGE AND SPEECH Roles and functional base. [Conference Paper]

Full text available as:

[img] HTML
32Kb

Abstract

Language is a skilled activity. In the development and acquisition of the skill, imitation may play different roles. Imitation in language may be related to and throw light on the role and functioning of imitation in other areas including imitation in robotics. What part does imitation play in the child’s acquisition of its mother language? What role did imitation play in the evolutionary origin and diversification of language? How much has imitation to do with the sources of the words we use and the ways those words are put together? These questions can be considered at different levels, the surface forms of language and speech, the underlying systematicies of language and speech, the problem of speech at the articulatory level and beyond or beneath that the problem of the functioning of imitation at the neural level. Imitation of any kind involves a relation between motor and perceptual functioning, between the motor system of the brain and the visual and other sensory systems. Language and speech also require interaction and coordination between motor activity and perceptual activity. The role and functioning of imitation in language and speech are subjects of study in many different disciplines, not only linguistics proper but also child development, neurology, evolutionary theory, social psychology. A central idea in this paper is a new emphasis on the bodily basis of language in relation to imitated speech and gesture, and more specifically on cerebral motor organisation as providing a possible new approach to the symbol-grounding problem.

Item Type:Conference Paper
Keywords:imitation, evolution of language, motor theory, neuroscience, robotics, mirror neurons,child acquisition of language, linguistics
Subjects:Neuroscience > Neurolinguistics
ID Code:3111
Deposited By: Allott, R M
Deposited On:17 Aug 2003
Last Modified:11 Mar 2011 08:55

References in Article

Select the SEEK icon to attempt to find the referenced article. If it does not appear to be in cogprints you will be forwarded to the paracite service. Poorly formated references will probably not work.

Aitchison, J. The Articulate Mammal: An introduction to psycholinguistics. London:Unwin Hyman 1989.

Allott, R. The Origin of Language: The General Problem. In Studies in Language Origins I. Eds. J. Wind, E.G. Pulleyblank, É. de Grolier and B.H. Bichakjian. Amsterdam: Benjamins 1989.

Allott, R. . The Motor Theory of Language. In Studies in Language Origins II. Eds. W. von Raffler-Engel, J. Wind and A. Jonker. Amsterdam: Benjamins 1991.

Allott, R. Autism and the Motor Theory of Language. LOS Selwyn College, Cambridge. September 1992. httm://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/autism.htm

Amit, R. and M.J. Mataric. Parametric Primitives for Motor Representation and control. Int.Conf. on Robotics and Automation Washington D.C. May 11-15 2002 2002.

Berthoz, A. Le Sens du Mouvement. Paris: Editions Odile Jacob 1997.

Billard, A. and K. Dautenhahn. Experiments in learning by imitation - grounding and use of communication in robotic agents. Adaptive Behavior, 7(3/4):415-438 1999.

Billard, A. and M.J. Mataric. Learning human arm movements by imitation: evaluation of a biologically inspired connectionist architecture. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 941 2001 1-16 2001.

Bloomfield, L. Language. Allen and Unwin. 1970 Reprint [1933]

Breazeal, C. and B. Scassellati. Challenges in Building Robots that imitate people. MIT AI Laboratory http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/humanoid-robotics-group/cog/cog-publications/MITPress-Im itation.pdf.

Chomsky, N. Language and Problems of Knowledge. MIT Press Cambridge MA 1988.

Dautenhahn, K. Evolvability, Culture and the Primate Social Brain. http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nehaniv/al7ev/dautenhahn/dautenhahn.html

Deacon, T. W. Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain. New York: W.W. Norton 1997.

Decety, J. ed. Cerveau, Perception et Action Psychologie Française. Tome 45 no. 4. 2000.

Decety, J., T. Chaminade, J. Grèzes and A.N. Meltzoff. A PET exploration of the neural mechanismsinvolved in reciprocal imitation. Neuroimage 15 (1) 265-272 2002.

Fadiga, L., G. Craighero, G. Buccino and G. Rizzolatti. Speech listening specifically modulates the excitability of tongue muscles: a TMS study. European Journal of Neuroscience Vol.15 pp. 399-402 2002.

Fadiga L, L. Fogassi, G. Pavesi and G. Rizzolatti. Motor facilitation during action observation: a magnetic stimulation study. Neurophysiol 73(6):2608-11 1995.

Gopnik, A., A. Meltzoff and P. Kuhl. The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn. New York: William Morrow 1999.

Gregory, R.L. Language Learning: Word Meanings. In The Oxford Companion to the Mind, 421 1987.

Grèzes, J., J. Decety and P. Fonlupt 319-322 Equivalence fonctionelle: mythe cognitif où realitè neurologique? In J. Decety, ed. Cerveau, Perception et Action Psychologie Française. Tome 45 no. 4. 2000.

Helmuth, L. From the Mouths (and Hands) of Babes. Science Vol 293 1758-9 2001.

Hobson, P. The Cradle of Thought: Exploring the Origins of Thinking. London: Macmillan 2002.

Hurley, S.L. Consciousness in Action. Cambridge MA: Harvard UP 1998.

Iacoboni, M., R.P. Woods, M. Brass, H. Bekkering, J.C. Mazziotta and G. Rizzolatti. Cortical Mechanisms of Human Imitation. Science 286 2526-2528 1999.

Kohler, E., C. Keysers, M.A. Umilta, L. Fogassi, V. Gallese and G. Rizzolatti. Hearing Sounds Understanding Actions: Action Representation in Mirror Neurons. Science 297 846-8 2002.

Lenneberg, E.H. Biological Foundations of Language. New York: John Wiley 1967.

Lieberman, P. The biology and evolution of language. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP.1984.

Lieberman, P. Uniquely Human: Speech, Thought, and Selfless Behavior. Harvard University Press 1991.

Mataric, M.J. Learning by imitation. http://www-robotics.usc.edu/~maja/imitation.html

Mataric, M.J. Sensory-Motor Primitives as a Basis for Imitation: Linking Perception to Action and Biology to Robotics. In C. Nehaniv, K. Dautenhahn eds. Imitation in Animals and Artifacts. MIT Press 2002.

Mataric, M. J. Getting Humanoids to move and imitate. IEEE Intelligent Systems 1094 18-24 2000.

Mataric, M.J., O. C. Jenkins, A. Fod, and V. Zordan. Control and Imitation in Humanoids. AAAI Fall Symposium on Simulating Human Agents, North Falmouth, MA, Nov 3-5, 2000.

Meltzoff, A.N. Elements of a developmental theory of imitation. In Meltzoff, A. N. and W. Prinz. eds. The Imitative Mind, 19-141 Cambridge UP 2002.

Meltzoff, A.N. and M.K. Moore. Newborn infants imitate adult facial gestures. Child Dev. 54, 702- 709. 1983.

Meltzoff, A.N. and M.K. Moore. Explaining facial imitation: A Theoretical Model. Early Development and parenting. 1997.

Pinker, S. The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind. Penguin. 1995.

Pinker, S. Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language. London: Phoenix 2001.

Rizzolatti, G. and M. Arbib. Language within our grasp. Trends in Neuroscience 21 188-194 1998.

Rizzolatti, G, L. Fadiga, V. Gallese and L. Fogassi. Premotor cortex and the recognition of motor actions. Cognitive Brain Research 3(2) 131-141 1996.

Studdert Kennedy, M. Development of the speech perceptuo-motor system. In Precursors of early speech. ed. by B. Lindblom and R. Zetterstrom, 206-217. New York: Stockton Press. 1986.

Trevarthen, C. How control of movement develops. In Human Motor Actions: Bernstein Reassessed. ed. by H. Whiting, 223-261. Amsterdam: North-Holland. 1984.

Trevarthen, C. Infant semiosis. In Origins of Semiosis: Sign Evolution in Nature and Culture. ed. W. Nöth, 219-252. Mouton de Gruyter 1994.

Weber, S., M.J. Mataric, O.C. Jenkins. Experiments in imitation using perceptuo-motor primitives. Agents 136-137 2000.

Williams, J.H.G., A. Whiten, T. Suddendorf and D.I. Perrett. Imitation, mirror neurons and autism. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 25 287-295 2001.

Metadata

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Cogprints is powered by EPrints 3 which is developed by the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. More information and software credits.