Silva H. Ladewig

Rethinking gesture phases: Articulatory features of gestural movement?

Abstract This paper presents a proposal for the description of gesture phases derived from articulatory characteristics observable in their execution. Based on the results of an explorative study examining the execution of gesture phases of ten German speakers, the paper presents two sets of articulatory features, i.e., distinctive and additional features by which gesture phases are characterized from a context-independent and context-sensitive point of view. It will be shown that gesture phases show a particular distribution of the features, thus distinguishing one phase from another. Furthermore, changes in the execution of phases in linear successions can be described by means of features. Contrary to other accounts, whose focus on gesture phases is primarily in relation to speech and/or adjacent phases, this proposal concentrates on the visible physical characteristics of gesture phases.

New insights into the medium hand: Discovering recurrent structures in gestures

Abstract This paper shows that an analysis of gestures based on the four parameters hand shape, orientation, movement, and position in gesture space, introduced for the notation of sign language (Battison 1974; Stokoe 1960) can uncover recurrent patterns and structures in gestures. By presenting two studies we argue for a discovery procedure that rests upon a systematic description of gestures applying the four parameters and upon a clear discrimination between form and meaning in the analytical process. Using this methodological framework it is possible to uncover clusters of recurrent forms and a systematic variation of form and meaning in a recurrent gesture.