Verbal and Gestural Expression of Motion in French and Czech
Résumé
The present study examined how language specificities influence the way in which
French and Czech native speakers talk, gesture and think about the category of motion
events. Its theoretical framework combined (1) Talmy´s verb-framed/satellite-framed
language typology, (2) Whorf´s hypothesis of linguistic relativity, and (3) McNeill´s
conception of gesture and speech. Analysis of verbal and gestural descriptions of motion
revealed that, while there were considerable verbal differences, French and Czech
gestures were far more similar than expected. These findings are discussed in terms of
the role of gesture in the expression of speakers’ intentions.