Why Thought and Language Need a Body: Challenging Descartes

Michał B. Paradowski
Professor, University of Warsaw

Thursday, February 23
10:30-11:30 AM
Eastern US Time

UMBC Campus, Sherman Hall A, Room 208

In the ‘orthodox’ view of cognition, thought processes have been seen as manipulation of symbolic, mental representations, taking place disjoined from the body. This dualist Cartesian approach characterized much of twentieth-century thought and is still taken for granted by many people today. Language, too, has for a long time been treated across scientific domains as a system operating largely independently from perception, action, and the body (articulatory-perceptual organs notwithstanding). Yet, the disembodied perspective is inaccurate for numerous reasons, which will be discussed addressing the issue of the indissoluble link between cognition, language, body, and environment in understanding and learning. The talk will conclude with implications and suggestions for pedagogy, relevant for disciplines as diverse as instruction in language, mathematics, and sports.

Michał B. Paradowski is a professor and teacher trainer at the Institute of Applied Linguistics, University of Warsaw and a research and language teaching consultant. His interests include second language acquisition and instruction, bi-/multilingualism, psycholinguistics, cognitive science and educational psychology. He is currently PI for the projects How Peer Interaction Mediates Second and Third Language Acquisition and Language Learners’ Perception of Online vs Face-to-face Learning Effectiveness.