The Embodied Language: Why Language Should Not Be Conceived of in Abstraction from the Brain and Body, and the Consequences for Robotics

Abstract

Until very recently, most language research has regarded linguistic phenomena as separated from the brain and body. This could lead one into believing that in order to emulate linguistic behavior, it suffices to develop ‘software’ operating on abstract representations that will work on any computational machine. This picture is inaccurate for several reasons, which are elucidated in this paper and extend beyond sensorimotor and semantic resonance. Without taking into account both the architecture of the human brain, and embodiment, it is unrealistic to replicate accurately the processes which take place during language acquisition, comprehension, or production, or during non-linguistic actions. While robots are far from isomorphic with humans, they could benefit from strengthened associative connections in the optimization of their processes, reactivity and sensitivity to environmental stimuli, and situated human-machine interaction. The concept of multisensory integration should be extended and cover linguistic input and the complementary information that the brain combines from temporally coincident sensory impressions.