Gesture as a Window Onto Conceptualization in Second Language Acquisition

This chapter argues that examining speakers’ gestures in addition to their speech to view their mental representations is fundamentally a Vygotskian perspective (McNeill, 1992). It demonstrates how applying this approach to both L2 learners and teachers can enhance our understanding of second language acquisition and teaching. It discusses what co-speech gestures are and how they are viewed within McNeill’s (1992, 2005, 2012) framework of a single-integrated system of speech and gesture and his growth point (GP) hypothesis. It provides examples of SLA studies that have applied this perspective of speech and gesture being a single-integrated system to both L2 learners and teachers. It discusses the main research methods for this approach and concludes with recommendations for further research.