ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the pragmatics of nonverbal and multimodal communication. It considers nonverbal communication with or without accompanying verbal behaviour. It considers similarities and differences between human nonverbal communication and that of other animals and shows how Grice’s distinction between natural and non-natural meaning is relevant here. It also presents examples of different kinds of nonverbal communication, including emblems, beat gestures, and pantomimes. In discussing multimodal communication, the chapter discusses difficulties in deciding what counts as a ‘mode’ and considers how different modes interact in the construction of meaning. A key argument is that pragmatic theorists should aim to account for the interaction of various kinds of behaviour which all play a role in how we communicate and understand each other.
