Understanding reading as a form of language-use: A language game hypothesis. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wallot, Sebastian
• Is Part Of: New ideas in psychology. Volume 42(2016)
• Page Start: 21
• Page End: 28
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Reading -- Conversation -- Language-use -- Dynamic systems -- Language games; Psychology -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychologie -- Philosophie -- Périodiques; Psychologie -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; Psychology -- Methodology; Psychology -- Philosophy; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2015.07.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0732-118X

Abstract

Abstract: Reading research and research on conversation have followed different paths: While the research program for reading committed itself to a relatively static view of language, where objective text properties serve to elicit specific effects on cognition and behavior of a reader, research on conversation has embraced a language-use perspective, where language is primarily seen as a dynamic, context dependent process. In this essay I contrast these two perspectives, and argue that in order to reach a unified understanding of natural language – be it reading, talking, or conversing – one needs to adopt a language-use perspective. Furthermore, I describe how reading can be seen as a form of language-use, and how the current landscape of research on reading can be re-interpreted in terms of a dynamic, context-sensitive perspective on language. In particular, I propose that the concept of 'language games' serves as a good starting point to conceive reading as a form of language-use, describe how one can derive first concrete hypotheses by re-interpreting reading in terms of language games, and show how they can be readily operationalized using tools from dynamic systems analysis.