CHAPTER 2
A Framework for Studying
Human Multimodal
Communication
Jens Allwood
1. Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of some of the most important
functions and processes involved in human face-to-face communication.
Special attention is given to multimodal communication. It also gives an
overview of the most important factors (e.g. social activity, personality
and national-ethnic culture) that influence human communication. The
chapter provides definitions for communication, language and culture.
It discusses the contents of communication and the dynamics of dialog
and presents a model of embodied communication, involving several
levels of awareness and intentionality. Finally, there is a discussion of
the relation between face-to-face ...