Human Language, Languages and Speech from the Perspective of Languaging and Enaction

The study of human language in the Western tradition has progressively induced a written bias which has caused the empirical nature of the linguistic phenomenon to be overlooked: an embodied activity, grounded in the interactions, conveying creativity and fostering the hominization of the speaking species. The aim of this introductory study is to sketch the orientations provided by the enactive viewpoint in language studies and to contextualize the contributions of the various studies in the issue. It starts by recalling the polysemy of the word language and the consensus that reigns around this notion and places the written bias in the historical context of the activities that have required reflection on language. It goes on to provide an initial definition of languaging, its functioning and the questioning it implies for certain central issues in language studies. To conclude, it explains the genesis of the issue and the contribution of each paper to the overall issues.