Questions of multimodal communication, language and embodiment have become pertinent in a wide range of research areas: cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, computer science, anthropology, sociology, semiotics, and art. What is lacking is an overview of this fast growing but highly diverse field. This reference work provides an encompassing documentation of how body movements relate to language and communication. Chapters authored by leading scholars outline the scope of the phenomenon, present current and past approaches, and provide multidisciplinary methods of analysis.