CURRICULUM VITAE: STEPHEN JOHN COWLEY
January 2006
Date of Birth:
15 December 1955
Work Address:
The School of Psychology
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom AL10 9AB
Telephone:
01707 284613
Email:
<S.J.Cowley@Herts.ac.uk>
Current address
Current telephone
4 Marlowe Road, Cambridge, CB3 9JW
(01223) 564455
University Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (University of Cambridge, 1989-1993).
Master of Arts in Linguistics and ELT (University of Leeds, 1985-1986): with distinction.
Bachelor of Arts in English (University of Cambridge, 1975- 1978): upper second.
PhD Dissertation
The Place of Prosody in Italian Conversations.
Current Positions
2004-
Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, University of Hertfordshire.
Main responsibilities:
Research and lecturing (Undergraduate and Postgraduate). My teaching
responsibilities mainly concern language, development and cognition.
2003-
Honourary Research Fellow, School of Psychology. University of Kwa-Zulu Natal,
Durban.
Previous Experience
2003-4
Lecturer in Social/Developmental Psychology, University of Bradford, UK
2002-3 Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Natal, Durban
2000-1 Lecturer in Psychology, University of Natal, Durban.
1996-9
Lecturer in Linguistics, University of Natal, Durban.
1993-5 Supervisor in General Linguistics at Kings, Jesus, Trinity, Emmanuel and Sidney
Sussex Colleges, University of Cambridge. [Part time]
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1993-5 Consultant in Professional Communication, EF Executive Centre, Cambridge.
[Part time]
1988-9 Lettore in English Language, Universita di Bologna, Italy.
1987-8 Lettore in English language, Istituto Universitario di Lingue Moderne, Milano, Italy.
1982-4 Lektor at Shkolle te Larte, Xhevdet Doda, Prizren, Kosova (Then, Yugoslavia).
1980-2 Circle Leader in English (and Italian) at Kursverksamheten vid Stockholms
Universitet, Stockholm, Sweden.
1978-0 English teacher, The British School, Voghera (PV), Italy.
Areas of specialization/ competence
Areas of specialization
Distributed cognition; Language in development; Psychology of language; Early cognitive
development; Coding mother-infant interactions; Phonetics of conversation.
Areas of competence
(Aspects of) Cognitive Science; Phonetics/phonology; History of Linguistic Theory; Multilingual
Mind; Integrational Linguistics; Academic Literacies; Language and Culture; Language in
Society; Literacy/Orality.
Areas of active research
(1) How culture, language and cognition shape development; (2) Distributed cognition (theory
and implications); (3) Integrational Linguistics; (implications of a historical view of social semiosis
in the psychology of language); (4) Android Science (Introducing normativity to machines; using
machines to explore the causal basis of relationships).
My main empirical work is on how language impacts on development. Based on my PhD thesis,
I intend to publish a book entitled How language extends the mind.
Publications (October 2005)
1.
Cowley, S.J. (2006). Bridges to history: biomechanical constraints in language. In
N. Love (ed.) Integrational linguistics and history Routledge: London, pp. 200-223.
2.
Cowley, S.J & Kanda, H. (2005). Friendly machines: Interaction-oriented robots
today and tomorrow. Alternation, 12.1a: 79-106.
3.
Cowley, S. J. (2005) In the beginning: word or deed? Commentary on Steels, L. &
Belpaeme, T. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 24/8,493-494.
4.
Cowley, S. J. (2005) The Origins of Language: a Distributed View. AISB
Proceedings. Workshop on the Evolution and Emergence of language.
5.
Cowley, S.J. (2005). Languaging: How humans and bonobos lock on to human
modes of life. International Journal of Computational Cognition, 3/1: 44-55.
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6.
Cowley, S.J. (2004). Contextualizing bodies: how human responsiveness
constrains distributed cognition. In D. Spurrett (ed.) Special issue on Integrational
Linguistics and Distributed Cognition, Language Sciences, 26/6, 565-591
7.
Cowley, S.J. (2004). Early hominins, utterance-activity and niche construction.
Commentary on Falk, D. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27, 509-510.
8.
Cowley, S.J., Moodley, S. & Fiori-Cowley, A. (2004). Grounding signs of culture:
primary intersubjectivity in social semiosis. Mind, Culture and Activity, 11/2: 109132.
9.
Cowley, S.J. (2004). Simulating others: the basis of human cognition? Language
Sciences, 26/3: 273-299.
10.
Spurrett, D. & Cowley, S.J. (2004) How to do things without words. Language
Sciences, 26/5: 443- 466.
11.
Cowley, S.J. (2003). Distributed cognition at three months: mother-infant dyads in
kwaZulu Natal. Alternation, 10.2: 229-257.
12.
Cowley, S.J. & Spurrett, D. (2003). Putting apes, (body and language) together
again. Language Sciences, 25: 289-318.
13.
Blair, G. & Cowley, S. J. (2003). Language in iterating activity: microcognition remembered. Alternation, 10.1: 132-162.
14.
Cowley, S. J. (2002). Why brains matter: an integrational perspective on “The
Symbolic Species”. Language Sciences, 24: 73-95.
15.
Cowley, S.J. (2001). Prosody and pedagogy in the new South Africa. Southern
African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 19: 179-196.
16.
Cowley, S.J. (2001). The baby, the bathwater and the “language instinct” debate.
Language Sciences 23: 69-91.
17.
Cowley, S.J. (1998). Of turn-taking, timing and conversations. Journal of
Psycholinguistic Research, 27/5, 541-571.
18.
Cowley, S.J. (1997). Of representations
Communication, 17/4, 279-300.
19.
Cowley, S.J. (1997). Conversation, co-ordination and vertebrate communication.
Semiotica, 115 1/, 27-52.
20.
Cowley, S.J. & MacDorman, K.F. (1995). Simulating conversations: the communion
game. AI and Society, 9.3, 116-137.
21.
Cowley, S.J. (1994). The role of rhythm in conversations: a behavioural
perspective. Language and Communication, 14, 353-376.
22.
MacDorman, K. F., Minato, T., Shimada, M., Itakura, S., Cowley, S. & Ishiguro, H.
(2005). Assessing human likeness by eye contact in an android testbed.
Proceedings of the XXVII Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. July 21
- 23, 2005. Stresa, Italy.
and
language.
Language
and
Forthcoming and submitted publications
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23.
Spurrett, D. & Cowley, S.J. (forthcoming). The extended infant. To appear in R.
Menary (ed.) The Extended Mind, Palgrave.
24.
Cowley, S.J. (forthcoming). Beyond symbols: how interaction enslaves distributed
cognition. Invited paper for P. Thibault & C. Prevignano (Eds.), Interaction Analysis
and Language: Discussing the State-of-the-art.
25.
Cowley, S. J. & Love, N. (forthcoming). Language and cognition, or, how to avoid
the conduit metaphor. To appear in A. Duszak and U. Okulska (ed.) Bridges and
Walls in Metalinguistic Discourse, Peter Lang.
26.
Cowley, S. J. (forthcoming). The Cradle of Language: making sense of bodily
connections. To appear in D. Moyal-Sharrock (ed.) Perspicuous Presentations.
27.
Cowley, S.J. (submitted). Communication promotes cognition: the rise of childish
minds. To appear in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
28.
Cowley, S.J. & Kravchenko, A. (submitted) Cognitive Dynamics and the Language
Sciences. Submited (in Russian translation) to the Russian journal, Issues in
Psycholinguistics.
29.
Cowley, S. J. (forthcoming). Language and biosemiosis: a necessary unity? To
appear in Semiotica, 2007.
30.
Distributed language: biomechanics, functions and the origins of talk. (forthcoming).
To appear Lyon, C., Nehaniv, C. & Cangelosi, (eds.) The Emergence and Evolution
of Linguistic Communication, Springer.
Submitted and planned publications
1.
Iron deficiency anemia: a view from distributed cognition. To be submitted to Social
Science and Medicine. (With J., Kvalsvig, & A. Dellis.)
2.
Learning to talk: an integrational view. To be submitted to Language and
Communication.
3.
What brains are not: implications for the language sciences (Bennett, M. and P.
Hacker). Review Article for Language Sciences (with M. Keestra).
4.
The leaking mind: behaviourism is back in town: Invited review article for Language
and Communication.
5.
Semiotic mediation and the case of ‘language’ (with N. Love and P. Jones).
6.
Developmental effects of iron-deficiency anemia: results from coding mother-infant
interactions in Pemba, Zanzibar. To be submitted to the Journal of Nutrition.
Papers Presented at Seminars/Conferences
1.
Cultural Patterns, verbal signs: rethinking the origin of language. ISCAR Conference,
Seville, September 2005.
2.
Linguistics, Science and the Humanities: A New Synthesis? Workshop with Nigel Love
at 3rd International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, Cambridge,
August, 2005.
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3.
Language: a distributed view. Paper presented at the second AHRC workshop on
Interactive Mind, Edinburgh, June 2005.
4.
Talk and Tetris: entering the space of reasons. Paper presented to the Psychology
department, of Hertfordshire, April 2005
5.
Talk and Tetris: The Normative and the Causal. Paper to be presented at University of
William and Mary, Virginia, April 2005.
6.
Talk and Tetris: implications for the roots of narrative. Paper presented to the Adaptive
systems group, University of Hertfordshire, March 2005
7.
The Origins of Language: a Distributed View. Conference of The British Society for the
study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour. Workshop on the
Evolution and Emergence of language, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, March 2005.
8.
Language and Cognition. Paper, presented at GlobE conference on Walls and Bridges
in metalinguistic discourse, Warsaw, Poland, September 2004.
9.
Learning to talk: Questions of design. Paper presented, Advanced
Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan, May 2004.
10. Learning to talk: The view from distributed cognition. Paper presented, Osaka
University, Japan, May 2004.
11. The hiring and the hired: utterance-activity, persons and language. Paper presented at
Philosophical Society of South Africa Conference, Tweedie, South Africa, January
2004.
12. Contextualizing bodies: why integrational Linguistics needs distributed cognition. Paper
presented at mind AND world conference on Integrational Linguistics and Distributed
Cognition, Durban, South Africa, March 2003.
13. Risks and remedies: how culture shapes infant development in rural kwaZulu Natal.
2002. Paper presented with Dr. J.D. Kvasvig at the World Organisation for Pre-School
Education, World Council and Conference, Durban, South Africa, October 2002.
14. Bridges to History: biomechanical constraints in utterance-activity. Paper presented at
2nd International Conference of the International Association for the Integrational Study
of Language and Communication, New Orleans, United States of America, April 2002.
15. Contextualizing in one country: theory and student practice. Paper presented at
“Language and literacy in global and local settings: new directions for research and
teaching”, University of Cape Town, South Africa, November 2001.
16. Minded apes, infants and the distribution of language. Paper presented in collaboration
with D. Spurrett, at “The extended mind: the very idea”, University of Hertfordshire,
U.K., April 2001.
17. Primary Intersubjectivity and the roots of language. Paper presented to mind AND
world, University of Natal, Durban, February 2001.
18. Prosody and groosip: what evolutionary gap? Paper presented to Evolutionary
Psychology Research Group, University of Liverpool, England, January 2001.
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19. Dominance and subordinance in the new South Africa. Paper presented at
Sociolinguistics Symposium, Bristol, England, April 2000.
20. Il Bilinguismo aggiuntivo. Paper Presented at Conference for Italian educators, Durban,
March, 2000.
21. Writing for Primary School Outcomes Based Education. Paper presented in
collaboration with Prof. McDermott, 12th ELET Conference, Durban, August, 1999.
22. Hearing in a particular sense. Paper presented to the Sceptic Tank, University of Natal,
Durban, October 1998.
23. Creative and critical listening for South African classrooms. Paper presented in
collaboration with A. Pillay, 11th ELET conference, Durban, August, 1998.
24. Prosody, listening and the classroom. Paper presented at 10th ELET conference,
Durban South Africa, August, 1997.
25. The other side of language. Paper presented at Conference of the Linguistics Society
of South Africa, Durban, July 1996.
Manuscripts and Minor Publications
1. Cowley, S.J. (MS) Androids, Cyborgs and Baboons: Norms and Social Learning.
Paper for Workshop: ‘Towards Social Mechanisms in Android science, Stresa, Italy,
July 2005.
2. Cowley, S.J. (1998). ‘Pronunciation teaching in South Africa.’ As we speak.
Published by the TESOL Speech/Pronunciation Interest Group.
3. Cowley, S.J. (1998). ‘The other side of language.’
Conference of the Linguistics Society of South Africa.
Proceedings of the 1997
Scholarly and Professional Work
2006-
Co-organizer of workshop on External Symbol Grounding, Plymouth
2006.
2006
Member of Programme Committee IEEE Ro-man 2006
2005
Organizer of an International Conference Cognitive Dynaics and the
Language Sciences, Sidney Sussex, Cambridge, September 2005.
2005 -
Co-ordinator of the Distributed Language Group. This local and
international research group explores theoretical and empirical
implications of regarding language as distributed across brains, bodies
and the world.
2004- 2005
Co-organizer of Workshop ‘Towards Social Mechanisms of Android
Science Workshop’. Stresa, Italy July 2005.
2003
Co-organizer of international conference: ‘Integrational linguistics and
distributed cognition’. Durban, March 2003.
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2001- present:
Co-founder of mind AND world. An interdisciplinary research-group
dedicated to the study of cognition, language and development.
2000- present:
Associate Editor, Language Sciences
Refereeing for Journals:
Interaction Studies, Language Sciences, Southern African Linguistics
& Applied Language Studies, Alternation .
Refereeing for institutions:
National Research Foundation (South Africa); individual rating
applications.
Professional organizations
2005- present
Member of The (British) Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence
and the Simulation of Behaviour.
2004 -present
Member of Philosophical Society of South Africa
2004 – present
Member of Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
(UK)
2003 - present
Elected to executive of International Association for the Integrational
Study of Language and Communication (IAISLC)
1999- present
Member of IAISLAC
1997-present
Behavioural and Brain Sciences (Associate)
External Research Funding
2001-5
With Dr J. Kvalsvig of Human Sciences Research Council. Grant for
investigation of risks and remedies in a comparative study of infant
sociocognitive development in Pemba, Tanzania and Durban, South
Africa. (Part of a large project funded by Bill Gates Foundation,
awarded to Prof. R. Stolzfus of John Hopkins University).
2002 -4
Italy-South Africa Bilateral Research agreement. With Dr Paul
Thibault of Ca` Foscari, Venice. Cross-cultural research on early
semiosis in socio-economically disadvantaged infants in Italy and
South Africa.
2000
Symposium.
National Research Fund. Grant to attend Sociolinguistics
Other Research Funding
1998-2002
Conference grants: (one in South Africa and two overseas).
1998-2002
University of Natal, Research Fund (annual grants).
1989- 1993
British Academy Major State Scholarship.
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Masters Research Supervision
MA (University of Natal)
R. Smith:
(1998) Writing for distance learners in rural settings. (completed)
S. Rampersad:
(completed)
(2002) Acts of drawing in kwaZulu Natal primary classrooms.
G. Blair
(2003) Distributed cognition in interpersonal dialogue (co-supervised
with Prof. Spurrett). Awarded with distinction.
G. McLelland-Smith:
(2003) How utterance-activity helps infants towards “deliberate” joint
behaviour: a view from kwaZulu Natal (completed).
Current MA supervision (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
A. Dellis:
Behaviour of Caregiver-Infant Dyads with Iron Deficiency Anaemia.
Systematic observation of nine-month-old Pemban dyads during triadic
(subject-subject-object) interaction. (Co-supervised with Prof. Spurrett).
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