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Socio-semiotics and Embodied Perceptual-Action

Socio-semiotics is the use of signs by humans.  It needs to be emphasised that this is, always, embodied perceptual-action.  In other words, this discussion is framed within the context of J J Gibson's work on affordances (see below), which deliberately fuses the two fields/academic disciplines of perception (as in 'cognitive psychology') and of 'action' (as in 'behavioural psychology') into one single field.

(And Descartes was deluded - and misleading - when he used the singular: "I think, therefore I am," instead of the plural: "We think, therefore we are.")

In other words, although socio-semiotics - and most importantly 'language' - in humans is a 'game changer' - and a substantial 'disruption' - it is, like everything else in evolution, built upon the 'shoulders' of a multitude of earlier forms of life - so there's continuity too. Tool use, and even the famed 'tool making' of our species, remains firmly embodied. 

See here for a lengthier discussion of these issues, and how signs are used within social ecologies.