Nonverbal Teacher-student Communication in the Foreign Language Classroom

Qi Pan
2014 Theory and Practice in Language Studies  
Nonverbal communication refers to a form of communication without using the words to repress oneself. Nonverbal communication is so basic that the teachers tend to take it for granted and always ignore it in the English classroom teaching. For attaining the goal of teaching, and improving teaching quality and efficiency in the foreign language classroom, the improvement of teaching method is a very important factor. Briefly introducing the definition and types of nonverbal communication, this
more » ... per discusses the functions and principles of using nonverbal communication in English teaching classroom and it explains some ways of using the nonverbal behaviors to improve the foreign language teaching. Therefore, the significance of nonverbal communication should be fully acknowledged by both teacher and students. Index Terms-nonverbal communication, foreign language teaching I. INTRODUCTION For many years, researches of all backgrounds have been done in different aspects of communication. As we know, human beings communicate with others by exchanging information. Usually, there are two ways of exchanging information, one is verbal communication, and the other is nonverbal communication. On occasion, some research findings are concerned with verbal fashion, while some are from what is observed nonverbally. Nonverbal communication is only one facet of the giant field of communication, and yet it has been claimed that 65% of meaning is conveyed through nonverbal communication (Birdwhistell, 1970) . One statement goes like this: we speak with our verbal organs while we converse with our bodies. Conservation not only makes up of a simple interchange of oral words. As English teachers, our aim to teach language, especially a foreign language, is to teach the students how to use language to communicate more effectively with other people. However, we have laid much emphasis on the nonverbal communications, both in oral and written form, while neglecting that of nonverbal communication. Many teachers do not pay enough attention to nonverbal communication in class, contributing directly to failure in achieving teaching goals and students' acquisition of knowledge. Studies on nonverbal communication have generally focused on the teaching methods in the classroom which may be used in teaching any subject. Learners haven't paid enough attention to the unique situation in language classes. Yet foreign language teachers who intentionally control their movements and position enjoy a delicate but effective power. During pattern drills, they can increase observably the tempo of the class, while decreasing teacher talk at the same time. Language teachers can use body language such as gestures to signal and instigate changes in the class atmosphere and thus further their instructional goals, throughout a class period encompassing such various activities as conversation and choral repetition. Furthermore, through nonverbal communication, they can effect personalization between class members and thus lessen the inhibitions which normally plague language students. It is suggested that a videotape recording of the class provides useful and objective feedback for teachers who wish to analyze and improve their own use of gesture and nonverbal communication in the classroom, Therefore, the significance of nonverbal communication should be fully acknowledged by both teacher and students. In fact, nonverbal communication plays an important role in our daily communication, and it is an indispensable part of language teaching. This paper will focus on the nonverbal communication taking place in the foreign language classroom. A. Concepts of Nonverbal Communication As we know, the communicative behaviors of human beings can be divided into two types: verbal communication and nonverbal communication. When it comes to the nonverbal communication, it has a rich history to some extent. The prime research of nonverbal communication can trace back to the Aristotle's research. Nonverbal communication refers to a form of communication without using the words to express oneself. However, the Nonverbal communication in itself can be divided into many subcategories such as proxemics, kinesics, haptics and so on. (Samovar, 2000) Therefore, nonverbal communication is one academic research that has rich content and promote communication. In this paper, proxemics and kinesics will be discussed in particular, so literary review of them will be presented in great detail: Proxemics refers to the use of space in a given situation. The use of space varies depending on the situation and the relation of the participants involved. Edward Hall has divided the use of space into 4 categories: intimate, personal, social, and public. (Edward Hall, 1966) An intimate interaction usually requires six to eighteen inches, personal interaction usually requires one and a half to three feet, social interaction requires three to five feet, and public interaction usually requires ten or more feet. Kinesics is the term used for bodily movement. Body movement includes the use of eye contact, facial expressions, posture, and gesture. The use of bodily movement helps individuals express an emotional state, as well as the intensity of such a state. The second type of bodily movement is facial expression. An example of this would be the smile. A simple smile may carry with it many different meanings. B. Types of Nonverbal Communication Verbal communication only has oral form and written form. Different form verbal communication, nonverbal communication has many forms, including gesture, touch, body language, facial expression, eye contact and so on. According to the different standards of classifications, Bi Jiwan divided nonverbal communication into four types: body language, paralanguage, object communication, and physical environment. Body language refers to designation for instinctive, conscious and conventional expressive movements of the body, including posture, head movements, facial expressions and gesture and so on. Paralanguage, sometimes called vocalic, is the study of nonverbal cues of the voice. It includes voice quality, emotion, and speaking style, as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation, and stress. These paralanguages may change the meaning of the words. Nonverbal communication can be communicated by object communication. And object communication includes clothing, hairstyle, architecture, symbols and so on. Physical environment also has influence on communication behaviors. However, this environment is not research about natural environment. It includes furniture, architectural style, interior decorating, lighting condition, colors, temperature, noise, and music. Also proxemics and chromatics also are physical environments. All physical environment factors may affect the behaviors of the communicators during interaction. II. METHODOLOGY Qi Pan was born in Zhenjiang, China in 1987. She received her B.A. degree in English language and literature from Jiangsu
doi:10.4304/tpls.4.12.2627-2632 fatcat:qyn4h5arofdrnlkjo47ybubyeq