IN THE NAME OF GOD

English Language Teachers’ Methods of Using Nonverbal Communication

Supervisor:

Dr. Mohsen Mobaraki

Advisor:

Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Ghoreishi

By:

Aziz Yaghoobi

February 2014

University of Birjand

Faculty of Literature & Humanities

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Make English language teachers familiar with NVC and the role it plays

Make teachers aware of the intelligent use of NVC

Actually observe teachers’ performance in EFL classrooms to record the NVBs they exhibit

Find out if teachers use NVC skills effectively

Measure the extent to which they use

NVC skills

Find out how NVC contributes to better

learning outcomes of students

Offer teachers some recommendations

for the effective use of NVC

QUESTIONS OF THE STUDY

Question 1: What NVBs are displayed by English language teachers in EFL classrooms?

Question 2: What NVC skills do English language teachers use in EFL classrooms?

Question 3: To what extent do English language teachers use NVC skills in EFL classrooms?

Question 4: Do English language teachers use NVC skills effectively?

Question 5: What is the most frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers?

Question 6: What is the least frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers?

Question 7: How important are incorporating NVC skills in ELT from English language teachers’ perspectives?

Question 8: What are the functions of NVC skills in EFL classrooms?

COMMUNICATION

COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION

Source Receiver

Message Feedback

Encoding Context

Channel Noise

Decoding

MEHRABIAN’S COMMUNICATION MODEL

Words, 0.07

Voice Tone, 0.38Body Language, 0.55

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

CATEGORY DEFINITION

Kinesics Body motions and gestures

Posture Body orientation and position

Pacing How an action is completed

Proxemics Spatial distances

Facial Expressions

movements of the facial muscles

Oculesics Eye contact

Paravocalics Voice tone

CATEGORY DEFINITION

Haptics Use of touch

Chronemics Use of time

Physique Physical appearance

Aesthetics Communication through color or music

Olfactics Use of smell

Environmental Factors Physical place

PREVIOUS STUDIES

Butt (2011) concluded that proper use of facial expressions, body movements, eye contact, pitch of voice, and spatial distance helped the teachers to provide better understanding to the students in the attainment of their learning outcomes. To the contrary the teachers who did not properly use NVC in the classroom could not motivate the students for effective learning.

Negi (2009) found that: Students were highly motivated to the

teachers who smiled at them, made them laugh in the classroom, and illustrated the subject matter but felt difficulties to deal with the teacher who stared at them coldly and indicated a particular student with their raised finger.

Students became more active if the teacher kept movements in the classroom and made the frequent eye contact with them.

Kroehnert (2006) highlighted five most general errors in the body language of the teachers: Having nasty personal habits Always being too stiff  Blocking or touching face Including pointless hand gestures Tapping or shaking legs and hands

Darn (2005) listed some of the advantages of NV signals: Reducing unnecessary teacher talking

time Increasing learner participation Confidence building Reducing fear of silence Clear instructions Efficient classroom management

Classroom atmosphere Improving listening skills Improving performance in pair and group

activities Self and peer correction Avoiding misunderstandings Improving intercultural competence

Boyd (2000) recommended that teachers interact with students by: Getting physically close to them Using voice inflection for emphasis and

reassurance Establishing good eye contact when

communicating Invading their personal space when

appropriate Gesturing to students

METHODOLOGY

Through convenience selection, a group of 50 English language teachers 31 (62%) male and 19 (38%) female participated in this study. The main tools of data collection were observation, interview, and a researcher-made questionnaire. The data from questionnaire was fed into the computer and then analyzed using SPSS. First descriptive analysis of the findings was performed, and then the inferential analysis (one-sample t-test).

CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS Research question 1: What NVBs are displayed by English

language teachers in EFL classrooms?

The researcher recorded 167 NVBs he could observe in the classroom.

Research question 2: What NVC skills do English language teachers use in EFL classrooms?

The investigation of the questions in chapter four revealed that the teachers utilized kinesics, posture, facial expressions, proxemics, oculesics, haptics, paravocalics, and chronemics in their EFL classrooms.

Research question 3: Do English language teachers use NVC skills effectively?

Based on the analysis of data, observation and interviews the researcher conducted with the participants of the study, it was found that the majority of teachers surveyed in this research used NVC skills somewhat effectively in their teaching in EFL classrooms.

Research question 4: What is the most frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers?

The analysis of data in chapter four indicated that the most frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers was posture.

Research question 5: What is the least frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers?

The analysis of data in chapter four indicated that the least frequently used NVC skill by English language teachers was haptics.

Research question 6: How important are incorporating NVC skills in ELT from English language teachers’ perspectives?

Based on the data analysis and interviews, it was found that most teachers participated in this study view NVC as an important aspect of classroom interaction. Forty-three (86%) teachers indicated that incorporating NVC in EFL classrooms was a necessity.

Research question 7: What are the functions of NVC skills in EFL classrooms?

manage the classroom stimulate classroom interaction enhance and facilitate comprehension act, demonstrate, illustrate, and/ or emphasize a point criticize, justify, or show influence, power, and authority draw and focus students’ attention on important points

and give facts or opinions about the content send messages of interest, enthusiasm, motivation, praise,

concern, security, patience, agreement, appreciation, openness, friendliness, confidence, dominance, submissiveness, responsiveness, respect, reassurance, etc.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Teachers should be concerned with the whole phenomenon of communication and are required to become aware and attentive to all the channels of communication.

Teachers are advised to think systematically about their practice of NVC, learn from experience, and make their unconscious NVB become conscious during teaching so as to make their body language more compatible with their VC and use it consciously and systematically in the classroom.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that syllabus designers and policy makers acknowledge the importance of NVC and permanently include a component of NVC in teacher education and training programs.

It is suggested that nonverbal teaching behavior should be given central place in important techniques of teaching.

EFFECTIVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Use variations in the pitch level of your voice Keep a direct body and facial orientation. Keep a positive, open and relaxed attitude. Lean forward toward students, but not too

much. Maintain a good balance of eye contact with

all students. Circulates around student work areas to be

close to all students.

EFFECTIVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES When entering the class, make a positive and

unhurried entrance. Smile in a relaxed manner with the eyes, not

just the lips, but don’t smile too much. Use gestures when making points, but make

them smooth, unhurried, and not jerky. Nod your head in affirmation occasionally

when a student talking, but don’t overdo it. Touch students when only desired by students

and natural for you as a teacher.

EFFECTIVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Use straight head position when you want to be authoritative and want what you’re saying to be taken seriously.

Establish a comfortable amount of personal space between you and the student.

Always exhibit openness and sincerity; Use open gestures; Keep your hands open and visible; Extend open palms to class.

EFFECTIVE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Stand straight with your weight balanced on each foot; always maintain an erect and relaxed body posture, whether you’re standing or sitting.

Sit up straight with legs crossed or feet firmly flat on the floor. Your back should be straight, head up and looking forward. Refrain from slouching, moving sideways in your chair, appearing too relaxed, or excessive fidgeting.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES Identifying NVC skills which facilitate learning a foreign

language. Studying the effect of student NVC on teachers and

teaching. Studying the negative effect of teachers’ use of NVC on

students. Studying the effect of environmental factors on classroom

NVB. Studying the effect of aesthetics, artifacts, cosmetic,

clothing, and physical appearance on classroom NVC. Studying the range of teacher NVB appropriate to different

age levels, or accomplishment levels. Determining whether specific NVBs are more appropriate to

one subject than another.

Thank You all!I appreciate your time and

attention.