What is NVC?
According to Gregerson (2007, p.52) nonverbal communication refers to “all communication other than spoken language”. During an ordinary classroom discussion between a teacher and student, it may appear that the exchange of information is exclusively occurring at the verbal level. However there are various signals that indicate the use of non-verbal communication. How the “classroom communication” is set up heavily influences the effectiveness of the classroom (Simonds and Cooper 2011, p.35). This refers to the non-verbal and verbal transitions between teachers and students. Teachers may rely heavily on verbal cues to communicate with their students, however there are vast amounts of non-verbal cues that can be called upon within a classroom setting (Gregerson 2007).
These non-verbal communication skills have many benefits, such as increasing voice care, gaining respect from students, improving a student’s visual understanding and increasing classroom control without raising a voice. Nonverbal communication refers to the interplay of body language particularly gesture, facial expression and gaze behaviour, which all occur within the “classroom climate” (Gregerson 2007; Simonds and Cooper 2011, pp.40-41). These nonverbal cues send messages that students are able to interpret. In order to send the right message, effective teachers strive to promote a “supportive classroom climate”, which aims at improving both student learning and teacher proficiency (Simonds and Cooper 2011, pp.40-41). The ‘classroom climate’ is a space where students ‘self-concept’ is enhanced resulting in a positive self-image of the students. Non-verbal messages compliment spoken words as it supplements it; an example of this is when the teacher says, “good job”, followed by the teacher’s smile when praising students’ work (Gregerson 2007, p.53).
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NVC: Body language and gestures
Kinesics is the study of reading non-verbal indicators and there are various aspects associated with body language such as: posture, facial expression, appearance, eye contact, body language and gesture cues (Simonds and Cooper 2011, p.128). We rely heavily on our non-verbal cues in everyday experiences, however few people are aware of how important what we don’t say is (Gregerson 2007). Not all non-verbal cues are positive or effective therefore, it is important to distinguish which cues are effective and those that are not. For example, if you are introducing a new topic or lesson and your body language is not as enthusiastic about it as you verbalise, it is likely that majority of the students will pick up on these negative cues and respond in a non-favourable way. Therefore it is key that the body language mimics the verbal cues as well.
Considering 93% of our communication is exchanged non-verbally; it is time that teachers become aware of the non-verbal skills that will enhance their teaching pedagogy. When body language is used as a method of communicating using gestures or body movements instead of, or in addition to verbal communication, a message can be conveyed with more emphasis and weight, whether it is verbal or non-verbal (Simonds and Cooper 2011). The teachers’ delivery technique should be “animated and dynamic” and gesturing is one method of achieving this (Richmond 2002, p.71). Not all body language is read positively and this is why it is important to control the external communicators, remain aware of the language that your body is speaking. This is because humans have a great sense of perception when it comes to reading a person’s body language, compared to the spoken word (Gregerson 2007). As an educator it is imperative to remain sensitive to the cues that the students provide and respond appropriately in order to avoid chaos or disruption in the class.
According to Eunson (2008), the body language of the teacher influences the feelings of the students. Therefore there are certain ways to use your body as the educator to ensure students are relaxed and ready to learn. The body needs to be relaxed, with minimum movement of the feet and head. The shoulders are lowered, adding to that relaxed state of mind and ensuring the students feel comfortable to learn (Simonds and Cooper 2011). The gestures used within the classroom setting also influence the class. Some positive gestures that can be used are (Eunson 2008): arms open, palms facing up and thumbs up.
Ekman & Friesen (1969, cited in Gregerson 2007, p.54) believe that to present effective communication there are four types of gestures that are key to be aware of and they are, “illustrators, regulators, emblems and effect displays”. The non-verbal behaviours that compliment the verbal messages are referred to as the illustrators. They are the gestures that come naturally, such as smiling and frowning to illustrate a point. Regulators refer to the transitional signals used to control turn taking during communication, such as changing the direction of a gaze or terminating a gesture.
According Gregerson (2007, p.55), emblems are “non verbal behaviours that can be translated into words and that are used intentionally to transmit a message”. Due to these cues substituting words, their meaning is widely understood within a culture; therefore the meaning will change across cultures (Gregerson 2007, p.56). Affect displays are behaviours that express emotion and are most commonly displayed through facial expressions, such as laughing, crying or smiling.
Image: Gregersen, T.S, 2007, ‘Language learning beyond words: Incorporating body language into classroom activities’, Reflections on English Language Teaching, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 51-64
NVC: Eye movement
“The face is a primary means of managing interaction, complimenting a response and replacing speech” (Gregerson 2007, p.56). The types of facial expression in use gives the opportunity to open and close communication channels. This is because the face “compliments or qualifies a message” (Gregerson 2007, p.56). Gregersen 2007. For example, certain facial expressions can be used to alert the responder of your conversational intensions. Due to the varying meanings of gestures and facial expressions, it is important to remain aware of how you are expressing certain messages through your non-verbal cues. However, Ekman and Friesman (1975, cited in Gregerson 2007, p.56), have identified six universal emotions that can be consistently interpreted including: sadness, fear, happiness, disgust, anger and surprise. Eye behaviour is one of the more prominent interactional signals. Through the use of our eyes “we can control interactions, illicit the attention of others and show an interest (or lack thereof) in the information being communicated” (Richmond and McCroskey, 2000).
Image:http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/myl/ldc/llog/WhyDontYou.gif
Dress and Presentation
Physical characteristics, such as dress and general presentation, are also forms of nonverbal communication, as they convey tacit messages during interpersonal interactions. The manner in which someone presents themselves communicates important information about the individual to others, such as their age, gender, socioeconomic status, culture and personality (Pearson et. al., 2011, p. 97 & Molloy, 1977, cited in Okoro & Washington, 2011, p.28). The significance of physical appearance in the communication process should not be underestimated. As personal presentation is one of the first things that others notice, judgements drawn from appearances are established in the early stages of social encounters. Therefore, personal presentation has the ability to shape communication, as such judgements strongly influence an individual’s response to others in interpersonal interactions (Knapp, Hall & Horgan, 2014, p. 194).
The personal presentation of an individual also relates to their occupation and their authority or ability to persuade others. As clothing can signify the societal role held by an individual, it may generate behavioural expectations of the individual themselves and for others who interact with them (Barnard, 2002, p. 63). Clothing can also indicate an individual’s level authority, which has implications for interpersonal interactions. Numerous studies have indicated that ‘high-status’ clothing is associated with a higher degree of authority. For instance, a 1996 study by Adler and Towne found that if an individual is wearing high-status clothing others are more inclined to follow their orders, accept their leadership and comply with their requests (cited in White & Gardener, 2012, p. 131).
Appearance also constitutes a significant consideration for educators, as it conveys important information to students that shape their perceptions of the teacher. The role of instructor appearance in teacher-student relationships was explored in a 1980 study by Rollman. In the study, students were presented with photographs of a male and female teacher in casual, moderately formal and formal clothing and were asked to describe the photographs using adjectives. The results revealed that the students viewed the formally dressed teachers as more competent, knowledgeable, organised and prepared and the casually dressed teachers as being clearer, friendlier, fairer and more enthusiastic (cited in White & Gardner, 2012, pp. 126-127). The connections established by students between teacher characteristics and dress may pose a conundrum for teachers who would like to project both competence and amiability to their students. This has been noted by Richmond (2002), who proposes that teachers should first wear formal clothing to establish credibility and then adopt more casual dress to project an image of openness (p. 71).
Photo:http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/myl/ldc/llog/WhyDontYou.gif
Paralanguage
Paralanguage is another fundamental aspect of nonverbal communication. It refers to aspects of vocal behaviour that are meaningful but not part of the language system, such as pitch, volume and intonation (Matthews, 2014). These aspects, often called vocal cues, are mentally linked to physical characteristics, gender characteristics, emotional states and credibility. Thus, through the use of vocal cues, speakers can convey information or meaning that may not be explicit in the actual words spoken (Pearson et. al., 2011, p. 95). The role of vocal cues in determining meaning has been evidenced in academic literature. A 2010 study by Berman, Chambers and Graham found that children as young as four years old utilised vocal clues to determine what object a speaker was referring to (Knapp, Hall & Hogan, 2014, p. 347).
Paralanguage plays a significant role in classroom communication as it is often utilised by teachers when they are communicating with students. For instance, teachers use prosody, an element of paralanguage on a regular basis in the classroom. Prosody refers to the ‘variations in the voice that accompany speech and help to convey its meaning’ (Knapp, Hall & Hogan, 2014, p. 323). Using prosody, teachers can indicate to a class whether they are making a statement or asking a question. This is achieved by using emphasis and lowering (for statements) or raising (for questions) pitch at the end of a sentence (Knapp, Hall & Hogan, 2014, p. 323). The following example of demonstrates how the speaker can convey different meanings using prosody:
Teacher One: ‘Michael went to school today?’
Teacher Two: ‘Michael went to school today.’
While both teachers use the same words, each speaker is able to convey whether they are asking a question or making a statement using prosody. The first teacher raises their pitch at the end of the sentence, indicating that they are questioning the fact that Michael went to school. The second teacher uses the same words to answer this question with a statement, by placing emphasis on the word ‘went’ and lowering their pitch at the end of the sentence.
