To Speak or Not to SpeakGesticulating through the language

barrier

Erick AufderheydeTeacher of Drama and EnglishUtrecht International Schoolerick.auf@xs4all.nl or isea00@isutrecht.nl

Is gesture only for communicating?

Do gestures allow the student to get a message or thought across that is not easily expressed through verbal language?

How can the awareness and use of gesture help the student in acquiring a new language?

to Gesture or Not to Gesture:hands-on work and exercises

Gestūra‘to bear’

a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal

communication in which visible bodily actions

communicate particular messages, either in

place of, or in conjunction with, the spoken word.

Speech act / Information act

“Can I please open a window?”

"He threw the ball right into the window."

Co-Speech Gestures

When people talk, they often gesture with their hands

They can provide a window to how people think and communicate

When children learn a new language, their first need is to be understood

Gesture

Co speech gesture

Body “language”

Sign language

Home signs

Educational gesture schemes

Gesture types

Emblems

Iconic gestures

Metaphoric gesture

Deictic gestures

Beat gestures

Butterworths

Gesturing and speaking

Gestures supplement the meaning of speech in at least two ways, matching and mismatching

Speech provides a selective description and gesture a selective depiction of an idea, each highlighting certain aspects

Gesturing and thinking

In classroom settings, gestures can aid learning.

Speech accompanying gestures help with tasks that require maintaining or transforming spatial and motoric information in memory.

Cross-linguistic variation in gesture

Manner of motion e.g. rolling, jumping

Trajectory e.g. down, across, into

embodiment

Are some gestures universal? (open palm?)

Types of gestures / function of gesticulation

Interactive tool ?

Physical scaffolding ?

L2 learning is solving communication

problems

Language games

EAL - Speech games

Communicative competence

Confidence

Fun