...Developing Guidelines to Design Gestures for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language From the Perspectives of Kinesics and Linguistics Yihan Zhou Seton Hall University Abstract According to kinesics and linguistic theories, this project investigates what parts are involved in making gestures and how gestures carry meanings. A wide range of body parts are involved in making a gesture. According to David Mcneill, the physical movements acquire meaning by iconics, metaphorics, deictics, and beats. The project also discovers an etymological way to connect gestures to Chinese vocabulary. Based on the findings, the project further develops some guidelines to design gestures for teaching Chinese. They are making easy movements, identifying teaching content, making gestures understandable to your students, and applying gestures into teaching. In the end, the project applies the guidelines in designing activities for teaching Chinese pronunciation, vocabulary, character, and culture. Keywords: guidelines, gestures, teaching Chinese, kinesics, linguistics 1. Introduction 2.1 Background Gestures are common body movements: teachers instruct with gestures, referees in soccer game use gestures, people greet each other with gestures. Then what are gestures? Generally speaking, gestures are body movements which accompany and even sometimes replace verbal language. Because of its intimacy with language, it has attracted the people’s attention since Greek and Roman era...
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...LITERATURE REVIEW Topic: An investigation on situation of HUST Technical students using hand gestures in English presentation. Group 5: Bùi Thu Hằng, Đặng Thị Thu Thắm, Nguyễn Thị Hải Yến, Ong Thị Hằng Nowadays, presentation skill recieves more and more attention not only in universities but also in companies and organizations. Many individuals and groups thoroughly studied on this field, especially on hand gestures. Although the literature covers a wide variety of such research, this review focuses on four major themes which emerge repeatedly throughout the literature reviewed. These themes are definition, classification, functions of hand gestures and mistakes while using hand gestures. Although the literature presents these themes in a variety of contexts, this study concentrates on the HUST Technical students. Presentation is an important part in learning as well as in study. The writer defined presentation in “what is presentation?” on skillsyouneed.com website as means of communication which can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. Dr. Steve Brooks defined it simpler in “love 2 speak” that presentation is the process of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience. In general, presentation shows what you want to talk about a topic or a study in public. In order to get a good presentation, presenters must have presentation skill. Dr. Steve Brooks also stated in his study about the...
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...Time to Pretend (When do people falsify their body language?) Introduction I remembered a funny story about two men who found a big deep hole while walking through the woods. Afterwards they tried to find out how deep the hole was and threw a few little rocks. There was no sound. Next time, they threw a big rock into the hole, but still they heard nothing. Later one of them said that there was a railway sleeper in the woods and it definitely should make a noise. They dragged that heavy railway sleeper over to the hole and tossed it. After a few seconds they saw a goat which ran out of the woods and was moving with the speed of wind. The goat rushed towards the two men and disappeared into the hole, passing between those two men. Their jaws dropped when they saw what happened in the twinkling of an eye. Farmer who was walking out of woods asked those two men whether they saw his goat. Of course, they began to tell about the strange goat which leaped into the hole, but farmer stopped them, convinced that this goat was not his, because his goat was chained to a railway sleeper. Then those two pondered and decided that this goat did not belong to the farmer, but it was crazy one which was wandering in the woods and leaped into the hole. So, for me personally, moral of the story means that all things are not what they seem. Most people, however, only see the things that they think they are seeing. It’s about matching the things that you see and hear in the environment. By the way...
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...as a barrier in communication. ANSWER1: KINESICS- Kinesics or body language is the branch of communication that deals with body language. It includes head and facial expression, gestures like eye contact, smile etc; posture; the dressing sense; grooming and the presentable personality in totality. Positive body language helps whereas negative has a bad impression on business dealings. Kinesics is used for selection purposes during interviews and also during business dealings. It helps by giving involuntary signals. The body constantly sends signals to receivers even if we do not intend it. So long as there are people watching us, body language continuously transfers messages. The sender and the receiver understand the meanings of these movements in the particular cultural environment that they share. The body movements are often determined by internal psychological stimuli like emotions, feelings, etc. Emotions like anger. Restlessness, joy, sadness or dejection find expression more by body language than by its verbal counterpart. Body language is a good gauge to measure the psychological disposition of a person. FOR EXAMPLE- The silent films of Charlie Chaplin could convey so much by the deft use of body language. The disadvantage of body language is that it is indicative and cannot be relied upon fully, since there may be gross misunderstanding of gestures. Even then, it is useful, because it informs the receiver about the...
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...between other species and humans is clear, compared in terms of phenotypic behavioral characteristics, the most important one being the language. The statistical success of breeding between members of different groups may vary. Language is significantly tied to identity and cultural heritage. Several languages are in the almost getting extinct, but those who speak the same languages try to keep them as a way of maintaining both their identity and culture. Although people have the capacity for language, the specific language that one learn varies. The evolutionary case reveals why we communicate. Human language requires one to learn since it is because it is so complex. Language is in several ways is the quintessential expression of culture. It is learned, transmitted and at the same time shared. Human language contain the trait of being discrete and open. They relay totally new ideas and new things. In contrast other primates communicate their present intentions and emotional mod. All humans have the capacity for language. The brains of children are wired so that they start learning to speak any language. Both human beings and animals use systems of communication, what is unique in human beings is the use of open vocal systems and complex symbols. Communication in human beings and animals entails use of signals are gestures that possess meaning to those using it. For instance, human communication has symbols and signals. Symbols have specific meaning to...
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...Part I Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously. John Borg attests that human communication consists of 93 percent body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of words themselves;[1] however, Albert Mehrabian, the researcher whose 1960s work is the source of these statistics, has stated that this is a misunderstanding of the findings[2] (see Misinterpretation of Mehrabian's rule). Others assert that "Research has suggested that between 60 and 70 percent of all meaning is derived from nonverbal behavior."[3] Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person. For example, it may indicate aggression, attentiveness, boredom, relaxed state, pleasure, amusement, and intoxication, among many other cues. Understanding body language The technique of "reading" people is used frequently. For example, the idea of mirroring body language to put people at ease is commonly used in interviews. Mirroring the body language of someone else indicates that they are understood.[citation needed] It is important to note that while some indicators of emotion (e.g. smiling/laughing when happy, frowning/crying when sad) are largely universal[citation needed],[4] however in the 1990s Ekman expanded his list of basic emotions, including a range of positive and negative emotions...
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... We communicate as soon as we get in contact with other humans and our bodies act the same way. 60% of all human communication is nonverbal body language, 30% is a person's tone, which means 90% of what someone is saying isn't even spoken. Each body movement we make is considered a nonverbal message and that single movement could send a different message than what the voices are saying. In our modern world, people are starting to pay more attention to their body language and some are trying to read other people's body movement to understand them in a better way; however, in business communication that certain language is being overlooked, as businessmen consider their arguments more effective if they use better and more complicated words; but what they don't know is that in order to succeed they need to understand how to use their body movement properly. Body language if noticed and used in the correct way it can make a lasting first impression, and you only get one chance to make a first impression. People consider the human eye as a stronger tool than the ear because it catches many things that would simply go unnoticed. The first thing anyone notices is the person’s facial expressions and hand gestures as they tell a lot about the message that is being sent. What we don't know is that each part of our body have it's own language and it's "talking" while our lips are sealed. For example, by just sitting around and staring at someone with a smile on our faces we might be sending...
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...understands sign languages. The figure above shows how a hearing and a deaf person communicates in a normal and casual scenario. The hearing person could communicate to the deaf person in two ways. One is without the knowledge of sign languages, and the other, with the knowledge of the gestures. A hearing person could communicate if either a translator is present,...
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... BODY GESTUERS OF THE WORLD During our life we express our opinion, feelings, thoughts with the help of the words, but sometimes there are things which cannot be expressed with the help of simple words and that time we use language of gestures. These international and unique language has a long history. There are plenty of gestures and all the gestures have their origin but their meaning differs according to region. For example when we want to indicate that things are working according to our plans or when we want to approve something we us thumb up sign which is popular in American and European cultures . This gesture has its origination which goes back to the times of the gladiators . During these battles the audience had to decide give a life to gladiator or to kill him, so, if they were using thumb up gesture that was a sign that they want the gladiator to be dead . This harmless gesture translates into a rude and offensive gesture in Islamic and Asian countries. Sometimes we cross our fingers which is also a part of body language. It is considered as a sign of wishing for good luck or fortune. It also may have originated from the...
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...facial or body language expressions are used at the wrong point of a conversation. Demonstrative communication can be used to emphasize a point in a presentation. All in all demonstrative communication plays a critical role in society. A prime example of using demonstrative communication in an effective way is when it is used during a presentation to add emphasis to an important point. I used to use hand gestures during training presentations at my job. I would firmly point toward the direction of the presentation to explain how important that point was. Along with the hand gesture my tone of voice would be forceful and adamant to express that I felt that point was worth noting down. This indicates that the individuals in the class should be listening. Demonstrative communication can also be seen as negative when used at the wrong time in a conversation or even a classroom lecture. The simple gesture of crossing ones arms give off the impression that the person is not interested in the topic of conversation or is bored with the material being presented. The rolling of the eyes is another that shows disinterest. It can be taken as negatively when used while talking with a loved one. I sometimes find myself rolling my eyes at some of the things my wife worries about. Unfortunately when she sees me do that she gets upset and thinks that I do not care about her problems. Another positive way to use demonstrative communication Is sign language. Sign language is crucial to people...
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...is 55% that is through body language , gestures and facial expressions and tone of voice is 38% that is the sound. A communication skill involves the three components, so delivering a message to the audience vocally needs to be congruent to the body language and tone of voice to persuade the audience. For example, if someone is asking you a question and you answered it confidently but your body language shows differently, it could send mix messages to the listener. For this mismatch communication, you can lose credibility to your listener. Demonstrative communication is a type of non-verbal communication that deals with different type of communication without words between sender and receiver. Non-verbal communication can be conveyed through but not limited to posture, gesture, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact and clothing. Demonstrative communication observes this non-verbal cues in order to tell if the listener is interested, engaged, confused or listening. And as well as if the speaker is confident of the topic he or she is presenting, sense of interest, and a demand from the listener or it could be disinterested, not confident and to present just to get it done. According to Wood (2007) there are four dimensions to non-verbal communications: it is symbolic, rule guided, may be intentional or non-intentional and it reflects culture. Non-verbal communication is symbolic which can represent the use of body language, gestures, facial expression and sound...
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...Demonstrative Communication Billie Spring BCOM 275 June 6, 2011 Demonstrative Communication Communication is the process of sharing information, thoughts and feelings between people through speaking, writing or body language. Effective communication is when information is transmitted by the sender is received and understood by someone in the way it was intended. Demonstration communications occurs when someone uses ways to communicate other than their voice. This is done by facial expressions, body language, eye contact, or gestures. I will refer to demonstrative communication in this article as nonverbal communication. When using verbal and nonverbal communication together, similar messages must be sent or else the receiver will become confused. The sender must have some emotional self-awareness and an ability to send the nonverbal signs that address his feelings. When engaged in communication, you must be fully aware and pay attention because if you are distracted, chances are you will miss subtle nonverbal signals. I remember as a supervisor in the military Soldiers would come to my office to discuss their problems. I would listen to them talk while facing the computer and continuing to work. My actions showed I was not paying attention. The problem with nonverbal communication is that people tend to misread it, or the sender sends confusing nonverbal signals. Improving your nonverbal communication skills will impact your overall emotional intelligence....
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...verbalization but also through demonstrative communications. Demonstrative communications involves all actions that do not comprise of spoken language. Every day, we send out and receive messages nonverbally, using them to emphasize and enhance our verbal messages. Everything from the way we dress to the way we carry ourselves speaks to others and says a lot about our character. Silent messages encompass a considerable portion of our daily communications. A study showed that only seven percent of communications is verbal whereas ninety-three percent is composed of demonstrative communications, indicating that we use nonverbal actions to listen and respond more than we do with words (Mehrabian, 1995-2011). What we are thinking and feeling is communicated through our body language and sent out in unspoken language. Therefore, when carrying out a conversation we are not only listening with our ears but also our eyes, just as we respond with body language and not only with words. Developing communication skills to be more conscious of body language and their meanings will enable a person to read other people better, in turn, allowing them to be more conscious of their own body language. Sending out the wrong kind of body language can deliver the wrong message and even offend someone. Consequently, understanding the various forms of body language and how each can be received both positively and negatively is important in communications. The manner in which a person listens, responds...
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...Body Language Body language is becoming more and more necessary to understand people’s feelings while communicating with them. A simple movement that others do unconsciously can indicate various meanings. Body language is a wide subject; however, the most important ones are: starting at the top, starting from the neck down and making good impression. The first analysis of the body language starts at the top. Each movement of the head can indicate various signs. Lowering the head with the eyes indicates a subjection or an anxiety but it can be a caution sign if it contains an eye contact according to the article untitled “Body language” “you are strong and I don’t trust you” Raising the head suddenly to someone shows enjoyment But also raising the head to the ceiling is a sign of ennui. Titling the head is a sign of attentiveness and it can be a sign of inquisitiveness if the head is titled unconsciously. Also, nodding the head to others while they speak, inspire them to continue talking. Many people caress their hair when they suffer from stress because it reposes them due to when they were kids their parents caressed their hair to provide love. Communicating with eye contact is useful among people and it may indicate attraction. But prolonged eye contact is a sign of warning and limited one indicate that the person is not saying the truth or he is suffering from a lack of self-confident. The second sign of body language is from the neck down. According to Peas...
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...communicate in the workplace whether it is colleague-to-colleague, sales, to form a friendship, in means of educating or to persuade and lead someone, nonverbal behaviors are used to justify means of communication through the use of body language, gestures, facial expressions, haptic, eye contact, and kinesics. These nonverbal behaviors allow individuals to express their emotions and the message they are trying to send. It is the language without words. When two businesspeople or a small group meet and speak for the first time it is politically correct to state that judgments are quickly made. Their physical appearance, social standings, and body language are all observed. It is said to believe that when one speaks their words are what force a judgment to be made but naturally, it is their body language. Where words are primarily used for transmitting information, body language is used in terms of negotiating interpersonal attitudes and conversations. When those interpersonal attitudes and conversations are poor, ones body language reflects the emotions and thoughts into its past actions. Body language can be used as a substitute for vocal messages (Pease). Eye contact is an important nonverbal behavior that supports having the proper body language in the workplace. Making eye contact does not only solidify assertiveness but it also prevents communication barriers between groups and colleagues. If one does not make eye contact it is easy enough to assume that the individual is...
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