VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES pO THI THU TRANG A NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STUDY ON THE APPLICATION OF CLASSROOM SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN ACADEMIC SETTING AT HANOI SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (NGHIÊN CỨU GIAO TIẾP PHI NGÔN TỪ VỀ VIỆC ÁP ĐỤNG CÁC CÁCH SÁT XÉP CHỔ NGÔI TRONG LỚP HỌC TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguisttes Code: 60 22 15 Course: 15 Supervisor: Assoc. NGUYEN QUANG (Ph.D) HANOT - 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Aims of the study.
IIL, Scope of the study. Methods of the study V. Design of the study. PART Hi: DEVELOPMENT + ced CHAPTER TF: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1, What nonverbal eommunication?,.
Classroom communication styles and classroom s ng arrangement 12. Seating arrangements and teacher student interactions. Basic classroom seating arrangements - if 1. Evaluation of classroom seating arrangements.
21 CHAPTER Il: MRTHOROLOGY - 33 1. Comments on the survsy đ0€Sf[ONHATES. Comments on the informants. CHAPTER Il: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS TILL.
The proxemies of classroom scating arrangement. The physical environment. The social environment. The application of classroom seating atrangements in ELT classes at Hanoi School of Pubilie HIealth.
Bd PART 1H: CONCLUSION. Summary of main findings - ——. Suggestions far finther study ce vo ceeeteeee ects teen dS TV. 3? LIST OF TABLES Tables Content Page Table |_ The teachers” perceptions of teaching styles used 25 The students’ perceptions of physical environment in traditional Table 2 27 leeture-style classrooms The teachers’ perceptions of physical environment in traditional Table 3 28 leeture-style classrooms "The students” perceptions of social environment in traditional ‘Table 4 29 lecture-slyle classrooms The Leachers perceptions of social cnvironment in raditienad Tahle 5 30 leeture-style classrooms "The students" perceptions of the application of different classroom Table 6 sealing arrangements for different.
Classroom communication stytes and classroom seating arrangements Scating arrangements arc a main part in a teacher’s plan for classroom management, Not only do the teachers need to consider the physical arrangement of the room but also ihe nalure af the students involved. Arranging the physical environment of the room should be taken into consideration so that teaching and learning can occur as efficiently as possible. ‘he teacher needs to be able to walk around the room without the students having to move their desks. ‘The teacher needs to fake into account that students seated in the center or front of the classroom tend to interact more ficquently with the teacher and the number of behavioral problems tend to increase as the students sit farther from the teacher.
Also, students in the back and corners of the room ate tore likely to be off task than those close to the front or to the teacher’s desk, There are many seating arrangements that the teachers can use. Each type of classroom arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages, Ta make Ihe lesson most, cffective, the teacher should fit the teaching style with the appropriate arrangement of students, 12.4, Teaching styles Hativa (2000) lists the following skills of teachers: » Tixamine, interpret, and share learning; + Understand how students learn, » Learn the knowledge tn their field; * Conduel rescarch on Isarning and teaching, * Share their experiences. Additionally, an 2ffeetive teacher also understands how to promote a love for self learning in students. Bess (2000: 53) argues that “stedent preferences for teaching strategies are for active and challenging learning, where they are involved, where learning is connected to real life, and where ihere are opportunities for mutual responsibility Scott-Webber, Marini, and Abraham (2000) have divided possible tcacher-student relationships into different types of communication styles.
They include one-on-one, © Touching behaviour or haptics (tactile communication is probably the most basic or primary — 5 } © Paralanguage (including voice qualities and vocalizations) © Proxemics (the study of the use and perception of social and personal space) © Artithets (including the use of objects such as jewellery and cosmetics and other decorations that may serve as nonverbal stirmuli) © ‘The environment or environmental factors within which the interaction ooours Neuyen Quang (2001:19) has a clear and sufficient classification of nonverbal communication as stated in the following diagram: COMMUNICATION [Verbal communication — | Nonverbal communication Intratanguage | Paratanguaze | | Bxeraianguage q ‘ ~ Lexicon ~ Vocal charactetistics: = Rules of grammar pitch - Rules of phonetics = Rate Ẻ - Rules of language + Vooal quality use and inleraclion - Types of vocal flow skills - Vocal intert2rences N - Silence/Pauses Body language/Kinesics | Object language/Artifacts | | Environmental language + - Eye contact - Clothing ‡ — Sotting (scating - Facial expressions - Jewellery arrangement - Physical characteristics ~ Accessories = Conversational - Gestures - Make-up dislanve/Proxcmics - Postures. - Artificial scents ime’ Chranernics - Bory movernents - Gitt : Lighting system, ~ TouclVHaptics/Tactile - Flowers - Heat © Touching behaviour or haptics (tactile communication is probably the most basic or primary — 5 } © Paralanguage (including voice qualities and vocalizations) © Proxemics (the study of the use and perception of social and personal space) © Artithets (including the use of objects such as jewellery and cosmetics and other decorations that may serve as nonverbal stirmuli) © ‘The environment or environmental factors within which the interaction ooours Neuyen Quang (2001:19) has a clear and sufficient classification of nonverbal communication as stated in the following diagram: COMMUNICATION [Verbal communication — | Nonverbal communication Intratanguage | Paratanguaze | | Bxeraianguage q ‘ ~ Lexicon ~ Vocal charactetistics: = Rules of grammar pitch - Rules of phonetics = Rate Ẻ - Rules of language + Vooal quality use and inleraclion - Types of vocal flow skills - Vocal intert2rences N - Silence/Pauses Body language/Kinesics | Object language/Artifacts | | Environmental language + - Eye contact - Clothing ‡ — Sotting (scating - Facial expressions - Jewellery arrangement - Physical characteristics ~ Accessories = Conversational - Gestures - Make-up dislanve/Proxcmics - Postures. - Artificial scents ime’ Chranernics - Bory movernents - Gitt : Lighting system, ~ TouclVHaptics/Tactile - Flowers - Heat PART IT: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW ‘What nonverbal como lan? The term “non-verbal” is commonly used to describe all events of human communeation that transcend spoken or written words. According to Knapp (1980), nonverbal communication should not be sludied as an isolated unit bul as an inscparable parl of the total coumunication process, Nonverbel communication may serve to repoal, contradict, substitute for, complement ot elaborate on, accent or emphasize, or regulate verbal communication.
Obviously, nonverbal communication is important because of the role iLyplays in the total communication system, the tremendous quantity of information cugs it gives in any particular situation and because of its use in such fimdamental areas of our daily life as polilies, medicine, the aris, advertising, television, cducation, job interviews, and courtship. 1 has been said, for example, that when we receive contradictory messages on verbal and nonverbal levels, we are more likely to trust the nonverbal message. It is assumed that nonverbal signals arc more spontancous, harder to fake and less apt to be manipulated. It has also been speculated that those who prefer nonverbal cues over verbal ones show a right-brain dominance.
Estimates have it that, in a normal two-person conversation, the verbal componionis carry toss thant 35 por cont of social moaning af the situation, more than 65 per cent of the social meaning is carried on the nonverbal level. According to Knapp (1980; 4-21), the theoretical writings and research on nonverbal communication can be divided into the following seven areas: © Kinesies or body motion © Physical characteristies {including physique or body shape, general attractiveness, clothing) O. Aims of the study The study aims at * Reviewing and discussing diffrent teaching styles and seating axrangements. « Inycstigaling the effets of scaling axrangements on the socio-physical cnvirormnenl of the classroom.
* Discussing possible seating, arrangements for various class activities at Hanoi School of Public Heaith. ULL Scope of the stưdy ‘There are various seating arrangements for lecture halts, classrooms and laboratories. Iowever, this study focuses on four basic types of classroom seating arrangements. They are: desk rows, U-shape, modular and circular ‘The thesis is confined within the investigation and the application of classroom seating arrangements in academic setting at Llanoi School of Public Llealth with English classes as sample.
Finallly, il is idcal to travel to doveloped countries such as the United States, where different seating, arrangements are available, to take photographs, record or videotape some lectures as materials for the research. Due to time constraint, geographical distance, financial difficulty and the scope ofa minor thesis, the data used in this study are collected only by conducting, survey questionnaires and based on the author’s observation and experience ‘Therefore, the thesis should only be regarded as a preliminary study with tentative conclusions. IV, Methods of the study The theoretical background presents a critical review of different publications. The source of relevant information comes from books and the Internet.
Rationak: It has now cn widely acecpted that the physical environment plays an important role in the learning and leaching process. Cornell believes thal this amore engaged pravess of learning reduces or eliminates drowsiness and muscle fatigue However, mp + arch has provided evidence of whether or not and haw the phy: 1 arrangement of seating supports the inleraction and the efforts of sludents and the leacher. Moreover, Sommer (1967) finds thal the seating position thal a student sclcels in a general-purpose classroom is highly correlated with his/her participation in the class Vor decades, the term “classroom” was characterized as a rectangular room where the ‘focus was directed to the front where the instructor exercised complete control af the pace, content, and sequence of activities” (Cornell, 2003:1) by using a blackboard and an overhead projector. However, the traditional style of instruction, where the teacher delivers the information and students sit silently taking notes, is slowly being replaced with student-centered learning (Nair, 2000).
This implies that the traditional type of! seating arrangement (desk rows) should be replaced by more flexible ones, such as U- shape, modular or circular to foster interaction among students themselves, support conmmuication with teachers, and motivate individual students to leam. Halpern (1994) also agrees with Nair (2000) that effective learning rarely occurs passively. As a result, “educators have come to realize thal effective instruction focuses on active invulvement of O. Aims of the study The study aims at * Reviewing and discussing diffrent teaching styles and seating axrangements.
« Inycstigaling the effets of scaling axrangements on the socio-physical cnvirormnenl of the classroom. * Discussing possible seating, arrangements for various class activities at Hanoi School of Public Heaith. ULL Scope of the stưdy ‘There are various seating arrangements for lecture halts, classrooms and laboratories. Iowever, this study focuses on four basic types of classroom seating arrangements.
They are: desk rows, U-shape, modular and circular ‘The thesis is confined within the investigation and the application of classroom seating arrangements in academic setting at Llanoi School of Public Llealth with English classes as sample. Finallly, il is idcal to travel to doveloped countries such as the United States, where different seating, arrangements are available, to take photographs, record or videotape some lectures as materials for the research. Due to time constraint, geographical distance, financial difficulty and the scope ofa minor thesis, the data used in this study are collected only by conducting, survey questionnaires and based on the author’s observation and experience ‘Therefore, the thesis should only be regarded as a preliminary study with tentative conclusions. IV, Methods of the study The theoretical background presents a critical review of different publications.
The source of relevant information comes from books and the Internet. PART IT: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW ‘What nonverbal como lan? The term “non-verbal” is commonly used to describe all events of human communeation that transcend spoken or written words.
