MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ------------ PHAM THI THANH THUY AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION BY TEACHERS IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO THE 8th GRADE CLASSES AT NGUYEN VIET XUAN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KHANH HOA PROVINCE MA THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: TON NU NHU HUONG, Ph. HUE, 2013 i BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ -------- PHẠM THỊ THANH THÚY NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG HÌNH THỨC GIAO TIẾP PHI NGÔN NGỮ CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TRONG VIỆC DẠY TIẾNG ANH Ở KHỐI LỚP 8 TẠI TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC CƠ SỞ NGUYỄN VIẾT XUÂN, TỈNH KHÁNH HÒA LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ LÝ LUẬN VÀ PHƯƠNG PHÁP DẠY HỌC BỘ MÔN TIẾNG ANH MÃ SỐ: 60140111 NGƯỜI HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA HỌC: TS. TÔN NỮ NHƯ HƯƠNG HUẾ, 2013 ii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I hereby acknowledge that this study is mine. The data and findings discussed in the thesis are true and have not been published elsewhere.
Author Pham Thi Thanh Thuy iii ABSTRACT The research was carried out to investigate the use of nonverbal communication (NVC for short) by teachers in teaching English to the 8th grade classes at Nguyen Viet Xuan Junior Secondary School in Khanh Hoa province. In detail, the investigation was done on 5 teachers and 100 students to explore: (1) the teachers‟ perception about their NVC in class, (2) what types of NVC which they often use, (3) how frequently they use them, (4) the suggestions from both teachers and students for the use of NVC by teachers. Tools of data collection were Questionnaire, Interview and Observation in which the data coming from Questionnaire was the primary source. Some major findings of the research were that (1) all of the teachers acknowledged the importance of NVC in the English teaching and learning process, (2) among five types of NVC (body movements, facial expressions, eye contact, pitch of voice and spatial distance), eye contact and spatial distance are used more often than body movements, facial expressions and pitch of voice, (3) the frequency of the teachers‟ use of NVC types was different, and (4) some suggestions for teachers‟ use of NVC in class.
From the findings, the research made some implications which are: (1) teachers should be encouraged to be aware of the significant role of NVC in teaching learning process, (2) teachers should be encouraged to use NVC in order to provoke the interest of students and make it easy for students learning in the class, and (3) it is suggested that curriculum planners should also recognize the importance of NVC and make it a part of the teacher education program so that prospective teachers are trained in this important skill. iv ACKOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have come out without the help of many people. First of all, I wish to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Ton Nu Nhu Huong, for her great enthusiasm and expert guidance at every stage of the development of this study.
She has been a rich source of knowledge, and her feedback has been of great value, helping my project be improved and completed. I would like to thank Ms. Tran Quang Ngoc Thuy who was the examiner of my thesis. Her comments and suggestions are very helpful for my research.
I wish to thank the teachers and grade 8th students at Nguyen Viet Xuan junior secondary school in Khanh Hoa province who participated in this study. Especially, my warm thank goes to Mr. Phan Thanh Chung, the headmaster of the school, because of his enthusiastic help and agreement for my data collection. Last but not least, I am deeply grateful to my family who always encourage me during the hardest time.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages SUB COVER PAGE. i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP .v TABLE OF CONTENTS. vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.x LIST OF FIGURES. xi LIST OF TABLES .xii CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION .Rationale of the study .Objectives of the research .Significance of the research .Delimitation of the research .Brief outline of the thesis .3 CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW .Definition of Nonverbal communication .Types of Nonverbal communication .Functions of nonverbal communication .Importance of Nonverbal communication .Participants of the study .Data collection procedure .23 CHAPTER 4- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .Findings and discussion of the data collected from teachers .Teachers‟ perception about their own NVC .Types of NVC EFL teachers should pay attention to in their English teaching.Level of importance of NVC in English teaching learning process .Types of NVC teachers often use in class .Frequency of teachers‟ use of NVC types .Pitch of voice .Suggestions for teachers‟ use of NVC in class .Positive impacts of teachers‟ NVC on students .Using hands, shoulder and head to make the lesson more interesting and informative for students .Using facial expressions to help students take part in the lesson .Looking at students when they are involved in a task or talking with classmates to help them .Using either falling or raising intonation to attract students‟ attention to the lesson .Keeping a proper distance with students to make them feel comfortable and confident .The distance between students and the teacher in which the students feel comfortable and easy learning .Negative impacts of teachers‟ NVC on students .Causing loss of interest and motivation among students if teachers sit in chair during their teaching time .Causing loss of impartialness among students if teachers make eye contact only with talented students .Findings and discussion of the data collected from students .Suggestions for teachers‟ use of NVC in class .Positive impacts of teachers‟ NVC on students .Using hands, shoulder and head to make the lesson more interesting and informative .Using facial expressions to help students take part in the lesson .Using either falling or raising intonation to attract students‟ attention to the lesson .Keeping a proper distance with students to make them feel comfortable and confident .The distance between students and the teacher in which the students feel comfortable and easy learning .Negative impacts of teachers‟ NVC on students .Causing loss of interest and motivation among students if teachers sit in chair during their teaching time .Causing loss of confidence and attentiveness among students if teachers look at the students when they are involved in a task or talking with classmates .Causing loss of impartialness among students if teachers make eye contact only with talented students .Restatement of rationale of the study .Summary of the findings .Contributions of the study .Nonverbal communication studies .The use of nonverbal communication in English teaching classes .Limitations of the study .Teachers and Nonverbal communication.Nonverbal communication and curriculum design .Suggestions for further study 60 REFERENCES .65 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1.
EFL English as a foreign language 2. ELT English language teaching 3. NVC Nonverbal communication x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4. Types of NVC teachers should pay attention to in their English teaching.
Level of importance of NVC in English teaching learning process. Types of NVC the teachers often use in class. Frequency of teachers‟ use of body movements. Frequency of teachers‟ use of facial expressions.
Frequency of teachers‟ use of eye contact. Frequency of teachers‟ use of pitch of voice. Frequency of teachers‟ use of spatial distance. Looking at students when they are involved in a task or talking with classmates.
The distance between students and the teacher in which the students feel comfortable and easy learning. Sitting in chair during teaching time. Making eye contact only with talented students. The distance between students and the teacher in which the students feel comfortable and easy learning.
Sitting in chair during teaching time. Looking at the students when they are involved in a task or talking with classmates. Making eye contact only with talented students .54 xi LIST OF TABLES Table 4. Using hands, shoulder and head to make the lesson more interesting and informative.
Using facial expressions to help students take part in the lesson. Using either falling or raising intonation to attract students to the lesson. Keeping a distance with the students to make them feel comfortable and confident. Using hands, shoulder and head to make the lesson more interesting and informative.
Using facial expressions to help students take part in the lesson. Using either falling or raising intonation to attract students to the lesson. Keeping a distance with the students to make them feel comfortable and confident .49 xii CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION To begin this research paper, the author gives out an introduction to present: (1) rationale of the study, (2) objectives of the research, (3) the significance of the research, (4) delimitation of the research, and (5) brief outline of the thesis. Especially, this part focuses on the reasons which explain the author‟s decision of carrying out an investigation into the teachers‟ use of nonverbal communication (NVC for short).
Rationale of the study Communication plays a crucial role in the human life. Through communication, human beings can share knowledge, ideas, thoughts, information, feelings, emotions and attitudes. People can communicate via verbal and nonverbal channel. NVC as an essential part of human communication is inseparable from verbal communication, enhancing or hindering this channel depending on how it is used.
Many researchers point out that that NVC makes up a large amount in daily human communication. Birdwhistell (as cited in Ton, 2002) estimates that more than 60% of human communication is carried out through nonverbal language. Also, experts like Allan and Pease (2004) reveal that 65% to 90% of communication is nonverbal. Although we do not know whether these figures are definitely accurate or not, at least they inform us of the significant roles that NVC plays in our daily interactions.
In language teaching classroom, in spite of being the place where language, the most powerful means of communication between people, is taught, the necessary of NVC cannot be neglected. Communication in classroom mostly occurs between teachers and students, and the success of both students and teachers depends on the effective communication between them in the class. To be successful in face-to-face communication, they are required to be both competent and experienced, not only in verbal communication but also in nonverbal one as well. It cannot be an exception for the English language teaching (ELT for short) classroom because communication takes place there.
Researchers have been more and more aware of 1 the effects of NVC in language teaching classroom. Woolfolk and Brooks (1983) indicate that nonverbal behaviors often influence the demeanor of teachers and students. So, to reach effective communication, both teacher and students need to be aware of their communicative competence in NVC. Especially, the teacher as a knowledge-sender should be strongly aware of their NVC in classroom, because they convey many messages which may influence the classroom atmosphere, classroom instruction as well as students‟ involvement and learning outcomes.
6) points out that: The body language of a teacher is the most important thing in the class. it is the way you use your eyes, the distance you stand from your students, the way you touch or refrain from touching them. All of these unnoticeable things in the class carry important signals which create a profound effect on your students‟ feelings of welcome and comfort with you. Andersen (1979) believes that teacher's nonverbal immediacy behaviors can affect students' attitudes and feelings toward a subject area.
Also, Miller (1988) indicates that when teachers give verbal messages that conflict with nonverbal messages, students become confused, and this confusion may affect their learning and attitudes. Generally, teachers‟ NVC plays a pivotal role in the language classroom and teachers should learn to use NVC to increase the quality of their teaching.