A Study Of Excellent English Teachers' Body Language In Classroom

Nonverbal communication plays an important role in English teaching. To some degree, it can determine whether teacher-student interaction can be successfully achieved. What's more, teacher's nonverbal behaviors are also very important in the whole teaching process, especially their body language (BL). Teacher's vivid facial expressions and visual gestures often leave a deep impression on students. By using BLs, it can help teachers to build up a good and harmonious relationship with students, and to make a pleasant studying atmosphere, thus accommodates students to acquire knowledge easily; besides, it can also help to keep classroom in order and enhance teaching efficiency. However, in English language teaching, English teachers often pay much more attention to verbal communication than nonverbal communication.Previous researches on body language are mostly seen to discuss the theories related to the use and functions of body language, or to study the cultural differences in using body language and the effect the differences can cause. However, empirical studies on teachers'nonverbal communication, especially on their body language in classroom settings are very few. Understanding based on the teachers'actual use of body language needs to be built so that it can be used more properly and effectively. This study investigates the use of body language of excellent English teachers in classroom settings, with an assumption that excellent English teachers can set an example for other teachers in the use of body language, as in other aspects of teaching.It attempts to answer the following research questions: First, what types of body language are used by excellent teachers in classroom settings? What are the frequencies of the types of body language being used? Second, are excellent teachers aware of their use of body language in classroom situations? Third, what attitude do excellent teachers hold towards their use of BL in classroom teaching and learning? The study was carried out by observing 8 excellent college English teachers'use of BL in their classroom teaching, and by administering questionnaires to another 30 excellent English teachers. As the results show, all the excellent English teachers use positive BLs like smiling and nodding head, frequently to attract students'attention, mobilize students'enthusiasm, and encourage students to take part in classroom activities. They seldom or never use negative kinds of BL in their teaching,such as shaking head, and frowning. There is no great difference among these eight teachers in the frequency of some types of BL they use. The results also show that almost all of the excellent teachers often consciously use their body language in classroom teaching. Many of them think that they know BL well, but it seems that only a few of them can make a right choice about the types of body language. They all think that BL can affect their classroom teaching; most of them often pay attention to their use of BL in the classroom.Based on the results of the present study,the author suggests that in classroom teaching English language teachers should use more positive types of BL and have a better understanding about the importance of BL.