The role of gestures as visual cues in listening comprehension by second-language learners

Despite a growing interest in the contribution of visual cues to second-language (L2) speech processing, little research has been done to compare the effects of nonverbal cues such as a speaker's hand-arm gestures and lip movements in L2 listening comprehension. The present study focuses on the contribution of hand gestures and lip movements in L2 learners' listening comprehension of a lecture presented by a native speaker of American English in a classroom setting. A total of 42 learners from beginning and advanced classes in English as a second language in the U.S. participated. They were randomly assigned to three stimulus conditions: AV-gesture (auditory and visual presentation of hand gestures and facial cues), AV-face (auditory and visual of facial cues only), and A-only (auditory-only input), and completed a multiple-choice comprehension task followed by a questionnaire on their attitudes toward and use of gestures. Results revealed that comprehension was significantly better for the lower proficiency learners in the AV-gesture condition, whereas the higher proficiency learners performed best in the AV-face condition suggesting that gestures facilitate comprehension even at lower proficiency levels but more linguistic experience is needed to enhance the information value of facial speech cues such as lip movements. Questionnaire results indicated learners' positive attitude towards visual cues as aids to comprehension regardless of proficiency level. Findings indicate the importance of raising learner awareness to nonverbal aspects of communication.