Nonverbal Cues in Teaching Foreign Language for Vietnamese Higher Education Learners

Abstract

This research focuses on how nonverbal signals affect engagement in university English classrooms in Vietnam. The major obstacles that Vietnamese colleges still need to overcome include large class sizes with plenty of students with different English proficiency levels, inadequate teacher preparation, and outdated teaching methods that lower students' engagement. Qualitative data was gathered via document analysis, student interviews, and classroom observations of two classes comprising 40 non-English major students who come from different regions of Vietnam and their instructors at the Foreign Language Center of Nong Lam University. The results indicate that nonverbal cues significantly improve student comprehension and involvement, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic educational atmosphere. Enhancing non-verbal communication provides Vietnamese instructors with an efficient means to impart English and intercultural communication knowledge. This work adds to the domain of foreign language instruction, specifically the English language, and underscores the significance of non-verbal communication in improving pedagogical approaches.