The effects of teaching methods for raising ESL students’ awareness of gesture

Abstract

Research shows that gestures help L2 learners compensate for shortcomings in their second language, aid in the language learning process, and facilitate successful classroom communication between teachers and students . Despite this, there has been little research into whether L2 learners can benefit from classroom activities to raise their awareness of gesture use in a second language. The current study tests this hypothesis. An experimental group of 13 students and a control group of 10 students were recorded in pairs completing three separate tasks, received instruction on the tasks, and finally completed a second recording. The experimental group’s classroom activities included a focus on gesture, while the control group’s did not. Overall, compared to the control group, the experimental group gestured more frequently and expressively on the post-test. Moreover, students in the experimental group had a positive attitude towards the gesture awareness raising activities. The results of the study suggest that gesture awareness raising activities can improve L2 learners’ gesture use in a second language, offering implications for L2 learners, language instructors, and researchers.