Using Multisensory Teaching Approach for Developing EFL Prospective Teacher's Immediacy Skills in Classroom Communication

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of using multisensory teaching approach for developing EFL prospective teachers' immediacy skills. The problem of this study was identified in EFL prospective teachers' poor mastery of verbal and nonverbal immediacy skills in practicum classrooms. The study adopted the quasi- experimental design. The subjects of this study were (38) participants, they were selected randomly from fourth year student-teachers (Elementary Education) at Port-Said Faculty of Education. They were divided into two groups (control and experimental). To determine the most required verbal and nonverbal immediacy skills to be developed, a questionnaire containing a list of such skills with their performance sub-skills was designed for TEFL specialists. Based on the selected skills, the researcher designed a pre- post observation checklist of immediacy skills approved by a jury; and EFL prospective teachers of the experimental group were taught to use multisensory teaching to support developing their immediacy skills in the classroom. The results of administering the pre- post immediacy skills observation checklist (quantitative instrument), evaluation and self-reflection quizzes, peer assessment checklists, and student- teachers' reflective logs (qualitative instruments) showed that there was a statistically significant difference at 0.01 level between the mean ranks of the control and experimental groups on the post-administration of the observation checklist in favor of the experimental group in both verbal and nonverbal immediacy skills. The findings of the present study revealed that using multisensory teaching approach had a positive effect on developing EFL prospective teachers' verbal and nonverbal immediacy skills.