TRANSFORMASI Jurnal Informasi & Pengembangan Iptek”

THE ROLE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH TEACHING

Sukris Sutiyatno
STMIK Bina Patria Magelang
e-mail: sukris65@[Link]

Abstract
Classroom teaching learning activity, especially English classroom taching and learning is a kind of
communication between teachers and and students. In this course both teachers and students use
nonverbal and verbal to communicate consiciously and unconcisously. Teachers, especially English
teachers, as a bridge to international communication and information-sender, should be strongly
aware of the importance of nonverbal communication to promote the English competence of the
students

Keywords: nonverbal communication, English teaching

Abstrak
Aktivitas pembelajaran dan pengajaran di kelas, khususnya pembelajaran dan pengajaran bahasa
Inggris merupakan suatu bentuk komunikasi antara guru dan siswa. Dalam hal ini baik para guru dan
siswa menggunakan komunikasi baik verbal maupun nonverbal baik secara sadar maupun tidak sadar.
Pengajar bahasa Inggris seharusnya mempunyai kesadaran secara kuat terhadap pentingnya
komunikasi nonverbal untuk meningkatkan kompetensi bahasa Inggris siswa.

Kata kunci: komunikasi nonverbal, pengajaran bahasa Inggris

INTRODUCTION be dismantled into thousands of discrete pieces

Communication is the basis of all and those pieces programmatically taught one
human contact, which is central to human life. by one you will attend carefully to an
People communicate in many different ways. understanding of the separability of the forms
One of the most important ways, of course, is of [Link] you think language is
through language. Language is a system of essentially cultural and interactive,your
arbitrary conventionalized vocal, written, or classroom methodology will be imbued with
gestural symbols that enable members of a sociolinguistic strategies and communicative
given community to communicate intelligibly tasks (Brown, 2000:6).
with one another. Brown (2000:250) Bi Jiwan (1995) states, “Scholars
Communication may be regarded as a believe that the role of nonverbal
combination of acts, a series of elements with communication in classroom teaching is
purpose and intent. Communication is not greater than that of formal teaching for
merely an event, something that happens; it is students’ learning. Research has indicated that
functional, purposive, and designed to bring teachers are required to learn to use nonverbal
about some effect—some change, however communication to improve classroom
subtle or unobservable—on the environment teaching. Classroom teaching learning activity,
of hearers and speakers. Moreover , when especially English classroom taching and
language is written it can completely isolated learning is a kind of communication between
from the context in which it occurs; it can be teachers and and students. In this course both
treated as if it were an independent and self- teachers and students use nonverbal and verbal
contained process. to communicate consiciously and
Your understanding of the unconcisously. Teachers, especially English
components of language determines to a large teachers, as a bridge to international
extent how you teach a language. If, for communication and information-sender,
example, you believe that nonverbal should be strongly aware of the importance of
communication is a key to successful second nonverbal communication, because nonverbal
language [Link] will devote some behaviors convey many messages in
attention to nonverbal systems and cues. If you classroom, and become invaluable for teachers
perceive language as a phenomeonon that can in getting the message across to class and

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understanding the messages of interest or preferences of idiosyncrasies (Beamer &

messages of confrontation that students are Varner, 2001:160). Meanwhile, Harris &
sending. Their positive nonverbal cues can Nelson (2008:135) states that nonverbal
also influence the teacher’s state of mind and communication, then, is any part of
the classroom atmosphere, and further communication that does not use words.
improve the effect of classroom instruction. Nonverbal communication is so inextricably
Generally speaking, the students’ involvement bound up with verbal aspects of
and interest in the subject can be detected from communication process that we can only
the relaxed faces and smiles. So we can say, separate them artificially. Mass Knapp
nonverbal communication between teachers (1980:18) states, “Generally, when people
and students plays an important role in English refer to nonverbal communication, they are
classroom teaching learning process. talking about the signals to which meaning
will be attributed—not the process of
I. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION attributing meaning …”.
We communicate so much Nonverbal communication operates in
information nonverbally in conversations that the present and is highly dependent on the
often the verbal aspect of the conversation is contex. Both of these phrases apply very
negligible. This is particularly true for specifically to nonverbal communication. “We
interactive language functions in which social form instantaneous impressions of people—
contact is of key importance and in which it is favorable and unfavorable—based on their
not what you say that counts but how you say facial features,body shape, height, clothing,
it—what you convey with body language, tone of voice, gaze behavior, use of space,
gestures, eye contact, physical distance, and facial expressions, and so on” (Remland,
other nonverbal messages. Nonverbal 2003:368).
communication, however, is so subtle and However, effective human
subconsicious in a native speaker that verbal communication falls into two types: verbal
language seems, by comparasion, quite communication and nonverbal
mechanical and systematic. Language communication. For a long time, only the
becomes distinctly human trough its nonverbal former one occurred to us immediately when
dimension, or what,or what Edward Hall we discuss human communication, while the
(1959) called the “silent language”. The latter was neglected to a large extent. In fact,
expression of culture is so bound up in nonverbal communication plays a very
nonverbal communication that the barriers to important role in human social behavior. Its
culture learning are more noverbal than verbal. importance has been fully accounted for by
Verbal language requires the use of only one communication theorists. As Henry David
of the five sensory modalities: hearing. But Thoreau has ever said that in human
there remain in our communicative repertoire intercourse the tragedy begins not when there
three other senses by which we communicate is misunderstanding about words, but when
every day, if we for the moment rule out taste silence is not understood (Huang, 2011:903).
as falling within a communicative category Nonverbal communication is vitally important
(Brown, 2000:262). to communication effectiveness (Anderson,
The majority of nonverbal behaviors is 1999). Depending on the expert, nonverbal
intuitive and is based on normative rules. comprises from 93% (Mehrabian, 1983) to
Except for behaviors such as good manners or 68% (Birdwhistell, 1970) of a message’s
etiquette, little formal training is provided for meaning.
nonverbal communication. Although As different linguists describe
nonverbal communication has little or no nonverbal communication in in different
formal structure, it does have a natural set of dimension, there are many ways of
rules that are recognized through cultural categorizing nonverbal communication, they
norms. The vast number of changes in suggested there be three types of nonverbal
organizations and cultural norms remind us communication; sign language, action
that “nonverbal communication is influenced language, and object language. In Michael’s
by a number of factors, including cultural book (1984) Bodily communication, nonverbal
background, socioeconomic background, communication is identical to body language,
education, gender, age, and personal including facial expressions, gaze, gestures

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and bodily movement, postures, bodily English teachers should fully realize the role
contact, spatial behavior, clothes, physique played by nonverbal behaviors, let alone
and other aspects of appearance and nonverbal nonverbal bahaviors performed by themselves,
vocalizations. for the teachers’ appropriate nonverbal
behaviors not only improve relationship
II. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION between the teachers and the students, but also
AND ENGLISH CLASSROOM set up a good image for the students. For a
TEACHING vivid smile, an encouraging gesture, or a
As discussed above that nonverbal gentle expression in teachers’ eyes can be
communication plays a very paramount role in effective tools for the improvement of the
human behavior, it remains for from being relation between teachers and students, which
well understood. The earlier approaches to can also consequently improve classroom
foreign language teaching and learning were teaching effect.
focused on the development of grammatical
mastery rather than communicative skills. III. THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Most of English teachers used to concentrate OF NONVERBAL
on English grammar and vocabulary, ignorant COMMUNICATION IN
of the practical application of nonverbal CLASSROOM TEACHING
communication so that the students feel the
teachers’ lectures are boring and they are A. Kinesics
frequently reluctant to be active in the teaching Every culture and language uses body of
learning process. With the advancement of language, or kinesics, in unique but clearly
linguistic science and teaching methodology interpretable ways. All cultures throughout the
research, the idea of developing learners’ history of humankind have relied on kinesics
ability to use the target language for successful for conveying important messages. The study
communication has become more and more of how movement communities is called
popular. Experts and language teachers have kinesics, or body language. As the most
become more and more aware of the effects of frequent use of nonverbal cues in class,
nonverbal communication on foreign language kinesics can lead to the level of effectiveness
teaching. If the teacher’s nonverbal of teaching directly. Teachers’ smile, nod and
communication is vivid and alive, it will be pat of students’ shoulders can indicate praise,
helpful for students’ understanding and while frown, head-shaking and confusing look
command of knowledge in the classroom and mean “no”, and students’ body language can
it’s alsomuch easier for students to memorize. convey their affection to the teacher and their
All the researchers indicate that the teacher attitude toward the courses that they learn and
should be in high spirits and active. toward school’s rules. Here we would like to
Many scholars hold that the nonverbal look into some of the more significant
communication in the class is much more movements of kinesics from these five parts in
important in the students’ study than in the great details. They are facial expressions, eye
regular teaching itself. If the teachers know contact, gesture, as well as touch of teachers.
well how to use nonverbal actions more 1. Facial Expressions
effectively, the relationship between the Our face provides important
teachers and the students will be improved, the information regarding our internal views about
students’ cognitive ability and study effect how things are going. “The face is the most
alike. The teachers should improve their extraordinary communicator, capable of
English knowledge, applied skill, learning accurately signaling emotion in the bare blink
strategies, while cross-culturalcommunication of a second, capable of concealing emotion
includes the competence of verbal equally well” (Blum, 1998:33-34). Facial
communication and that of nonverbal expressions are largerly universal, products of
communication. To be exact, it is composed of biological imperatives” with six expression—
three parts: written communication ability, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise and
oral communication ability and nonverbal happiness. Facial expression between teachers
communication ability. We can understand and students is one of the most important types
that nonverbal communication is an integrated of nonverbal signals in the classroom.
part of English classroom teaching. Therefore

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In English class, the lively facial students’ bad behavior, his eyesight should put
expression can promote a supportive and non- on the triangle part of the students’ face. By
threatening classroom atmosphere, which aids doing so, the teacher will be impressed as
students’ positive attitudes and corresponding serious, careful, and honest.
achievement. When the teacher raises a English class may be a little more
question in English, an expectant expression special than other classes, because English
he shows can encourage students to think class requests students to talk more with
carefully and answer actively, and they don’t teachers and classmates, especially in English.
feel afraid, inferior and underpressure when Many students give comments that they feel
they make mistakes. Sometimes an the most nervous in English class. So when the
unconscious frown can make sensitive teacher ask someone to answer question in
students correct his answer immediately. It is English class, the messages expressed by his
much better than just saying “No” or eyes should be more encouraging, more soft,
“Wrong”, which can protect the students’ may be just “as warm as spring”. Then the
proper pride. Besides that, a teacher should students may feel more relaxed, get more self-
often smile during teaching learning process, a confidence and practice their oral English
smiling teacher will make students feel more freely and willingly. A conducive and
comfortable and the students can enjoy the comfortable atmosphere will help students
process of learning as well as possible. improve their English better.
3. Gestures
2. Eye Contact Gestures in an English teaching tend
Eye contact is another important to be evaluated based on how well the
aspect of kinesics. We communicate a great movements reinforce or challenge the existing
deal through our eyes, perhaps more than relationship between teachers and students.
through any part of the body. As the saying Using the appropriate gestures for specific
goes, “The eyes are the window of the soul.” situation is important. Power is reinforced
Eye contact can express interest, attraction, through gestures (Remland, 2003). The
intimacy, dominance, persuasiveness, students are expected to display appropriate
aggressiveness, and credibility (Burgoon & attention to teachers through correct facing
Dillman, 195). Why do the eyes have such an behaviors. Teachers can manipulate their
impact? First, eye contact serves as movements and gestures in order to enhance
simultaneous communication because it allows the quality of the interaction in the English
people to send and receive messages at the teaching learning process.
same time. Eye contact also is used to control Being the most common form of
interaction. This regulating of the flow of the nonverbal behaviors in daily life, we need to
transaction can be simply failing to understand the gestures of people. A gesture
acknowledge someone’s presence. Clearly, the is an expressive motion or action, usually
potential for a response from someone is made with the hands and arms, but also with
decreased if the amount of eye contact is the head or even the while body. Gesture can
minimal. In general, eye contact is a powerful occur with or without speech. Some gestures
means for establishing relationships and are spontaneous, some are highly ritualized
indicating an open, honest approach. Once you and have very special meanings. It is through
become more familiar with specific cultural gestures that the body speaks. In other words,
requirements, you can judge how to use eye gestures are closely related to speech,
contact in an English teaching classroom. illustrating or supplementing it. Gestures are
There are two kinds of eye contact that so common in daily life that attaracts special
the teacher often uses in the classroom. One is attention of many experts. They are mostly
looking arround, which plays a very useful concerned with speech and other ways of
role in classroom teaching. On the one hand, it nonverbal communication, but sometimes they
can be used to get the students’ attention, and can not stand alone. Generally speaking, a
to encourage students to think and respond speaker uses gestures for two purposes: to
teacher’s questions actively. On the other it reinforce an idea or to help describe
can used to manage the classroom control. something. Through gestures we can express
Another kind of eye contact is looking our attitude toward other.
attentively. When the teachers criticizes the

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A teacher may be viewed as boring, speed. When in the process of statements, the
stiff, and inanimate, if he or she fails to use mid-pitch and low-pitch can be alternatives,
gestures while speaking. Comparatively, a and the speed can be raised. When the students
lively and animated teaching style captures seem tired and bored, the teacher should
students’ attention, and makes the material change his tone in time to make them excited
more interesting, facilitate learning and again.
provides a bit ofentertainment. In the process In class, when a teacher gives a
of learning, hand and arm movements are lecture, he may have a brief pause or silence to
often employed to physically depict achieve the purpose of contrast or emphasis
conceptual, intellectual, abstract, or narrative for the presentation. Moreover, a teacher may
elements of the presentation. Using gestures in pause a little when another topic is turned to.
English class can make complex grammar A number of teachers may use silence as an
points easier to understand. effective means to dominate a noisy class. A
student may keep silence, when he is
B. Paralanguage uninformed or he is not clear about what a
The manner in which something is teacher says, or he is unwilling to answer a
said is paralanguage, which includes question. In addition, the silence in language
accent,emphases, vocal qualities, pitch, rate, teaching is also a very important aspect in
pauses, silences, (a form of vocalic behavior), terms of the language rhyme. There exists”The
and anything that adds to the meaning we silence is gold.” The change of expression of
asscociate with the verbal (Anderson, 1999). language refers to the alternative of humor and
Paralanguage includes a large group of seriousness, which means that the ideal effect
behaviors such as pitch, time, rate, silence, and of teaching lies in the change ofmany kinds of
other vocal behaviors provide information style of language instead of being merely
about emotions, reinforce meaning, and serious or humourous all the time. The feature
demonstrate understanding of communication of the students’ recognition and attention is the
skills expected (Harris & Nelson, 2008:145). proof of the change of teacher’slanguage style.
Paralanguage “affects not only (people’s)
credibility, but their ability to persuade as well C. Spatial Language
(Gass & Seiter, 1999:177). Spatial here refers to the distance
Paralanguage is the way we vocalize between teachers and students. As we know,
or say the words we speak. The correct use of teaching and learning in the classroom is a
paralanguage in class is very powerful to the process of communication and the spatial
effective teaching and learning. We mainly distance between teachers and students is a
deal with two aspects in English classroom; “critical factor in the communication process”.
nonverbal sounds and pause and silence. The Whether the spatial distance between a teacher
facet of nonverbal sounds, which is often and his students in class is appropriate or not
named “vocalparalanguage”, includes such as may affect positively or negatively on teaching
vocal elements as intonation, tone, pitch, and learning process. Most of students feel
rhythm, volume, pace etc. These elements that the teachers who walks around the room
form a powerful, subtle and vital part of or stands closer to them is perceived as
communication. Nonverbal sounds claim a friendly and can make the students more
person’s personality characteristics. Effective involving in the process of teaching and
English teachers are more likely to be good at learning. On the other hand, the teacher can
varying their voiceor convey different give more attention to the poor students and
messages in different situation for different can motivate them to be active in the learning
purposes. While teaching, effective English process. The teachers who manage their class
teachers are moreinclined to employ emphatic while standing or walking among their
intonation and few ungrammatical pauses, students are viewed more effectively than
while the less important one is skimmed those standing in front of the classroom, and
through quickly than the ineffective ones. are seen more friendlier and more comfortable
Geneerally speaking, when there are key than those who stand further from the students.
points in the process of teaching, or there Based on the daily experience, when
exists some problems needing emphasized, the the student gets absent-minded or does
teacher can raise his tone and slow down the something irrelevant to the teaching content,

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the teacher, if permitted, will move forward to which consists of verbal and nonverbal
the students if he or she does not want to communication
interrupt the communication among the other
students. Under this circumstance, the students REFERENCES
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