Kinesics in academic lectures

Abstract

Nonverbal behaviors have been shown to be learned, meaningful, systematic, and sometimes culture-bound. Kinesics, the science of body behavioral communication, has been a neglected factor in second language instruction and research, particularly in the important area of academic listening. This paper provides a model for future materials development, teaching methodology, testing, and research in this largely uncharted area. A study was conducted to investigate the effect of training in nonverbal and verbal cue identification on notetaking and listening comprehension by 100 Chinese graduate students. For this purpose videotapes of one American lecturer were used. The results revealed no significant differences between groups. Nonetheless, it is argued that nonnative students in higher education be given access to both unique and redundant information in the nonverbal channel through training in the kinetics of academic lectures.