李兰芳
Abstract:ThispaperelaboratestheconceptandcharacteristicsofbodylanguageandemphasizesthefunctionofbodylanguageinEnglishteaching.Theusagesoftheexpressionsintheeyes，facialexpressions,thesensesoftouchandgestures,whichcansetoffthecontentoftheEnglishcourse,makeEnglishteachingattainanewstatethatisfulloffeeling.Usually,itcanarisethestudents’interestinEnglishteaching.Inthemeanwhile,thispapergivessomefunctionalsuggestionsandconclusions.
Keywords:applications;bodylanguage;Englishteaching;middleschool
I.Introduction
Englishteachinginmiddleschoolisveryimportant.However,theeffectofEnglishteachinginmiddleschoolisnotsogoodandtheauthoritiesareeagertofindoutaneffectivewayofteachingEnglish.Lotsofcontributionshavebeenmade,includingtheteachingfacilitiesandthequalityofteachers.Besidesallofthese,theteachingmethodisalsothemostcrucialfactorthataffectsthefinalresult.AsfarastheEnglishteachinginmiddleschoolisconcerned,teachershavetoarisethestudents’interestsothattheycanlearnEnglishverywell.Meanwhile,therearemanywaystoarisethestudents’interest.AndthebodylanguageusedisoneofthewaysusedinEnglishteaching.
Bodylanguage,asanimportantpartofnonverbalcommunication,playsacrucialroleinEnglishteachinginmiddleschool.Asweallknow,Englishteachinginmiddleschoolisaninteractiveprocessforbothinformationalandemotionalcommunicationbetweentheteacherandthestudents.Theteachershouldusethebodylanguagereasonablyandscientificallywhenfocusingonverbalandwrittenexpressionstoimprovetheteachingeffect.Theefficientapplicationofbodylanguageintheclassprovestoplayanirreplaceableroleinconveyinginformationaccuratelyandwarmingupclassatmosphere.Therefore,bodylanguageisalsocalledtheSecondTeachingLanguage．
II.Theconceptofbodylanguage
Bodylanguageisknownasanonverbalbehaviour,whichtransmitstheinformationthroughthegestures,actionsandfacialexpressions.Peoplecommunicatewitheachotherbybodylanguageinthewaysofnodding,waving,eyecontact,shruggingandsoon.Accordingtotheresearchresultsofpsychologists,thesewayscanexpresswhattheverballanguagecannotexpressdirectly.Bodylanguagecanbepidedintosightlanguage,postureandgesture,manner,facialexpressionandclotheslanguage.
III.TheimportanceofusingbodylanguageinEnglishteachingofmiddleschool
UsingbodylanguageisaveryusefulmethodinEnglishteaching.Andusingbodylanguagesuitablyandsufficientlyinclasscanremovethestudents’English-thinkingobstaclesandcreatetheharmoniouslearningatmosphere,whichwillresultinagreatimprovementintheEnglishteachingeffect.
IV.ApplicationsofbodylanguageinEnglishteachingofmiddleschool
Accordingtotheabovestatements,wecanseethatthebodylanguageisaneffectivemethodinEnglishteaching.Inclass,ifteachersusethebodylanguageproperly,students’attentioncanbeattractedandtheteachingqualitycanbeimproved.Theuseofeyecontactisagoodwayforteacherstotransmitinformation;facialexpressionsandtouchalsocanshortenthedistancebetweentheteacherandstudentsbycreatingamoreharmoniouslearningatmosphere;gesturescanhelpteachersexpresstheirownideasandthoughtsaccurately.Sothispaperwillintroducethemasfollows:
a.Applicationofeyecontact
First,eyecontactisgenerallyusedtoindicatewhetheronebeginstocommunicate.Itcanbeobservedwhenateacherasksstudentsaquestion.Forexample,studentswhothinktheyknowtheanswerwilllookattheteacher,whilestudentswhodonotwillusuallytrytoavoideyecontact.
Second,eyecontactisoftenusedtocontrolaninterpersonalinteraction.Whenpeopledonotwanttobeinterrupted,theywilloftenglanceawayandcontinuetalking.Whentheywanttheotherpersontospeakup,theywillpause,makingdirecteyecontact.Teachersoftenuseeyecontactintheclassroomtodecidewhohaspreparedto
answeraquestion,orwhohascompletedthehomework.
Third,eyecontactisgenerallyusedtoindicatethesixcommonemotionsoftheperson.Iftheteacherstaresatastudentangrilywhodoesnotconcentratehisattentiononthestudying,thestudentwouldrestrainhimselfconsciously.Whenastudentcannotansweraquestionforalongtimebecauseheisafraidofmakingmistakes,encouragingeyecontactfromhisteacherwouldmakehimbecomemoreconfidentandanswerthequestioncorrectly.
Fourth,eyecontactisoftenusedasanindicationofwhetherapersonislyingornot.Thestereotypeisthatadishonestpersonwillnotlookatyoustraightlywiththeeyes.
Inaword,eyecontactisaformofbodylanguage.SoEnglishteachershouldlearnhowtoaffectastudentthroughchangingexpressionsintheeyes.
b.Applicationoffacialexpressions
Thefacehasbeencalled“anorganofemotion’’becausehappiness,worry,sadnessandfearcanallbereflectedthroughit.So,ifateachercanusefacialexpressionsfreelyandproperly,thelearningatmospherewillberegulatedandtheteachingeffectwillbeimproved.Attentionsshallbefocusedontheapplicationofsmile.
Ingeneral,asmileisasignofhappinessorfriendlyaffirmation.Totellthetruth,students’learningabilitydependsontheteacher’sattitudetothemtothesomeextent.
Investigationsshowthatmoststudentsfirstlylovetheteacher,thentheylikethesubjectwhichistaughtbytheteacher.Intheprocessofteaching,theteacherexpresseshisaffection,optimismanddeepconfidencetothestudents.Thestudentswillfeelwarmandbecomeactive.Smilescanbeusedtorespondthestudents’answers.Ifthestudentshavegottherightanswers,theteachershouldsmiletothem;iftheyhavegotthewrongones,theteachershouldsmiletothemaswell.Inthisway,thestudentswon’tbefrustratedandtheywilldomuchbetter.Asweallknow,thesecondlanguagelearningisadifficultandboringprocess,soitisnecessaryfortheteachertousesmilestomakethestudentsoptimistic,confidentandactiveinclass.Asaresult,thestudentswillfeelEnglishlearningisakindofentertainment,nottheburden.
c.Applicationoftouch
Tactilecommunicationcanplayusefulfunctioninclass.Sinceteachersareconsideredsuperiorsintheclassroom,theyofteninitiatetouchingbehaviors.Ifateachertouchestheheadofanrulystudent,thestudentwilldeveloppositivefeelingstowardtheteacher.Moreover,touchingcanalsobeusedasreinforcement.Sometimes,ateachercandevelopacloserelationshipwithstudentsbyinvadingtheirspace.Touchingplaysanimportantroleinthefirstyearsofmiddleschool.Whenateacherdonottouchtheirstudentsappropriately,theirstudentsmayfeelisolatedandrejected,whichcanleadtotheacquisitionofnegativeattitudestowardschool．
d.Applicationofgestures
Gesturesarethemovementsofourhands.TheEnglishteachinginclassfocusesoncommunicationactivities.Dullanddrycommunicationwillmakestudentsfeelbored,butlively,vivid,evenexaggeratedactionsandgesturescanenliventheteachingcircumstances,makingtheactivitiesgooffwithoutahitch.
Moreover,duringtheteachingprocess,theteachercansometimesusegesturestohelpthestudentstounderstandthewords.Forinstance,ifateachergivestheirstudentsanobjectoftheballshapethroughhishandsandthenperformstheactionofshootingabasket,thestudentswillknowtheword“basketball”easilyandallofthestudentscanguessthemeaningofit.Thesegestureswillintensifytheirmemories.Whentheteacherteachesaverb,itwillbemoreaccuratefortheteachertomakeasimplegesturetothestudentsthanexplainitrepeatedly,andthestudentscanrememberitwithadeepimpression.
V.Suggestionstotheteachers
BodylanguageplaysanimportantroleincommunicationandEnglishteaching,butifwecannotuseitcorrectly,itwillplayanegativerole.Exaggeratingbodymovementcancauseharm,too.Justasasayinggoes,“Goingtoofarisasbadasnotgoingfarenough.”(Robe•Koch,1971)So,asanEnglishteacher,weshouldmakeproperuseofthebodylanguageinourEnglishteaching.Inthisway,wecangetagoodteachingeffectinourteaching.
VI.Conclusions
Withthecontinuousreformoflanguageteachingandlearningmethod,teachersareingreatdemandtoorganizetheclassesinEnglishandcreateEnglish-learning
Circumstances.However,asthelimitationofstudents’vocabulary,teachershavetosimplifytheirteachinglanguagewiththehelpofeyecontact,facialexpressions,touchandgestures,namelybodylanguage.Bodylanguageisanimportantmediumthroughwhichpeoplecommunicatewitheachother.Duringtheteachingprocess,teacherstransmitinformationtostudentsthroughproperfacialexpressions,gestures,touchandeyecontact.Itcanachievethegoodresultslikeencouragement,suggestionandexchangesothatstudentswillhaveadeepimpression.TheuseofvividandlivelybodylanguageinEnglishteachingofmiddleschoolcanfullyarisestudents’interestandtheirenthusiasm.Inthisway,thebestteachingeffectwillbeachieved.
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作者单位：江苏省仪征市金升外国语实验学校