Kendon's Gesture Continuum as the framework for classifying nonverbal devices¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 5 claims (5 for) · 1 study (1 design), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article draws on Kendon's (1980) Gesture Continuum and McNeill's view of gestures as "components of speech, not accompaniments but actually integral parts of it". The continuum arranges gesture types from least to most language-like: gesticulation, pantomime, and sign language, with language-like gesture and emblems in the middle able to accompany speech with context-dependent meaning. The study uses this framework to select the gesture types relevant to attention-getting and to justify referring to bodily movements generally as nonverbal devices.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Distinguishing gesture types requires attending to whether movements accompany speech and whether their meaning is context-dependent or culturally fixed

Constraints¶

• The study focuses solely on nonverbal devices (body movements and gestures) used for attention-getting, excluding verbal strategies that likely work in concert with them

Target Learners¶

• L1 and L2 Spanish speakers

Target Learning Objectives¶

• understanding the relationship between gesture and speech
• nonverbal attention-getting in pragmatic performance

Claims¶

• Facial expression was the most common nonverbal attention-getting device, and the open hand the most common hand gesture [+W]
• L1 and L2 speakers differed in types of nonverbal devices used, with no significant overall difference in use between groups [+W]
• Participants showed little metapragmatic awareness of their own nonverbal attention-getting devices in immediate recall [+W]
• Scenario type (social distance and power differential) did not appear to affect the overall number of nonverbal devices used [+W]
• Mobile-application TE-DCTs capture nonverbal attention-getters in the large majority of both L1 and L2 responses across all scenarios [+W]

Related Theories¶

Examples¶

• Integrate mobile-application TE-DCTs into L2 pragmatics instruction to build metapragmatic awareness of nonverbals

Key Sources¶

• Catherine Rockey, Jessica Tiegs, and Julieta Fernández. (2020). Mobile Application Use in Technology-Enhanced DCTs. CALICO Journal. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.38773