The Application of Teachers’ Body Language in English Teach(7)

(name of author) 7 proper body language in English teaching could develop relationships between the students and teachers, and arouse the thirst of students for knowledge. As a modern teacher, it should take advantage of the superiority of body language.

B. The functions of use body language in English teaching

About the functions of teachers‟body language in English teaching, some teachers have made comparison. They summed up that there are following functions: the function of the organization, demonstration and implication.

i. The function of the organization of classroom management

As we all known, the modern English teaching emphasis that the students are the subject of teaching, the students‟ practice is the main point in English teaching, not the teachers‟ cramming explaining. The aim of teaching is to improve the students‟ learning skill. Thus many classroom activities designed with chain work, group work or pair work. Take the chain work for instance, it is complex to interpret the rule of the activity in Chinese, but only in English, it is difficult to understand for the students. However, if the teachers use proper body language when they organize activities in English, it will make the students understand smoothly, and increase the input of target language. For example, the behaviors like “sit down”, “come in”, “stand up”, and so on.

ii. The function of the demonstration in teaching process

If the teachers explain a concept or a process only with verbal language, it will hardly understand for the students. But if the teachers use some body languages to assist their interpretation, the demonstrate behavior will make the interpretation clear and audio-visual. For example, clap hands means welcome, encourage. In addition, the function of demonstration reflects on role play and content reading. For example, the teacher make the students read the content follow him, and guide the students play games.

iii. The function of the implication of verbal language

Because of students‟ psychological factors (for example, the teachers‟ direct criticizes will wounded the students‟pride.), and the limit teaching time, the use of facial expression and eye contact is especially important in teaching organization for English teachers. For instance, teachers‟ serious stare is more effective than verbal criticizes. The teachers nod their heads or smile when the students answer questions, it is a kind of encourage and approve to the students and do not need to interpret the students‟ answering. At this time, the use of body language is more proper than verbal language. What‟more, when the teacher pointed out to a