STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CLASSROOM NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF INTERNATIONAL CHINESE TEACHERS

School of Language and Literature,College of Humanities and Sciences of Northeast Normal University,Changchun,China 861036255@qq.com

Jinhua Zhang

School of International Studies,College of Humanities and Sciences of Northeast Normal University,Changchun,China 973672272@qq.com

[Abstract]Non-verbal communication plays a significant auxiliary role in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.This paper aims the international Chinese language teachers and foreign students as research objects,and makes an indepth analysis of the problems existing in teachers’use of non-verbal communication behavior in class,and proposes some tentative strategies of teaching objects,teachers’professional development,teaching methods,etc.It is really hopeful to provide some references for improving teachers’classroom non-verbal communication competence.

[Keywords]International Chinese language teacher,non-verbal communication competence,strategy

Introduction

The ways of communication between China and foreign countries have shown a diversified tendency,and foreigners’enthusiasm for learning Chinese language has increased much more than before,which raised much higher requirements on international Chinese language teachers,so these teachers should be equipped with the language communication competence,and should lay emphasis on cultivating and improving the non-verbal communication competence.Non-verbal communication defines as all communication activities that do not use languages to conduct,including eye-contact,gestures,body posture,smiling,facial expressions,clothing,silence,physical contact,distance between speakers,volume of speech,and concept of time space,etc.(Hu,1999).Non-verbal communicative behavior runs through the entire process of International Chinese language teaching,and it is also a very important supporting teaching means.Non-verbal communicative behavior plays an irreplaceable role to exchange emotions,transmit teaching information and improve the ability of communication among foreign students.And the problems that exist in teachers’use of non-verbal communication cannot be ignored because these problems will impact the effectiveness of teachers’teaching and the relationship between teachers and students.

Problems Existing in Teachers’Use of Non-verbal Communication in Class

The role of non-verbal communication in class is not to be underestimated,sometimes even not to be irreplaceable.The problems existing in teachers’use of non-verbal communication should not be neglected because these problems will affect the teaching result,the acceptance degree of students and the smooth communication between teachers and students.

The awareness of non-verbal communication is weak

The most direct and fundamental purpose of teaching Chinese as a foreign language is to master the basic knowledge of Chinese and basic skills in listening,speaking,reading,and writing,and cultivate the ability to communicate in Chinese(Liu,2000).Teachers work as a channel when international students learn Chinese language and understand Chinese culture in class.The level of a teacher's verbal and non-verbal communicative competence affects the level of foreign students'appropriate use of Chinese language to communicate.International Chinese language teachers do pay more attention to the appropriateness,correctness and acceptability of language communicative behavior,and do pay less attention to the impact of the use of non-verbal communicative behavior on students,so cultural conflicts often occur in cross-cultural communication.It is far from enough for Chinese teachers to only have Chinese knowledge and skills; they should also have a sense of multiculturalism,master the corresponding cross-cultural communication knowledge,and realize the importance of possessing and cultivating students’non-verbal communication skills.The improper use of the non-verbal communicative behavior,which is caused by cultural misunderstanding,will inevitably bring about undesirable consequences,so teachers must illustrate,explain or reconcile inappropriate behaviours timely.

Non-verbal communication behavior has distinct national cultural characteristics,and non-verbal communication systems in different cultures are not unified.For example,when the Chinese teacher asks the Indian students after the explanation of the language points,if the students understand,they will shake their heads in response,and the teacher will explain again,immediately after the students will shake their heads again.The reason is that shaking and nodding in India means exactly opposite in China.It can be seen that if teachers pay close attention to the differences between Chinese culture and foreign students'culture,the barriers in communication will be reduced.

The non-verbal communication is not systematic

Based on the status quo of 95 international Chinese language teachers’classroom non-verbal communication behavior,the interviews,questionnaires,classroom observation and other surveys were conducted.Through analysis,it was found that many teachers not only are short of the theoretical knowledge of non-verbal communication,but also are lack of the skills of using non-verbal communication.As the international Chinese education environment pays far less attention to non-verbal communication than language communication,most teachers who teach Chinese as a foreign language have not received relevant training,or have not systematically studied relevant courses,so they cannot teach or infiltrate students in teaching the non-verbal communication related knowledge,the consequent phenomena show that students are lacking in non-verbal communication abilities.Besides,teachers much more concentrate on the achievement of the expected teaching effect in classroom teaching via their own language communication,and the non-verbal communication is less considered by teachers in class,these teachers’decisions lead to the use of non-verbal communication becomes very casual and less systemic.For example,in the classroom reading session,the teacher’s arms are straightened,the five fingers are brought together,and the palms are upwards.This body language sometimes indicates that a single student reads aloud individually,and sometimes presents all students read together.Such kind of casual gesture will not only confuse students,but also affect the rhythm of the class.Each teacher can have his or her own style of gestures to deal with the following situations,such as,how to use gestures to express tones,separable words or antonyms;how to guide students to speak out complete sentences;how to correct students’grammatical errors,etc.,but all these situations require a clear and fixed gesture to avoid wasting students’time to memorize the meaning of each body language of the teacher,not missing the main teaching content.If the teacher’s instructions are clear and easy for students to understand,the students will get the teacher’s intentions immediately,and there will occur a tacit understanding between teachers and students,and a perfect teaching result will be impressive without extra effort.Besides,teachers’non-verbal communication behavior in the classroom should follow the principle of moderation.Too few non-verbal communication behaviors and the simple use of language communication will be less vivid and attractive,and students are not easy to join classroom learning;in contrast,too much non-verbal communication behavior will distract students.When the non-verbal communication is used properly in class,it will play a significant and irreplaceable role.

The teaching form is relatively unitary

although the teaching methods of Chinese as a foreign language have been innovating,there are still some unsatisfactory aspects in the actual classroom teaching.For example,teachers generally pay more attention to the input of language knowledge and the training of listening,speaking,reading and writing skills,but do not take efforts into creating a language environment,which is similar to the real one for students to practice communication,and ignore the cultivation of cross-cultural non-verbal communication ability of foreign students.Therefore,“communication teaching method”and“communicative language teaching approach”do not become the mainstreams in teaching Chinese as foreign language classes at home and abroad.In addition,international students rarely take the initiative to communicate with Chinese people after class,so these foreign students are difficult to improve their Chinese communicative skills.

Taking vocabulary teaching as an example,many verbs in Chinese are very suitable for using body language to teach and practice,such as verbs related to hand movements:hit,hug,pat,push,pull,lift,point,etc.If the teacher simply uses language to explain these verbs,there are a lot of new words to need to explain,which not only violates the“i+1”principle(Krashen,1982),but also confuses students’understanding.If the teacher’s teaching method is single,short of flexibility and innovation,students will only focus on mechanical memorizing not actual usage.The combination use of verbal communication and non-verbal communication can make the lectures more vivid,and also deepen students’memory of words.Through the teacher’s influence and penetration in class,students can use nonverbal communication behavior to assist language expression in real communication environment appropriately,and their Chinese will be more“authentic”,and they will achieve a goal of the true meaning of“When in Rome,do as the Romans do”.

Strategies for Improving Classroom Non-verbal Communicative Competence

Based on the problems existing in teachers’use of non-verbal communication behavior in class,some tentative strategies are recommended to improve classroom non-verbal communicative behavior.

Get to know the students and be prepared to teach

Teachers may learn about the customs and cultural taboos of countries in which foreign students are from before teaching them,or let students fill out a questionnaire to collect their personal information,religious beliefs,value orientation,etc.to make sure the guaranteed use of non-verbal communication behavior correctly in classroom teaching.For example,it can be assumed that there is a foreign student from a polygamy country or a homosexual student in the class,if some topics are related to the above situations,teachers should respect the students’cultural differences and their personal behaviors,and deliver the acceptable information and opinions.The teachers should not take any expressions and actions that are surprised,unbelievable,or incomprehensible,so as to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in the use of non-verbal communication behavior and affect the smooth progress of classroom teaching.Another example is that Russian students give a bunch of chrysanthemums to teachers to present their gratitude.If they don’t understand that the“flower language”of chrysanthemums in Russia is different from China,this cultural difference will make teachers feel embarrassed.In the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language,cultural differences are everywhere.In addition to being sensitive and tolerant,teachers must also recognize these differences to serve the teaching,enhance students'curiosity,and boost their learning enthusiasm.

Teachers also need to observe students'non-verbal communication behavior,such as nodding and shaking their heads,frowning,smiling,etc.,to judge whether students are attentively listening to the class or whether they understand the knowledge being taught.Non-verbal communication behavior is the external manifestation of students’psychology,which can influence and mobilize students’non-intellectual factors,and deepen the emotional communication between teachers and students.Teachers can use the collected feedback information to analyze the students’psychology,and then decide whether to continue the explanation or immediately adjust the contents,methods,or rhythms of classroom teaching.

Improve the abilities and teach by example

The combination of non-verbal communication and verbal communication generally plays a role of supplement,negation,repetition,adjustment,substitution or emphasis(Malandreo et al.,1988).Therefore,teachers should consciously and suitably use non-verbal communicative behavior in teaching Chinese as a foreign language,preach and teach by example,and continuously strengthen their own cross-cultural communication skills.

In terms of knowledge reserve,teachers should accumulate relevant professional knowledge,study knowledge of cross-cultural communication,sociolinguistics,pragmatics and psychology,master their own ethnic culture of language and non-verbal communication,and recognize the differences among different cultures,such as communicative habits in greetings,eating and seating arrangements,etc.,to improve their theoretical level comprehensively.Through the study and research of the non-verbal communicative behavior system,teachers can develop their non-verbal communicative competence,to speak and behave naturally and appropriately when communicating with students in and out of class,and at the same time teachers may influence students subtly.

In terms of teaching behavior,language communication is the main carrier of teacher-student communication in language teaching and learning,but the non-verbal communication behaviors should be considered too,because the proper and active use of non-verbal communication behaviors will increase students'interest in learning Chinese.For example,the object language in non-verbal communication reflects personal characteristics and cultural characteristics,among which the teacher’s clothing and appearance are a good start for successful teaching,and neat and decent clothes will enhance the teacher’s teaching charm,and improve the students’mental outlook so as to achieve the best teaching effect called“Silence speaks better than sounds.”In addition,the eye contact,the physical distance between teachers and students,the teacher's smile,gestures,intonation,etc.,if these non-verbal communicative items are used properly,they can promote teaching effectively and efficiently and make students have more willing to accept and learn the contents of language communication.

In terms of concepts and attitudes,when presenting and spreading Chinese culture,teachers should understand the features of non-verbal communication in different countries while displaying and disseminating Chinese culture,seek common ground while reserving differences,and respect students' personal choices.When there is a cultural conflict in the process of communicating with students,teachers can patiently explain the situation to the students,take the initiative to resolve conflicts,straighten out the mentality,and avoid the negative impact of stereotypes.In addition,it is not advisable to use the values of one’s own country to measure the ethnocentrism of other countries’cultures.When sensitive issues such as politics and religion arise in the classroom,teachers should treat them objectively,and must not put Chinese culture above the culture of other countries to avoid students’resistance to Chinese culture.Teachers must also have the ability to weigh different cultural backgrounds between students,and be evenhanded.Healthy and smooth communication will be conducted when teachers and students,students and students understand,tolerate,and adapt to each other.

In terms of professional development,teachers should form professional development teams to learn from each other and promote together.The authors’school has formed a study and research team,which is based on the International Students Department.All teachers sit together and study,discuss,share teaching experience regularly,or actively participate in training programs on verbal and non-verbal communication inside and outside the school,so as to improve the professional level themselves.Actually,the overall professional level and ability of the teachers have been increased a lot.

Yield more effective results with proper methods

Teachers may create opportunities for students to understand non-verbal communication in Chinese culture through designing typical and effective non-verbal communication behaviors in classroom teaching,which will help students to make up for their language deficiencies and promote communication with others.Teachers may enrich and perfect their verbal language in teaching with the expression language of the emotional system,the gesture language of the action system,the posture language of the modification system,the blackboard language of the symbol system,and the demonstration language of the experimental system(Wang,1998).For example,in Chinese phonetics teaching,how to distinguish blade-alveolar sounds from cacuminal sounds,or how to teach tones or correct pronunciation errors,gestures can be used to help students find the right place of articulation and pronunciation methods.Another example is the teaching of“Bǎ”structure sentence and tendency verbs,teachers can use body language to convert abstract grammatical knowledge into intuitive demonstration content.Non-verbal communication has various forms of expression.Teachers may use facial expressions and actions to assist teaching to let students grasp the learning contents in the shortest time,and then let students internalize and output their learning results to achieve the best teaching effect.So this is two-way communication,and it is also a necessary condition for successful communication between teachers and students.

In addition to language courses,courses related to cross-cultural communication can also be offered for international students,which focus on teaching and experiencing non-verbal communication knowledge.The use of multimedia for teaching allows students to experience intuitively the charm of non-verbal communication.The simple and easy-understanding dialogue clips from movies and television works,which are rich in non-verbal communication,may be chosen to discuss,analyze and imitate the contents;later on,students’performance will be produced.For example,the teaching materials for Chinese as a foreign language,“Home with Kids”and“KUAILE HANYU”,both adopt the form of sitcoms to show the life scenes of common Chinese people,meanwhile help students understand the cultural connotation of non-verbal communication correctly.Furthermore,teachers can also carry out social practice activities outside the classroom,such as organizing students’visiting and touring,so that students can experience cultural differences in the process of meeting and communicating with Chinese people.Through classroom exercises and extracurricular practice,students can accumulate verbal and non-verbal communication knowledge,and be able to integrate and use the knowledge flexibly and improve their comprehensive ability to use Chinese for communication.

Conclusion

In a word,international Chinese language education has built a bridge of friendship between China and other countries all over the world.The classroom communication of international Chinese language teachers is not only the exchange of language knowledge,but also the exchange of cultures around the world,among which the non-verbal communication behavior is an integrated representation of teachers’cognitive level,professional quality and teaching ability.Non-verbal communication is closely banded together with language communication and plays a pivotal role in the entire teaching and learning process.Improving the non-verbal communication competence of international Chinese teachers is conducive to the dissemination of Chinese culture,and will also promote the better development of Chinese international education.

Acknowledgements

The study is funded by the Social Sciences Research Planning Project of the“13th Five-Year”Plan of Jilin Provincial Department of Education---"Research on the Communication Strategy of Chinese Cultural Image in International Chinese Language Teaching",chaired by Han Bing(Grant Number:JJKH20201300SK).