2.

Communication in the foreign language classroom: verbal and non-verbal

means of communication. Extralinguistic strategies: non-verbal reactions to
messages in different contexts.

2.- La comunicación en la clase de lengua extranjera: comunicación verbal y no

verbal. Estrategias extralingüísticas: reacciones no verbales a mensajes en diferentes
contextos.

INDEX

0. ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. LEGAL JUSTIFICATION

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE TOPIC

4. COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND APPROACHES

5. COMMUNICATION IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: verbal and non-

verbal means of communication

6. EXTRALINGUISTIC STRATEGIES: non-verbal reactions to messages in different

contexts

7. CONCLUSION

8. DOCUMENTAL REFERENCES

9. GLOSSARY

1
 0. MIND MAP

To start with, we shall have a look at this brief scheme to have a clear idea of what is going to be dealt
along this topic:

2
 1. INTRODUCTION

Before starting to develop this topic, it would be necessary to begin with the following quote in order to
rethink about the current topic to be dealt:

According to Kaplun (1998), "defining what we understand by language and its culture will mean to say
what kind of society we want to live in".

Nowadays, linguists' experts advocate that knowing foreign languages is getting more and more
important in such an interconnected and plurilingual world as ours. That may be due to the globalized
and sociocultural world in which we live, which may lead to a society in which communication is the
key to reach freedom and democracy.

Actually, the Foreign Language Curriculum for Primary Education states as one of the general
objectives to value the foreign language and languages in general as a vehicle of communication and
understanding among people from different origins and cultures.

Therefore, one of the main aims of the English language area in our country, as a member of the
European Union, will be to develop attitudes of tolerance and respect among students, increasing both
linguistic diversity and intercultural awareness through the knowledge of a new language and its
culture.

As Spanish Law states, the teaching of English as a foreign language is one of the most important
subjects in most Primary Schools. Moreover, the implementation of English at early stages has made it
necessary to establish objectives and methodologies far from the formal and traditional ones, typical
from other times, which were based on vertical and one-way communicative models that lead to a
passive coexistence of obedience and submission.

On the other side, we currently belong to the Information and Knowledge Society, which
corresponds to the Web 3.0, proposing language as a means of communication and fostering critical-
analytical thinking, as well as collaboration and participation among our students, based on the
EMIREC-EMIREC (Sender/Receiver-Sender/Receiver) model of communication, establishing feed-
feed and multidirectional communication, in which both the teacher and the students have the
same status and participate in the construction of knowledge.

Consequently, the Educative System must bear in mind this sociocultural and technological revolution,
integrating active, ludic and modern methodological practices into the curriculum, with the
Communicative Approach as a model being based on the development of the four linguistic skills in
an integrated and practical way. In this sense, education should change to the same extent our society
does, and not the other way around.

However, language should not be considered as an aim, but rather as a useful tool to communicate,
feeling the need to achieve a methodological revolution if wishing to change the current Educative
System in which students take an active part within the classroom, rather than just repeating what is
ordered by the teacher, building as a result their own knowledge with the help of the teacher, working
as a facilitator of the teaching-learning process.

Based on this view, the present essay aims to study communication within the English as a Foreign
Language classroom and, more precisely, to develop the notion of verbal and non-verbal means of
communication.
3
For this purpose, the topic will be divided into three main sections.

Firstly, we will be dealing with the concept of communication. In order to do so, we will briefly refer to
several theories and communicative models.

Secondly, will deal with communication in the classroom by developing this concepts of
Communicative Approach, the Communicative Competence and verbal and non-verbal means of
communication.

Thirdly, we will explain the Total Physical Response Method developed by James Asher, which puts
the emphasis on the role of movement in connection with learning.

Finally, the main conclusions and the bibliography used to develop this topic will be compiled.

4
 2. LEGAL JUSTIFICATION
Throughout this topic we will follow the Organic Law 2/2006, May 3rd, of Education (LOE), modified
by the Organic Law 3/2020, December 29th (LOMLOE), (hereinafter LOE-LOMLOE), as well as the
curricular regulatory framework from Royal Decree 157/2022, March 1st, which establishes the
ordering and minimum teachings of Primary Education (hereinafter Royal Decree 157/2022).
To consider the own features of our region, we will bear in mind the Decree 81/2022, July 12th, which
establishes the planning and curriculum for Primary Education in the autonomous community of
Castilla-La Mancha.
In addition, the Decree 81/2022 (article 7) establishes, as one of the main objectives related to our
area, the objective f) “To acquire, in at least one foreign language, the basic communicative
competence that allows them to express and understand simple messages and function in everyday
situations, approaching A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”.
Even though all the key competences from Decree 81/2022 (article 10) will always be developed,
the linguistic communication competence, which refers to the ability of using a language,
expressing ideas and interacting with other people orally or by written, will specially be taken into
account for the development of this topic. Besides, the digital competence will take special emphasis
within our area through the enhancement of the ICTs for the development of the different linguistic
skills, using critically the ICTs in order to obtain, analyse, produce and exchange information.
Also, the Foreign Language area contributes to the acquisition of multilingual competence, which not
only integrates the communicative dimension, but also the historical and intercultural aspects that lead
students to know, understand and respect the linguistic and cultural diversity present in its
environment.
Likewise, we will consider the LOE-LOMLOE approach along the educational process and the
teaching-learning process, inspired by Objectives 4 and 5 for the Sustainable Development (ODS
in Spanish) of the 2030 Agenda, with the purpose of guaranteeing an inclusive, equitable and quality
education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities, as well as achieving gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls.
Besides, we should bear in mind the Universal Design for Learning (DUA in Spanish), which is a
didactic approach whose primary objective is to provide an educational response to the diversity
present within the classroom based on strategies through which to develop the multiple forms of
motivation of students and promote knowledge expression.
Furthermore, we should also consider the development of the Center's Digital Strategy (EDC in
Spanish), which defines and specifies the lines of action of a center in order to allow teachers,
students and the center to achieve digital competence, emphasizing didactic methodologies and digital
inclusion, being integrated in the Educational Project, as promoted by LOE-LOMLOE ( article 121).
Additionally, we will consider article 27 of the Spanish Constitution , which refers to the freedom of
teaching and the right to education.
We should also consider the premises established in Title I, Chapter II, Article 16. General
Principles of the LOE-LOMLOE, with the aim of not just contributing to the development of the
communicative competence, but above all to ensure an integral formation that contributes to the full
development of the personality of our students, bearing in mind that cognitive skills, being
indispensable, are not sufficient, so that is why it is crucial to develop transversal competences within
our students, like critical thinking, creativity, ability to communicate, attitudes of confidence,
enthusiasm, constancy and so on.
In this way, we should allow our students to be able to face the challenges of the current 21st century,
helping them to acquire the basic knowledge necessary to manage intercultural situations,
5
democratic coexistence and the resolution of conflicts based on respect and equal rights, achieving all
this through the knowledge (to know), skills (to know how to do) and attitudes (to know how to be
necessary for the acquisition of the specific competences of our area.

In this sense, we should consider the relevance of the key competences within the curriculum, giving
relevance in the application of knowledge into real life ("knowing to do") but, above all, making it
motivating for the students ("wanting to know").
In accordance with this approach, our area's main objective will be the acquisition of basic
communicative competence in the foreign language, as well as the development and enrichment of
intercultural awareness of students, favouring empathy, developing curiosity for the knowledge of other
cultures and facilitating intercultural communicative competence, establishing relationships with
speakers of other languages and respecting their customs and their culture.
We shall now move on to consider the main objectives to be achieved at the end of the current topic:

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE TOPIC

At the end of this topic, we will be able to:

 Know the concept of language and communication.

 Identify the different Communication Theories.

 Distinguish between verbal and non-verbal means of communication.

 Recognize the importance of using language as communication inside and outside the
classroom.

 Apply the extralinguistic strategies with our pupils in the Foreign Language classroom.

Let's move on to consider language as a means of communication, considering the different theories
and approaches regarding communication.

6
 4. COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND APPROACHES

To develop the first part of the topic, we will start by providing different definitions of language in order
to answer the first question: “what is language?” and defend the idea of language as a means of
communication.

As far as the definition of language is concerned, according to Sapir (1921), “language is a purely
human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of
voluntarily produced symbols”. On the other hand, Trager (1949) claimed that “a language is a system
of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which the members of a society interact in terms of their total
culture”.

To develop the first part, we will be dealing with the communication theory.

For this purpose, we will firstly present the definition of communication, discussing the main types of
communication later on.

The term communication is derived from the Latin root communis (putting something in common with
others), being understood as the exchange and negotiation of information between, at least, two
individuals using verbal and non-verbal symbols. According to Wolton (2006), "all communication
process should always be an attempt to relate, to share with others".

According to Mario Kaplun (1998), the term communication means fellowship, community, something
to share, something to live together. Being communication part of all human activities, it is a process
intrinsic to the development of individuals and the building of the society, being an essential element
for the learning and socialization of individuals. In that sense, communication involves dialogue,
exchange, interaction and cooperative construction. (Aparici, 2003).

Now that we have dealt with the definition of communication, let's move on to have a look at the
different theories and communicative models.

1. MATHEMATICAL THEORY (Shannon and Weaver model)

Its aim is to control the efficiency in the transmission of information, with the emphasis on the
contents, being a lineal, vertical, authoritarian, traditional, unidirectional (one-way), informative,
transmissive, and rigid communicative model, where a sender presents an idea to a passive receiver
with no direct feedback. In other words, according to this model, communicating involves behaviors,
and the more docile our students are, the better, the same as in behaviorism.

7
 2. FUNCIONALIST THEORY (Laswell)
Laswell is considered to be the maximum referent, who raised the study of communication from his
questions: "Who says what, through which channel, to whom and with what effect?" The sender
only controls the message and its distribution, but not its interpretation or reception.

3. SEMIOTIC THEORY (Eco)

It goes around the concept of coding and decoding from the receiver, as well as the importance of the
context and the relationships between the sender and the receiver for the correct interpretation of the
message. This theory corresponds to a two-way model (bidirectional), where there is a sender that
transmits a message through a channel to a receiver, which receives this information and responds by
sending "negative feedback”. According to Kaplun (1998), the main purpose is to persuade, control
and manipulate the receiver's behavior, placing the emphasis on the effects.

Aparici (2010) calls this communicative model as "false democracy", as that feedback is confused with
participation but it actually corresponds to “fake feedback”.

For example, if your best friend comes from the hairdresser's and asks you "What do you think about
my new hair style?". As he is your best friend, your answer would be "Great" because you don't want
to be impolite with your friend, but your answer may not be 100% honest...In this case, we are talking
about a "false democracy".

4. EDUCOMMUNICATION THEORY (Media Literacy/Media Education)

Educommunication perceives communication as an essential element from the Teaching and Learning
Process, dealing with all dimensions of education and communication at once and as a whole. That is,
construction of knowledge is linked to the communication practice. When we express an idea so
that our partners can understand it, it is when that idea is truly learned and understood by us,
"knowing is communicating".

According to Kaplun (1998), the emphasis is on the process, being called EMIREC-EMIREC (feed-
feed). Therefore, it is a horizontal and multidirectional method whose objective is to promote
students as active senders, with the teacher working as a facilitator and dialogue generator, enhancing
critical analysis, reflection, reasoning, discussion, participation and creativeness.

8
 5. CONNECTIVIST THEORY (George Siemens, 2010)
It emerges from the Digital Communication Society, being a communicative model that recognizes
the movements of modern society, where learning is no longer an internal and individual activity, but
rather an activity that interacts with the help of the digital media.

Within the Connectivist theory the use of digital media and ICT takes special emphasis, enabling the
introduction of new tools that facilitate communication and interaction among users. However, our
main objective should not be creating digital expert students, but students capable of critical analysis,
reflecting on the current Knowledge Society "Network Society", with technology as a means rather
than an end in itself (not what, but how), with the emphasis relying on the process.

Corresponding to a feed-feed communicative model, all the members participate within the
knowledge construction process and with the same social status. (Aparici, 2012). Consequently, the
role of the teacher is that of a facilitator of the analysis and critical reflection, with the students moving
on from a passive, uncritical and conformist point of view, to an active, analytical, critical and creative
point of view.

9
 5. COMMUNICATION IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: verbal and
non-verbal means of communication

Now that the concept of communication has been developed, and once we have examined the main
theories and communicative models, we shall concentrate on the second part of the topic, that is,
communication in the classroom, where both verbal and non-verbal means of communication take
place.

First of all, it may be appropriate to have an overview of the Traditional Foreign Language
Teaching, focused on teaching items of language in isolation with the main aim of reading texts.
However, in the last decades, the movement towards a Communicative Approach has been a
remarkable tendency in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language.

The Communicative Approach is based on providing the students with enough communicative abilities
to develop the oral and written skills. Due to the influence of this approach, our current education
system has incorporated this communicative potential of language in its objectives and methodology,
the ultimate goal being the development of the students' communicative competence.

Moving on, we will focus on the concept of verbal communication, which is carried out A through
symbols known as "words". It is the process of sending and receiving messages with words, including
oral, writing and sign language. It is intended to develop the ability of a language-user to produce, not
only a linguistically correct speech utterance, but also a communicative appropriate utterance.

Following these principles, it is crucial to consider the Communicative Language Teaching

approach, being the greatest teaching approach since the early 80's and organizing the contents to be
taught around notions (that is, concepts that the learner needs to communicate) and functions (that is,
speech acts from the communicative functions).

Among its main features can be found proposing meaning as basic principles, encouraging
communication from the very beginning, following a students' centred approach (based on the
students' needs and centres of interest) and proposing the communicative competence as the main
goal to be acquired.

In relation to speech, it could be stated that it is the universal material of human language. It is well
known that for many hundreds of thousands of years, human language has been transmitted and
developed entirely as spoken means of communication.

Besides, the main aim of phonetics is the description and classification of speech sounds, having in
mind articulatory phonetics (production of sounds)

, acoustic phonetics (transmission of sounds) and auditory phonetics (reception of sounds).

Thus, within human language, oral language is the daily and vital means of communication
(affectionately, socially and intellectually speaking).

10
Let us now go on having a look at the main characteristics of speech:

1. Time-bound: it is dynamic, being part of an interaction in which both participants are usually
present, and the speaker has a particular addressee in mind.

2. Grammatical features: the spontaneity and speed of speech favours a looser construction, simpler
sentences, repetition "you know"

3. Lexical features: generalised vocabulary.

4. Extralinguistic elements: participants are commonly involved in face to face interaction, relying on
verbal and non-verbal means of communication to aid meaning (such as facial expression, eye
contact, body posture or gestures).

5. Unique features: stress, rhythm, intonation patterns.

6. Social: phatic functions, to establish communication.

7. Mistakes: there is an opportunity to rethink an utterance while it is in progress (starting again,

adding clarification...). However, errors, once spoken, cannot be erased.

8. Discourse features: interpersonal, dynamic or more than one person.

9. Pace: we may have not enough time to assimilate all the information at our own pace.

Besides, we shall remember that reading comprehension and oral and written expression will be
worked along all areas.

Now that we have dealt with verbal communication and its main features, it is important to note that
communication is not purely verbal, as communication uses a whole set of paralinguistic devices
such as gestures, body movements, paralanguage, proxemics, and so on.

For this reason, the notion of non-verbal communication will be presented, which Finch defined as
“the communication that takes place without words", that is, the non-linguistic elements that
communicate something in an interaction, modifying the meaning of the verbal communication. In that
way, it corresponds to the 90% of communication, being the most powerful means of communication.

For years, non-verbal communication has been neglected in the teaching of languages.

However, nowadays its importance is worldwide recognized, helping us when expressing and
understanding messages, as sometimes the communicative competence of an individual may not be
very high, being more significant and meaningful how we say something, rather than just what we say.

11
Within the English classroom the following non-verbal means of communication may be used:

1. Gestures and body language: facial expressions, postures, eye and hand movement…

2. Physical movements: there is a theory in the teaching of languages called Total Physical
Response, by James Asher, based on the theory that a child acquires a language by listening and
executing commands from adults, acting accordingly to what they want to communicate.

3. Stress, rhythm and intonation patterns: corresponding to suprasegmental phonemes to be born

in mind when communicating.

4. Visual aids: to shorten the gap between the real world and the classroom and to help the students
to understand the message.

5. Auditory aids: sounds or noises can also have a great communicative power.

Now that we have considered other means of communication apart from the typical verbal ones, we
shall move on to have a look at the extralinguistic strategies, playing an important role in helping
students both understand and be understood, enhancing oral and written communication.

12
 6. EXTRALINGUISTIC STRATEGIES: non-verbal reactions to messages in
different contexts

It will be essential for us as teachers showing our students how language can change according to its
context. In the early stages of language learning, and especially throughout the process of second
language acquisition, extralinguistic strategies can play an important role in helping students both
understand and be understood, enhancing oral and written communication.

It will be essential for us as teachers showing our students how language can change according to its
context. Regarding reading, this can be carried out by underlying, summarizing information, as well as
doing schemes, drafts and graphics.

As far as oral language is concerned, pictures and realia are especially useful at the beginning of the
language learning, proving context and background information with the knowledge of the world that
surrounds us that making the input more comprehensible.

Facial expression is functional as well as relevant. For instance, when using the telephone we lack
face to face communication.

In recent times, certain attempts have been made to use extralinguistic responses as example of non-
verbal reactions to messages in different contexts, with Total Physical Response method,
developed by James Asher, being the most well-known, being related to the educational and
psychological development, language teaching and humanistic pedagogy, with the main aim of
teaching oral proficiency through physical activity at a beginner's level, presenting the following
features:

o Comprehension precedes production in learning a language.

o The teaching of speaking should be delayed until comprehension skills are established.

o Teaching should emphasise meaning rather than form.

o Teaching should minimise the learner's stress.

Some daily strategies which allow students to show understanding of the message by means of non-
verbal reactions are:

 By physically responding to orders (Sit down), directions (go to the blackboard and take a
piece of chalk), requests (can you close the door, please?), questions (How many boys are
there?), words of a song (You put your right foot in/you put your right foot out...).

 By pointing to objects and drawings (Which one is the dog?)

 By sequencing or ordering elements (from oral narratives or dialogues)

 By drawing what they listen to or read (The monster has four eyes)

In this sense, our students should have plenty of opportunities to develop non-verbal communication in
interactive situations, as they feel they need to convey meaning in class, but they do not always find

13
the words they mean, so that is why we should design Total Physical Response activities, in which
they should perform simple commands, like "Simon Says".

7. CONCLUSION

Three major questions have been posed throughout this paper, the concept of communication, the
different types of communication and communicative models; the concepts of Communicative
Approach, Communicative Competence and verbal and nonverbal means of communication; and
finally, extralinguistic strategies, in particular Total Physical Response Method (TPR).

To conclude, we would like to remark that, as it has been proven along this topic, communication is a
key word for us as English teachers. Not only it is the essence of human interaction, but it is also the
center of language learning. Thus, we must not only be aware of its grammar rules, but rather we must
also be able to communicate in the target language, becoming communicatively competent.

Moreover, nowadays, within the 21st century and immersed in the current Information and Knowledge
Society, the school has not evolved that much and as the current society requires it, so the meaning of
education should be rethought.

That is why we should all bear in mind the human, social and cultural dimension of communication
(which involves dialogue, socialization and cooperation), apart from the technical dimension of
communication referring to transmission of information, so that our students can take an active role so
as to develop a more democratic and fairer society.

In that way, our main goal as teachers will be to allow our students acquire the communicative
competence. Apart from becoming good and efficient communicators, ceasing to be disabled
speakers, our students will develop their human dignity, becoming whole human beings, which should
be the main aim when dealing with education.
"Through learning a language, we learn about culture.
Through learning about culture, we learn respect for others.
Through learning respect for others, we can hope for peace.”

14
 8. DOCUMENTAL REFERENCES

Bibliography
ALBA PASTOR, C. (2022). Universal Design for Learning: Education for All and Inclusive Teaching
Practices. Morata.
AMARO, A. (2014). Attention to diversity in Primary Education. Univérsitas.

CHOMSKY, N. (1968). Language and Mind. Editorial Harcourd Brace and World.

FERREIRO, R. (20061. Didaclic Strategies Of Cooperalive Learning. Social Constructivism: a New

Way of Teaching and Learning. Trillas.

GARDNER, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.
GENTO, S. (2003). Special Education. Sanz y Torres.

HOUSE, S. (2011). Didactic of English. Classroom Practice. Graó.

JOHNSON, D.W. (1999). Cooperative Learning in the Classroom. Paidós.

MEDINA, A. (2009). Didactics: Basic Training for Education Professionals. Universitas.

PUJOLAS, P. (1991). Attention to Diversity and Cooperative Learning in Compulsory Education. Aljibe.

VYGOTSKY, L.S. (1997). Problems of General Psychology. Plenum.

Webgraphy

 DELORS, J. (1996). Education holds a treasure. Electronic document in:

http://www.unesco.org/educacion/pdf/DELORS.
 https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es
 http://www.educa.jccm.es/es

15
State Legal references
 Organic Law 8/1985, July 3rd, regulating the right for education (LODE).

 Organic Law 2/2006, May 3rd, of Education (LOE), modified by the Organic Law 3/2020,
December 29th (LOMLOE).

 Royal Decree 157/2022, March 1st, which establishes the ordering and minimum teachings of
Primary Education.

Specific legal references from Castilla-La Mancha

Law 7/2010, July 20th, on Education in Castilla-La Mancha.

Decree 85/2018, November 20th, which regulates the educational inclusion of students in the
autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha.
Decree 81/2022, July 12th, which establishes the planning and curriculum for Primary Education in the
autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha.

Order 121/2022, June 14th, of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, regulating the
organization and operation of public centers that teach Infant Education and Primary Education in
Castilla-La Mancha.
Order 185/2022, September 27th, of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, regulating the
evaluation in Primary Education in Castilla-la Mancha.

Resolution 14/06/2023, of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, issuing instructions for the
2023/2024 academic year in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha.

16
 9. GLOSSARY

LANGUAGE: negotiation of information among human beings.

COMMUNICATION: act of exchange and reciprocity, based on dialogue, horizontality, participation,

democracy, etc.

COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH: based on the promotion of the use of authentic language in real-
life situations, with skills integration.

COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: being communicatively competent, mastering a language.

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE METHOD: method developed by James Asher whose aim is to
teach oral proficiency through physical activity.

17