Making Input Comprehensible | Spoken - Paralinguistic Features
[GRADING LANGUAGE II]
EAL learners are both learning English and learning through English
(Leung, et al., 2017)
EAL Bites | Speedy Tips are posts and videos about supporting EAL learners in your classrooms and around school. I’m hoping chunking them into small bites will make them easier to fit into your busy week. Topics are inspired by past and present observations and conversations with staff and students. Have a topic you’d like me to address? Please get in touch.
Last time, we talked about EAL Learners’ task, the importance of making input comprehensible, and started talking about grading spoken language. In this tip, I’m going to briefly talk about Making Input Comprehensible with Paralinguistic Features: what they are, whether they’re universal, and whether you should use them when you’re speaking to EAL learners.
Speedy Tips| Making Input Comprehensible | Grading Language Series
This series consists of the following posts (updated as posts are added):
Part 1 | Grading Language I | Spoken | Speed & Clarity
Part 2 | Grading Language II | Spoken | Clarity & Paralinguistic Features
If you haven’t already done the “task to consider” from Part 1, consider doing it now. We will revisit it in a later video and post.
TASK TO CONSIDER BEFORE WATCHING OR READING
Either:
Record audio of yourself giving your students instructions about a task or activity.
or:
Think about a recent or upcoming activity or task in one of your lessons.
Imagine you are in the lesson and record yourself giving students the instructions.
The article below expands upon the the video above, whilst also detailing links and references mentioned.
Paralinguistic features of speaking
Fig. 1 Emoji - Click to zoom
Writing such as emails or text messages can be notoriously hard to interpret, can’t they? Have you ever been unsure whether someone is joking or being mean or rude? If you saw these (see Fig. 1) or similar symbols in some ambiguous text, could they help make it more comprehensible and meaningful for you? Do they give you some added context?
Be aware of the paralinguistic features of your language as they can change your meaning completely. These include:
gestures, body language, facial expressions, posture
volume, pitch, tone
tempo, speaking patterns, rhythm
stress and intonation
Students undertaking English exams which include Speaking may be assessed on their use of certain paralinguistic features
Be careful with how you alter them when intentionally modifying your speech in the ways discussed in the previous video, such as by slowing your speech. That’s important to consider because students will be learning to use these cues, for example to differentiate between questions and statements. Providing good models of speech incorporating these features will also help your students to use them correctly in their own speech. From an assessment perspective, if your students are taking English exams with speaking components — such as an English Language GCSE, iGCSEs in EAL or ESL, or IELTS — they will be marked on their accurate use of features like speaking patterns, tone, stress and intonation.
A FEW examples
You may be wondering whether these features can really have a significant effect on meaning. Firstly, we’re going to consider two sentences and stress or emphasise each word in turn. Be warned, the first one is a bit morbid:
I didn’t say we should kill him.
I didn’t say we should kill him - (someone else said it)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (I am denying saying it)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (perhaps I wrote it down, or implied it..?)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (you / someone else should)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (I said we shouldn’t, could, must, etc)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (maybe just maim him, or take him for ice cream, etc..?)
I didn’t say we should kill him - (I said we should kill someone else)
I love your mother’s cooking.
I love your mother’s cooking - (I do,someone else doesn’t)
I love your mother’s cooking - (I really like it)
I love your mother’s cooking - (but I don’t like my mother’s, or someone else’s mother’s, cooking)
I love your mother’s cooking - (but not yours, or your father’s, sister’s, etc)
I love your mother’s cooking - (I like that aspect, but maybe not anything / something else about her)
Personally, I like these examples, as I think they demonstrate the point really well and can generate some interesting scenarios from students. Unfortunately, I don’t know who first shared these sentences as, at least the first one, has been around for over 15 years.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Two Line Vocabulary
I would also recommend watching any of the Two Line Vocabulary games from the UK/US TV Show Whose Line Is It Anyway? Two of the three contestants are only allowed to say two lines and rely largely on paralinguistic features to express a variety of sentiments as they improvise their way through various scenarios. A word of warning though, if you intend to use clips from the show with students, make sure that you vet them first! Here are a couple of examples, although there are endless clips on YouTube and the whole show is available on various streaming platforms:
Are these features universal?
When thinking about paralinguistic features, one caveat that needs mentioning is that they aren’t always the same across cultures and may have multiple meanings based on context and other factors.
I’m going to use an example which is quite close to home for me as a British Sri Lankan; the Sri Lankan “head shake” also known as the “head waggle” or “head bobble”. For me, it’s just natural; I grew up with it and it makes sense. For my non-Sri Lankan friends, not so much!
It is similar in appearance to many other head gestures around the subcontinent, like the “Indian head wobble”, but can differ in execution. It can convey a variety of meanings depending upon the context as well as the speed style and amplitude of the movement. Not all of these translate precisely across South Asian countries. The gesture’s many meanings can include:
agreement, affirmation, consent, approval, etc
understanding or acknowledgement
agreement with reservations or conditions
indecision or uncertainty
respect and politeness
thank you
no
non-verbal communication of complex emotions or situations
This is by no means an isolated example, if it was, there wouldn’t be a myriad of travel articles out there advising tourists of local gestures, like this one from CNN about Italian hand gestures.
So, is it still worth using Paralinguistic features with EAL learners?
Yes, whilst paralinguistic features, such as gestures, can vary significantly by culture, they are still worth using with your EAL learners for several reasons:
Enhancing Communication
Do they give you some added context?
Paralinguistic features, including gestures, facial expressions, and intonation, play a crucial role in communication beyond language. Even though some gestures may vary by culture, they often complement verbal communication and provide additional context, aiding comprehension for EAL learners.
Universal Features
Many non-verbal cues have universal meanings. For instance, a smile generally conveys friendliness or approval, and a nod often signifies agreement or understanding. These universal gestures can bridge cultural differences and facilitate communication for EAL learners.
Visual Support
Paralinguistic features offer visual support that can enhance language learning. Gestures and other non-verbal cues can help EAL learners better comprehend and recall new vocabulary, concepts, and language structures. Visual cues can augment understanding, especially for learners who may struggle with auditory processing or language comprehension.
Cultural Awareness
Incorporating paralinguistic features into language instruction can be used to promote cultural awareness amongst EAL learners. Exploring the cultural meanings of paralinguistic features of language fosters an understanding of diverse perspectives and encourages respect for cultural differences, contributing to intercultural competence.
Boosting Confidence
Finally, it can be beneficial for students’ production too! Making use of paralinguistic features can empower EAL learners to communicate more confidently in English. Non-verbal cues provide additional channels for expressing ideas and emotions, allowing learners to participate more actively in conversations and interactions. This increased confidence can motivate learners to engage more fully in language learning.
A Question For You
How do you use paralinguistic features in your classroom?
Is there anything you would change?
Until next time …
That’s it for now, we will talk more about other ways of Grading Language, including written language, in a later post.
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In the 2nd EAL Bites | Speedy Tip of this series, I’m going to briefly talk about Making Input Comprehensible with Paralinguistic Features: what they are, whether they’re universal, and whether you should use them when you’re speaking to EAL learners.