An Examination of L1 and L2 Gesture Use: What Role Does Proficiency Play?

Abstract

This study examines possible connections between second language competency and frequency and type of gesture use (illustrators, compensatory illustrators, adaptors, emblems, regulators, and affect displays). To this end, 75 students enrolled in beginning, intermediate, and advanced college‐level Spanish courses were videotaped while conversing in dyads, first in Spanish and then in English. ANOVA results based on observer responses to the videotape indicated that advanced learners used significantly more speech‐related, meaning‐enhancing gestures than did beginning and intermediate students and that participants used significantly more gestures overall in their native English than they did in the target language (Spanish). Pedagogical implications address the creation of supportive environments, training in strategies, and the use of authentic classroom activities that include the visual modality.