The Relationship between Gesture and Language Proficiency in Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

Students’ proficiency level is closely related to the gesture rates accompanying speech
in English (Gullberg, 1998). This hypothesis was tested in the present study through a
comparative analysis between 10 upper intermediate and 10 intermediate level students. The
similarities and differences between these two groups of students in terms of their use of gestures
(i.e., deictic gesture as well as iconic gesture), were investigated. The participants in the two
groups were asked to describe a photograph and to engage in a 10-minute conversation with the
researcher. The results showed that students of intermediate level made use of gestures, both
deictic and iconic gesture, at a higher rate as compared to students of upper intermediate level.
The results also suggest that the proficiency level of foreign and second language learners of
English determines the degree to which they use communicative strategies especially with
respect to gesture rates accompanying speech in English. The pedagogical implications of these
findings are discussed.