The Case for Smiling? Nonverbal Behavior and Oral Corrective Feedback

Area of Science:

• Second Language Acquisition
• Applied Linguistics
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Oral Corrective Feedback (OCF) is a key strategy in language teaching, but its effectiveness drivers are not fully understood.
• Previous research has focused on feedback strategies, overlooking non-verbal cues.
• Learner uptake is a primary metric for OCF effectiveness, as established by Lyster and Ranta (1997).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of teacher smiling during OCF on learner uptake.
• To differentiate the effects of genuine versus polite smiles on language error correction.
• To extend the analytical framework for OCF effectiveness by incorporating non-verbal communication.

Main Methods:

• The study analyzed intact language classrooms, observing teacher-learner interactions during OCF provision.
• A modified Lyster and Ranta (1997) framework was used to assess OCF effectiveness based on learner uptake.
• The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) was employed to objectively code smile genuineness.

Main Results:

• Genuine teacher smiles were significantly associated with higher rates of learner error correction.
• Polite smiles provided by teachers did not show a significant impact on learner uptake.
• The type of smile (genuine vs. polite) emerged as a crucial factor in OCF efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Genuine teacher smiling is a vital component that enhances the effectiveness of Oral Corrective Feedback in language learning.
• Educators should be mindful of their non-verbal cues, particularly smile authenticity, when providing feedback.
• Future research could explore other non-verbal behaviors and their influence on language acquisition.