Chapter 3 Reflection
Something that appealed to me from the third chapter titled “Cultivating Academic Language Acquisition” was the section describing the use of gestures and facial expressions as tools to demonstrate the meaning of language. I am a huge advocate of using physical movement in education, and I am intrigued by the notion of intentionally using it as a tool to promote learning.
I’m familiar with the natural tendencies to use gestures and facial expressions, being a person that “talks with my hands” frequently. I’m encouraged by the idea of making a conscious effort to utilize these tactics the same way visual aids would be used in the classroom. Zwiers explains how one teacher “often emphasized the words however and yet as she moved one hand in an arc in the opposite direction” (Zwiers 49). I can appreciate this action as a powerful way to reinforce meaning thereby aiding in the acquirement of academic language. It also seems to be a relatively simple way to enrich any lesson plan. Whether I am in the drama class or the English class, there will always be a certain amount of time given to lecturing and facilitating discussion. If I can plan to incorporate the use of gestures and facial expressions into my part of the discussion, it will surely provide one extra layer of communicating language use in a fairly efficient manner.