The role of gesture in cross-cultural and cross-linguistic learning contexts : the effect of gesture on the learning of mathematics

M.A. (Anthropology)This study explores the role of four teachers’ communicative styles in a multilingual and multicultural classroom focusing on the role of gesture when teaching. To compare their gestural behaviour under similar conditions, I filmed four grade one teachers (two Setswana mother tongue and two Afrikaans mother tongue) teaching the mathematical concept of halving. I classified the gestures and their sematic relation to speech on ELAN using an adapted version of Colletta et al.’s (2009) coding scheme. I found gestures formed by the teachers functioned according to Tellier’s (2006) three roles of ‘teaching gestures.’ They functioned to explain, evaluate and manage. The teachers used mainly representational, performative and deictic gestures when teaching these lessons. They used similar types of gestures, but the manner in which they used their gesture as semiotic resources varied. It appeared that conceptually accurate gestures used at key stages in the learning process aided learning. When used in a conceptually accurate way gesture functioned to mediate the transition from objects to mathematical signs when testing the children’s halving skills using semiotic resources. Overall gestures functioned to integrate, supplement and complement teachers’ speech. The teachers varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds did not appear to influence their gesturing styles, but differences can be noted due to the subject matter, context and content, idiosyncratic styles (pedagogic styles) and the manner in which they structured their lesson in relation to the teaching aids used