Ideational meanings in Communicative Gestures (speech dependent)

Communicative Gestures that are speech dependent necessarily accompany the verbiage and require it for interpretation. The ideational meanings made in speech dependent gestures may not replicate the meanings made with language. Instead, an additional layer of meaning is added to the multimodal discourse, involving both speech and gestures. Based on the analysis of classroom data (Lim, 2019a), three major types of meanings can be identified in the teacher’s use of speech dependent gestures. They are the representation of Importance expressed through rhythmic beat, the representation of Receptivity expressed through open palms, and the representation of Relation expressed through pointing. This is represented in Figure 4.5.

FIGURE 4.5 Ideational meanings in communicative gestures (speech dependent)

The representation of Importance is expressed through the repetitive and rhythmic swing or beat of the arm in tandem with speech. In themselves, the gestural beats do not have any ideational meaning. However when accompanied by speech, the gestural beats are used to signal an emphasis on parts of the speech that are important. Multimodally, the speech dependent gestures reinforce what is said by adding on the meaning of importance.

The representation of Receptivity is expressed by open palms along with the regular rhythmic movement of the arm. The speech dependent gestures expressing the representation of receptivity convey a sense of welcome and openness. It also expresses the interpersonal meaning of attitude through positive affect. In addition, it signifies an expansion of negotiation space in Engagement as described by Hood (2011).This is discussed further in the section on interpersonal meaning in gestures.

The representation of Relation is expressed through pointing as an Indexical Action. The act of pointing at an object or a person is a communicative gesture that can be speech independent, speech correspondent, or speech dependent. In the former two, pointing can communicate specific regulative discourse, such as identifying an individual for response, which could occur, with or without language. However, the act of pointing in the classroom can also be a speech dependent gesture where the accompanying verbiage is needed to disambiguate its meaning. Pointing as a Communicative Gesture also expresses an additional layer of ideational meaning, that is the representation of relation. Speech dependent gesture can, both physically and vectorally by extension, mediate between the enactor to the object and goal that it is referencing. This connectivity draws attention to the goal which the enactor points to. In a classroom, the goals are usually the students, the whiteboard or the projection screen. Pointing is also discussed further in the section on textual meaning in gestures.

In addition to the three types of ideational meanings made, Speech Dependent Gestures may also express other meanings. For example the act of scratching one’s head can be a Performative Gesture of easing an itch, but can also be a Communicative Gesture to express uncertainty. When the accompanying speech disambiguates the meanings of the act of scratching, with words such as ‘I am not sure’, the movement can be identified as a Speech Dependent Gesture expressing uncertainty.

Similarly, the act of folding one’s arms across the chest could be construed as a Performative Gesture, to warm oneself up against the cold. However, when accompanied by speech, with words such as, ‘I have a different view’, the act can be construed as a Speech Dependent Gesture expressing defensiveness or signalling disagreement. In the classroom, this tends to be observed when the teacher expresses the Discourse of Rapport-Building, where she may share a personal anecdote about her life. Moderating the vulnerability and openness through the verbal sharing, the teacher may adopt the gesture of folded arms across the chest as a part of a defensive instinct.

Likewise, the gesture of hands on waist could be a State Process when the gesture is non-communicative in intent and functions as a Performative Gesture. However, when this gesture is accompanied by speech, such as when a teacher issues instructions during the lesson, the gesture can be construed as a Speech Dependent Gesture expressing an additional ideational meaning, that is an assertion of authority, in the multimodal discourse. As such, examining the context in which the gesture is used, particularly in relation to speech, can help to distinguish gestures that have communicative meanings from gestures that only serve a practical function.