Significance of Nonverbal Communication in Assessment of L2 Learners’ Speaking Performance

Non-verbal communication (NVC) plays a major role in various aspects of human life (Dumitrescu, 2016; Johnstone, 2008). Children learning their first language acquire NVC skills as part of their socialization process; most second language (L2) learners, however, may have little exposure to and/or awareness of the nonverbal features of communication. This study attempts to make L2 teachers as well as learners aware of the significance of this often neglected component of communicative competence by first reviewing how NVC has been conceptualized in existing models of communicative competence (Bachman, 1990; Bachman Palmer, 1996; Canale, 1983; Canale Swain, 1980) using a three dimensional framework proposed by the researcher. The study then tries to examine the extent to which L2 teachers included construct (ir)relevant nonverbal features in their assessment of language learners speaking ability. Results indicated that most prominent models of communicative competence have nothing to say about the components and functions of NVCs, except that it can help solve communication problems or enhance the effectiveness of interaction. It was also revealed that some construct-irrelevant nonverbal features do in fact affect teachers’ ratings of L2 learners’ speaking performance and this effect is partly moderated by the gender of the raters.