The Fifth Language Arts: Non-Verbal Communication

Author(s): Darold R. Beckman

Source: Elementary English , FEBRUARY, 1963, Vol. 40, No. 2 (FEBRUARY, 1963), pp.
191-193, 218
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41385439

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 Darold К. Beckman

The Fifth Language Arts:

Non -Verbal Communication
Most of the literature on language arts
depth of creativity. This is a vast frontier
for future educational research on child
speaks of only four areas: reading, writing,
speaking, and listening. Non-verbal com-development.
munication has not generally been recog- Within primitive societies men have
nized as a special area, probably because
made extensive use of non-verbal com-
in so many ways it becomes a phase munication.
of Most of it is magical and
each of the others. In the development inaccurate,
of but words also have similar
children it is the first form of communica- distortions in such cultures. Underneath
tion. As children mature, non-verbal com- lies an extreme sensitivity. Australian
munication is never eliminated. It becomes aborigines have shown genius for returning
refined, transformed, and blended into the to precise points in the shifting desert
whole pattern of communication. years later and hundreds of miles away
The mother learns to distinguish among without the use of written records. Other
primitives have displayed a keenness of
her baby's cries of hunger, fear, and pain.
The baby learns not to touch electric smell or hearing that makes the nose and
ear of civilized man seem like vestigal
sockets by signs of disapproval, a slapped
hand or angry sounds. Putting on a hat organs. Yet, probably there have been no
and coat indicates that baby may takegenetic
a changes in man's physical equip-
ride. When cereal is taken from the re- ment. The basic change may be no more
frigerator, the toddler may try to climbthan a matter of capacity in perception
due to modern contempt for non-verbal
into his high chair. These are all familiar
communication.
forms of communicating in the home. They
are non-verbal. Our culture demands that In each area of verbal communication
words must take their place. Quite fre-
there are non-verbal aspects. These aspects
quently anxiety characterizes the parents
contribute to raising the qualitative level
when their child does not move rapidlyof information communicated. In reading,
enough into verbal communication.
graphs and charts contribute to understand-
The scale of values which places verbal
ing frequently more clearly than thousands
communication first, but non-verbal in a
of words. The teaching of how to read
secondary position, apparently affects skill
graphs and charts is a special skill which
development in the four main areas of is often neglected. Weather maps, road
language arts. It may also affect personality
maps, and physical maps make use of
growth, sensitivity to the natural and social
special symbols or colors to convey infor-
environment, ability to think critically, and
mation. Propagandists and advertisers use
pictures to convey ideas when words are
Mr. Beckman is an Associate Professor in the De-
not sufficient. Neon and flashing lights are
partment of Education at Whittier College,
Whittier, Calif. used to attract attention at night.

391

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192 Elementary English

The definition of
between
reading
the lines," it as
becomes
"that
higher level
for
of communicationthinking,
which some of which is non-verbal
conveys and
infor
tion by symbolsinvolves
on richa printed
experiential background.
page"
narrow. ReadingGood training along
should this line would es-
probably be
tablish
fined as "the skill of the perceiving
habits of doubting, checking
mea
authoritative
by visual processes, both sources, examining the
verbal andmo- n
verbal." tives of writers, and studying the emotional
Since connotations
reading
an activeof words. process, it i
is
volves imagery andWriting critical
is the opposite coin evaluati
to reading.
When you read a Children
poem are generally
or novel, not taught to use
you c
jure up in your non-verbal
mind an image
techniques of
in their writing. w
the author intended, and
Some teachers allowoften of towha
their youngsters
did not intend. In our American culture draw a picture to illustrate a story, but
novels are more popular than poems. thisThisis often a busy-work assignment to
keep
is probably due to loss of sensitivity to the faster children at work while the
the
non-verbal sub-stratum of imagery amongothers are still laboring. After the fourth
the population. Novels generally over- grade most teachers give up the accompa-
elaborate in description and exposition,
nying picture idea. Again this illustrates
leaving less active participation onhow
thethe school in our society tends to
part of the reader. Poetry is selective,
downgrade non-verbal communication.
heightened emotional communication, re- Children should be taught to make pic-
quiring mental work on the reader's turepart.diagrams to convey mathematical in-
Somewhere in history the traveling bard
formation. They would profit from instruc-
with his collection of folk poems becametion on how to use pie charts. Stick men
lost, because the printing press put aareneweasy to make and, used properly, may
value on written words and man became have more meaning than several sentences.
If the teacher wishes to encourage cre-
separated from joyful, original experiences
ativeness and nonconformity, children
as his activities became more specialized.
This corrupted his enjoyment and under-
would be allowed to vary the color of their
ink to suit a mood, to use different size
standing of the poem. When verbalization
is considered as a complete art in itself,
margins, and to change the size of their
reading is handicapped. Excessive drillhandwriting.
in One boy described a train
coming toward him and passing away:
phonics and word structure and emphasis
"choo-choo CHOO-CHOO CHOO-CHOO
on speed kills sensitivity to meaning, makes
CHOO-CHOO-OO-OO CHOO-CHOO
poetry barren, and leaves children devoid
of imagery. CHOO-CHOO cHoo . . In recent years
Reading involves critical judgmentsmotion picture producers have been using
more creative techniques with color, de-
which may be blocked by verbalisms. The
techniques of the propagandist, such as and movements to introduce a film.
signs,
The Man With the Golden Arm used these
scapegoating and using an emotionally-
tainted vocabulary or inexact definitions,
non-verbal methods quite effectively. What
rely heavily on words which can deceive.
teachers need to do is develop these writers
It might be profitably taught to children
in the schools by introducing them to more
that words are often misused by people
non-verbal procedures. The skills of the
in ways more serious than grammatical
craftsman can be integrated with the
errors. When reading becomes "reading
composition lessons. A story of Indian

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 The Fifth Language Arts: Non-Verbal Communication 193

second performance
canoes might be written on birch-bark and and highly criticized
decorated with Indian picture for writing.
his first. Eventually he learns that non-
Paste, string, stone chips for mosaics,
verbal communication is not so acceptable
to his adult
melted crayolas are fitting materials for apublic. j
composition class with a creative teacher.
Research would render a valàable service
The objective is to teach that by"We don't
exploring the forces of inhibition on
write with words alone."
speaking created by the sociology of the
Speaking emerges in the child directly
school. Good speech involves such non-
out of his non-verbal communication.
verbal features as rhythm, muscular move-
Children continue wanting to use their
ment, meaningful ideas, a range of pitch
whole bodies to express themselves.
and Some
volume, and emotional intensity. These
teachers have been overly-concerned by are so prominent that they affect
features
this tendency, so they caution their
thepupils
nature of the verbalization itself. They
to hold their arms still at their sides and
become integrated into the personality
keep their feet together. This "wooden structure. Teachers need to become more
Indian" approach is further evidenceconscious
of of the deep social roots estab-
the American culture's attempt to destroy,
lished by the non-verbal communication
or at least to inhibit, non-verbal communi-
system of the individual.
cation.
In listening we find additional aspects
The speech behavior of children is often to non-verbal communication. Listening
a wild display of imitative sounds. Inis more than the ability to hear the sounds
telling stories they imitate fire engines, the
of speech and translate them into meaning-
sounds of motors, howling wind, lions, ful patterns. Listening is oral perception of
pigs, breaking branches, and express trains.
all the symbols of communication, verbal
After the first grade or two in school thisand non-verbal. At times it is a complex
"zoo and thunder" language does not meet listening-reading process of perceiving,
with the teacher's complete approval.using every sense organ which is pertinent
Again the culture's verbalism brings to bear
to the meaning-gathering activity. A good
its formidable weight.
listener is actively reconstructing the mo-
There is a dramatic difference between
tives of the speakers, watching the twitch
the way a typical boy relates a tale of some
of an eye, following hand movement, and
experience he had while he was hunting simultaneously deciding whether to com-
with his father and the way he reports a
ment, remain silent, or ask further ques-
story which he only read. In the first his
tions.
whole face leaps with excitement. He imi-
Thus, it may seem that non-verbal com-
tates his manner of shouldering and firing
munication is a part of the four respected
a rifle. He repeats all the sounds of the
areas of language arts. That would be a
forest. The words generally do not flow as
superficial conclusion. Communication con-
fast as the ideas he presents with his ex-
cerns all senses in sending and receiving
pressions, motions, and noises. When he
information. The visual and auditory senses
gives his report on the vicarious experi-
are the primary dividers in the commonly-
ences of his reading, he may appear as a
different person- with less buoyancy, a accepted conceptual scheme with the visual
dullness of speech, fewer noises, and for reading and writing, and the auditory
greater awkwardness in his body. To top for speaking and listening. The senses of
it all, he may be complimented on his (Continued on page 218)

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 218

(Continued from pa

ATTENTION sponse. Unskilled h

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EDUCATORS Learning is a feelin
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fellow educators in other locales for
vacation or study purposes. generally ignored or rejected in American
education. It should not be taught as a
FOREIGN EXCHANGE- separate subject or skill, like reading or
VISITS speaking. But, it should be explored as a
fifth area of language arts. It should be
Stay in the homes of foreign edu-
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sufficiently understood so that teachers
will accept its unique values and sensitive
relations to personality development. It
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Name era of audio-visual techniques. Non-verbal
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speaking and listening, for reading and
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writing. In that role it helps to unify the
language arts.

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