A systematic quantification of gesture employment in normal Cantonese speakers : a multi-directional analysis of forms and functions

Abstract

This study describes the use of a gesture classification framework that can independently code and quantify forms and functions of non-verbal behaviors employed during spontaneous speech tasks. Normative data from the AphasiaBank Project, including sequential description, story-telling and monologue of one hundred and nineteen native Cantonese speakers, was used for analysis. Gestures employed during the linguistic tasks were annotated for its form and functions separately. Results revealed that one-third of the normal speakers did not gesture throughout the tasks and 84% of the gestures were coded as non-specific in nature. For the remaining content-carrying gestures, they mainly functioned as assisting listeners to decode speech content. Lexical diversity, age and nature of language tasks were related to frequency of gestural production. It is hoped that by examining the use of gesture among normal speakers, better understanding on cognitive, linguistic and interactive process of human communication will be achieved.