INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Speakers generate a great amount of emotion and interest through the use of non-verbal

communication, often called gestures or body language. A speaker's body can be an effective tool

for emphasizing and clarifying the words they use, while reinforcing their sincerity and

enthusiasm. A gesture is any action that sends a visual signal to an onlooker. To become a gesture,

an act has to be seen by someone else and has to communicate some piece of information to them.

It can do this either because the gesturer deliberately sets out to send a signal. With proper hand

and finger movements, the conversations one has and arguments one makes, become more

compelling and trustworthy.

Despite the vast number of movements that qualify as gestures, all gestures can be grouped

into one of the five major categories. The first category is the symbolic gesture which is a form of

nonverbal communication made with the movement of the hands or a change in body posture to

express a feeling or idea. Symbolic gestures are also used to make requests: for example, putting

the index finger to closed lips means “be quiet.” Another type includes descriptive gestures which

functions to clarify or enhance a verbal message. They help the audience understand comparisons

and contrasts, and visualize the size, shape, movement, location, function, and number of objects.

Emphatic gestures on the other hand underscore what’s being said. They indicate earnestness and

conviction. For example, a clenched fist suggests strong feeling, such as anger or determination.

The fourth category is referred to as suggestive gestures which are symbols of ideas and emotions.

They help a speaker create a desired mood or express a particular thought. An open palm suggests

giving or receiving, usually of an idea, while a shrug of the shoulders indicates ignorance,

perplexity, or irony. Lastly, prompting gestures are used to help evoke a desired response from the
audience. If you want listeners to raise their hands, applaud, or perform some specific action, you’ll

enhance the response by doing it yourself as an example.

Hand gestures often help to emphasize certain points of speeches and strengthen the

speaker’s message. Research shows that influential speakers use more hand gestures than average

speakers, and they use the gestures where the crowd is sensitive. People pay attention to

movements and gestures during speeches. If you purposely use your body to stress a certain idea,

the audience is much more likely to remember what you said. These movements draw attention to

what you’re saying at that moment and draws attention to the important parts of the speech. An

active speaker leaves a better impression on the audience than an inactive one. Using hand gestures

can make the speaker more animated, and it is pleasing to one’s eye to have a moving lecturer as

opposed to a stationary speaker the entire time.

In public speaking, your body can be an effective tool for adding emphasis and clarity to

your words. It’s also your most powerful instrument for convincing an audience of your sincerity,

earnestness, and enthusiasm. Some researchers have said that gestures occurring during speech,

could have an important role in conveying and communicating semantic information to the

receiver. However, if your physical actions are distracting or suggest meanings that do not agree

with your verbal message, your body can defeat your words. Thus, such gestures would become

distracting to your audience and some would find it hard to concentrate on what you are trying to

say or convey. Exaggerated gestures could also negatively affect one’s performance during public

speaking because instead of listening intently into the speech, the audience would divert their

attention more on the gestures more than the speech. Whether your purpose is to inform, persuade,

entertain, motivate, or inspire, your body and the personality you project must be appropriate to

what you say.

 Gestures reflect each speaker’s individual personality. What’s right for one speaker

probably won’t work for you. Hence, to gesture effectively, one must respond naturally to what he

thinks, feels, and says. When presenting a speech, one must naturally express himself through

gestures. No matter what personality or cultural background we have, every one of us has a natural

impulse to punctuate and strengthen our words with gestures. Secondly, the action made must

always suit the word used during the speech. Both visual and verbal messages must function as

partners in communicating the same thought or feeling. Every gesture one makes should be

purposeful and reflective of his words so the audience will note only the effect, not the just the

gesture itself. Thirdly the gestures must be convincing enough for the audience. The gestures

should be lively and distinct if they are to convey the intended impressions. Effective gestures are

vigorous enough to be convincing yet slow enough and broad enough to be clearly visible without

being overpowering. Most importantly, a speaker must also practice himself speaking while doing

gestures. Through awareness and practice, a speaker can definitely make appropriate gesturing a

part of his habitual behavior.

Research Problem

This study regarding gestures employed by students in public speaking attempts to answer the

following questions:

1. What are the effects of gestures in giving speeches?

2. What is the importance of giving gestures?

3. What are the benefits of gestures to a given audience?

4. Why do speakers execute gestures during public speaking?