Verbal Immediacy

Verbal immediacy encompasses linguistic messages that convey interpersonal approach or liking, thus reducing the … distance between individuals. Students perceive as more immediate those teachers who use inclusive … such as “we” instead of “you,” expressions that minimize distance such as “this university” instead of “that university,” present tense instead of past tense, probability such as “will” instead of “may”. Also interpreted as verbally immediate behaviors are teachers' use of humor and self-disclosure in the classroom, calling students by name.

Immediacy research is grounded in approach-avoidance theory. Early conceptualizations of approach-avoidance observed that approach indicates …, positive evaluation, and liking, whereas avoidance indicates lack of preference, dislike, and, in extreme cases, fear. Thus, a person's affinity for or liking for another person may provide … to approach the other, to reduce the physical or psychological distance between them. The social impact of approach-avoidance behaviors may be further explained by theories of interpersonal attraction, i.e. affinity between persons and their propensity to interact in order to … or maintain a relationship. Among the many factors contributing to interpersonal attraction are proximity and reinforcement. Reinforcement suggests that “we like people who reward us and we dislike people who … us”. In anticipation of physical or psychological reward, then, one may employ immediate behaviors in order to approach another individual.

3. Expand the text by adding some sentences which would contain relevant information.

Although many studies have shown that teacher verbal and non-verbal immediacy contribute positively to learning outcomes, questions remain as to how and why teacher immediacy behaviors enhance student learning. In addition to cognitive learning, another factor that appears to be associated with teacher immediacy is student motivation.  A large body of educational research has established that highly motivated students exert more energy and focus and therefore learn more. Thus, some scholars believe that teachers who employ verbal and non-verbal expressions of immediacy enhance students' motivation to learn, which in turn increases their initiative and application to course work and ultimately their cognitive learning.

ADDITIONAL READING

1. Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

This was a melting-pot school: Jewish, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Greek, Dominican, Russian, and I had no preparation or training for teaching English as a Second Language. Kids want to be cool. Never mind what parents say, or adults in general. The bell rings and I'm hearing the Tower of Babel. My intention was to settle into a comfortable chair and read the papers, but after a day of five classes and 175 teenagers I was not inclined to prolong that day with their work. It could wait, damn it. I deserved a glass of wine or a cup of tea. I'd get to the papers later. Yes, a nice cup of tea and a read of the paper or a walk around the neighborhood or a few minutes with my little daughter when she told me about her school and the things she did with her friend Claire. Also, I ought to scan a newspaper in order to keep up with the world. An English teacher should know what's going on. You never knew when one of your students might bring up something about foreign policy or a new Off-Broadway play. You wouldn't want to be caught up there in front of the room with your mouth going and nothing coming out.

That's the life of the high school English teacher. They have ideas I want to dissipate, about the private lives of teachers. I tell them, “In your head choose one of your teachers. Don't tell anyone the name. Don't write it down. Now speculate, when that teacher leaves the school every day what does he or she do? Where does he go?”You know. After school, teacher goes directly home. Carries a bag filled with papers to be read and marked. Might have a cup oftea with spouse. Oh, no. Teacher would never have a glass of wine. That's not how teachers live. They don't go out. Maybe a movie on the weekend. They have dinner. They put their kids to bed. They watch the news before they settle in for the night to read those papers. At eleven it's time for another cup of tea or a glass of warm milk to help them sleep. Then they put on pajamas, kiss the spouse and drift off. Teachers' pajamas are always cotton. What would a teacher be doing in silk pajamas? And, no, they never sleep naked. If you suggest nudity students look shocked. Man, can you imagine some teachers in this school naked? That always triggers a big laugh and I wonder if they're sitting there imagining me naked.

What is the last thing teachers think about before sleeping?

Before they drift off, all those teachers, snug and warm in their cotton pajamas, think only of what they might teach tomorrow. Teachers are good, proper, professional, conscientious, and they'd never throw a leg over the other one in the bed. Below the belly button the teacher is dead.

(Teacher Man. Frank McCourt.)