Gesture as part of Second Language Acquisition for Turkish Learners (A Cross-cultural Repertoire of Gestures from Turkish, Russian, Spanish and Brazilian Cultures)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine, classify and compare the diverse emblematic gestures characteristic of Turkish culture for use in the Turkish as a foreign language class. In order to determine the specific gestures used and recognised in Turkish society, a questionnaire was administered to 54 informants. The findings of the research revealed that there are emblematic gestures covering the 151 most common communicative functions of the language, of which nine are potentially unique to Turkish culture. Afterwards, with the aim of determining if there are gestures characteristic of Turkish culture, that is, empty gestures, we compare them with Spanish, Brazilian and Russian gestures. The resulting glossary of these gestures demonstrates the necessity of including non-verbal communication issues during the acquisition process of Turkish as a foreign language.