Nonverbal Communication

Abstract

Many American schools today have richly diverse classrooms composed of immigrants with a limited vocabulary or little command of the English language. Now more than ever, music educators must explore new, creative, and effective ways to communicate with this ever-changing student population. Although most teachers rely primarily on verbal communication in the classroom, others are introducing nonverbal communication—the process of communicating through sending and receiving wordless messages with their students. This technique has become increasingly helpful in communicating with students when English is not their primary language. Music educators must be prepared to teach students from many cultures. We need to develop effective strategies of communication, which in turn will contribute to the success of our music programs.