Gesture to Learn, Hum to Speak: Promoting L2 Pronunciation through Non-Verbal Techniques

Abstract This study examines how beat gestures and humming influence the pronunciation skills of Taiwanese students learning English. Ninety-three Mandarin-speaking participants were assigned to one of three groups: speech-only practice, practice with beat gestures, or practice with humming. The study was conducted over twelve days, consisting of a six-day pre-treatment phase followed by a six-day pronunciation training period, during which participants engaged in daily practice using TED Talk videos adapted to their assigned experimental condition. Pronunciation was assessed before and after training. The results showed that both beat gestures and humming led to significant pronunciation improvements compared to speech-only practice. While no statistically significant differences emerged between the two techniques, effect size comparisons suggest that beat gestures were particularly effective for intonation and rhythm, whereas humming showed a slight advantage in improving segmentals and stress patterns. Participant feedback indicated that beat gestures were more engaging and intuitive, whereas humming required more effort to master but was ultimately effective. This highlights a distinction between learner engagement and cognitive demands in pronunciation learning. These findings suggest that incorporating nonverbal elements, such as beat gestures and humming, into pronunciation instruction can enhance both phonological skills and learner motivation, depending on the instructional focus.