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Abstract

This study develops the Gesture-Pragmatic Corpus of Chinese Kindergarten Teachers (G-PCCKT) using ELAN to investigate teachers’ gesture-pragmatic functions. The corpus construction involves transcribing speech, annotating multifunctional gestures through a custom based on an , and coding three pragmatic aspects: demonstratives, illocutionary forces, and question-initiated sequences. As a reliable tool for data retrieval and analysis, the G-PCCKT enables multifaceted investigation into the pragmatic functions of gestures used by Chinese kindergarten teachers, including: (i) clarifying deictic references, (ii) reinforcing illocutionary force, and (iii) facilitating question formulation and sequence organization. Preliminary results indicate that: (i) teachers’ gesture use varies with different types of demonstratives to aid children’s comprehension; (ii) gestures previously regarded as “meaningless” reveal performative significance when examined in pragmatic context; and (iii) gestures support teachers in managing classroom pacing by smoothly transitioning between question-initiated sequences.

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2026-07-09
2026-08-16

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/content/journals/10.1075/fol.24059.wan
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Establishment and application of gesture-pragmatic corpus of chinese kindergarten teachers (G-PCCKT)
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/fol.24059.wan
/content/journals/10.1075/fol.24059.wan
/content/journals/10.1075/fol.24059.wan
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: gesture functions ; kindergarten teachers ; gesture-pragmatic corpus

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