While we are all cognizant of the importance of words to create certain impressions, gesture is relegated to a much lesser role. Gestures are an important concomitant to even the most vapid speech, enhancing it and giving the hearer something to look at while he listens. The value of seeing at the same time as listening was shown when a class at a university, unwieldy because of its large size, was split up. One group was put in a room in close proximity to good loudspeakers. Every nuance of the lecturer’s voice could be heard clearly. Because they had no person on whom to place their attention, they soon took on the appearance of extreme lassitude; most students became lethargic and rested their heads on their desks. The separation of visual and aural communication tended to vitiate the learning process. The listening group received grades lower than those received by those who could look at as well as hear the instructor.
