【Abstract】Body language， to some extent， can be regarded as a quick and efficient way to express ideas and emotion. This report， based on a classroom research， will investigate the functions of body language in L2 classes.
　　【Key words】Body Language； L2 Classroom； Action Research
　　It is generally known that speech is typically enriched by various gestures and body language in face-to-face communication. As early as 1970s， Albert Mehrabian had basically come to the conclusion that communication， on a face-to-face basis， is thought to consist of three separate elements. Besides words spoken and intonation， body language which posture， facial expressions and gestures someone uses is also essential in communicating process （Mehrabian， 1972）. Body language is actually a kind of non-verbal visual aid for the words and can convey useful information about a speaker’s intent and meaning as well. For instance， the speaker’s eye-gaze direction can inform us about where the attention of he or she is （Senju and Johnson， 2009）， and his or her body movement can give us important information regarding the emotional state of the speaker （Wallbott， 1998）. Sometimes， even seemingly irrelevant hand-movements， such as rubbing the nose or tapping fingers on the desk， can also disclose important information of the speaker （Obermeier， Kelly