Abstract Though gesture is a growing area in second language research, its role in the teaching and learning of grammar remains on the margins. Drawing from Sociocultural Theory, the present case study addresses this gap by offering a microgenetic analysis of an ESL learner’s developing understanding of the progressive aspect. Our analysis is threefold. First, we observe how the learner’s gesture reveals her initial understanding of the progressive aspect. This is followed by study of the learner’s appropriation of the teacher’s gesture for the progressive aspect. Finally, we examine the crucial ways in which the learner’s gesture differs from the teacher’s, arguing that the learner merged her initial understanding and the teacher’s gesture, instead of merely copying the teacher. We contend that gesture should not be regarded as supplementary to speech but as an indispensable window into the learning process that may not be accessible through the verbal channel alone.

中文翻译：

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学习中

摘要 虽然手势是第二语言研究中一个不断增长的领域，但它在语法教学和学习中的作用仍然处于边缘。本案例研究借鉴社会文化理论，通过对 ESL 学习者对进步方面的发展理解进行微观遗传分析来解决这一差距。我们的分析是三重的。首先，我们观察学习者的手势如何揭示她对渐进方面的初步理解。接下来是学习学习者对教师在进步方面的手势的挪用。最后，我们研究了学习者的手势与老师的不同的关键方式，认为学习者将她最初的理解和老师的手势融合在一起，而不是仅仅复制老师。