Share Paper: Two Languages, One Face: a primary study in how our facial expressions change across languages

1. Todd Cooper, University of Toyama, Japan
2. Akira Tsukada, National Institute of Technology, Toyama, Japan
3. Kaori Fukugawa, National Institute of Technology, Toyama, Japan
4. Ryuichi Matoba, National Institute of Technology, Toyama, Japan

Abstract: When learning a second language, communicative competence as defined by Canale and Swain (1980, pp.27-35) is key. We don’t need to know all the words, but when we say them, we should be aware of our facial expressions, as they can improve communicative competence related to nonverbal communication in interviews and presentations. In this experiment, 12 students of varying but classifiable EFL experiences had their mock job interviews recorded and in both Japanese and English. These facial expressions were evaluated using a Kinect camera (with our modified algorithm) and a human judge. In an earlier study, only the Japanese facial ...