【Teaching Practice Report】

How Masks Have an Impact on Communication
Jon Mahoney
Abstract
This study reflects on how wearing facial masks has an impact on communication. In total, 118 students took partin the study. A mixed methods approach was utilized to collect both qualitative and quantitative data in the form ofclass notes, interviews, and a Google Form, respectively. In general, students gave negative impressions aboutwearing masks, indicating that wearing them negatively impacted their ability to communicate smoothly with theirclassmates. For example, being unable to read the other person’s mood or nuance and having to use more bodylanguage to convey their feelings. Results from this study suggest that instructors need to be mindful of the impact
of wearing masks and should implement classroom strategies to compensate for this barrier in communication,such as effective seating arrangements, the issuance of name cards, attention to room temperature and acoustics,
and the wearing of transparent face masks.
Keywords: Masks, communication, impact

Introduction
Since the onset of COVID-19, the wearing of masks has become mandatory for all teachers andstudents in the Japanese education system. This radical change has been implemented rapidly andgenerally accepted by educators and students alike. While the benefits are clear, providing protection
from the COVID-19 virus, the drawbacks are complex and subjective. In this reflective study, theauthor explores the implications of this significant societal change and investigates how this newnormal is impacting communication in classes and discusses the mental processes simultaneously
taking place within this idiosyncratic environment. By investigating and analyzing the impact thatwearing masks has on students’ ability to communicate smoothly, the author will endeavor to provide
some pedagogical strategies that instructors ought to be cognizant of.
This study took place at a private University in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 118 students took part in
the study. All the students were participating in the discussion module, a 14-week course with theprimary goal of having students discuss present-day topics using a selection of marked language
skills. Instructors are required to encourage maximum verbal output from students and to facilitatebalanced and interactive discussions about current topics in English with their peers (Hurling, 2012).
Each class consists of around 10 students, with each member placed into classes with other memberswith a similar English competence. Preferably, 10- and 16-minute discussions take place in every
lesson and should be balanced, interactive and co-constructed by all participants.

Masks and Communication
During the height of the pandemic the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that
healthy people wear nonmedical masks to control the spread of COVID-19, such as, in settings where
physical distancing is unable to be achieved (WHO, 2020). This implies that peoples’ faces have been
obscured from one another. Our faces provide vital information of personal identity; —for example,
trustworthiness, attractiveness, age, and sex. All these visual factors enable an interlocuter to be able
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HOW MASKS HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION

to gauge the other’s emotional state via expression analysis (Bruce & Young, 1986). Face masksroutinely worn during the COVID-19 pandemic to cover the mouth and the nose, envelop about 60 to
70% of the lower area of the face that is important for emotional expression and, consequently,
emotion reading. Significantly, these masks cover an area of the face that is vital for the effective
nonverbal communication of emotional conditions (Nguyen et al., 2021). Recognizing emotions ispivotal for social interaction. Explicitly, interpreting other people’s facial gestures is of paramountimportance during social development when children learn to interrelate with others (Denham et al.,2014).
Several studies have recently focussed on trying to understand the impact of face masks on
various aspects of social interaction and cognition (Carbon, 2020; Carbon and Serrano, 2021; Freudet al., 2020; Gori et al., 2021; Marler and Ditton, 2021; Noyes et al., 2021; Spitzer, 2020). Many of thesestudies have demonstrated the deleterious effects of masks on the recognition of facial emotion andidentity. The ability to see one’s facial movements is useful for knowing mental states and plays a partin cultivating empathy (Marini et al., 2021). Facial expressions play a vital role in communication andthe passing on of emotion across individuals. People judge the facial expressions of one another,which helps them forecast events and situations and allows them to develop suitable responses tothem (Mheildy, 2020). The importance of the role of facial expressions in communication would
seem to be apparent. One way to negate the impact of masks has been put forward by Marini et al(2021), who have argued that transparent masks that restore visual access to the mouth region havealmost no adverse effects on emotion recognition. In the next section, the history of masks in Japan
shall be reviewed.

Masks in Japan
Prior to the pandemic, mask usage was already well-established in Japan. Burgess and Horii(2012, p.1184) have argued that it is “socially embedded as a general protective practice” as a kind of“risk ritual.” Mask wearing seems to be a normal coping strategy for Japanese people and isadjustable to various kinds of risks and uncertainties (Horii, 2014). The genesis of this refuge inwearing masks in Japan is debatable. One credible impetus for the inception of this behaviour is theonset of Spanish Flu in 1918. Rice and Palmer (1993) have posited that this global pandemic brought
the nation of Japan together. By wearing a mask, it was a representation of a national defense against
an invisible threat. Another possible catalyst toward the road of mask dependency is the emergenceof hay fever in Japan. The ubiquity of Japanese cedar pollinosis increased 2.6-fold between 1980 and2000 (Kaneko et al., 2005). Significantly, around 80 per cent of those afflicted using “self-care”
methods of avoiding pollen (Okuda, 2003), with over 70 per cent of those wearing masks forprotection. (Dake et al., 2003). Furthermore, the outbreak of SARS in 2003 caused a notable rise in
the usage of flu masks in Japanese society, chiefly at international airports (Horii, 2014). While these
events seem to provide a timeline to masks being so widely adopted in Japan, there may be moredeeper reasons for their prevalence. Mask usage in Japan has developed into an ambiguous
behavioral adaptation concerning health risks, sometimes without a specific objective, which also
encompasses “cosmetic and comfort purposes” (Simonitch, 2012).

Methodology
After gaining consent from students via a research consent form stating my intentions, starting73

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from week two, the author began taking notes in class on what he deemed to be any abnormal
behavior caused from wearing masks. For example, breakdowns in communication, unusual bodylanguage, or raised voices. In the final class of the semester, the author shared a Google Form withseven closed quantitative questions using the Likert scale and one open-ended qualitative question(see Appendix A), which asked the students to share their feelings on how wearing a mask has
impacted their ability to communicate throughout the semester. Students were also allowed to
discuss this topic in the final class of term. Research by Carbon (2020, p.6) posited that “face masks
may complicate social interaction as they disturb emotion reading from facial expression.” Theauthor intends to explore what impact wearing masks has on 1st-year Japanese university students,
who are required to interact smoothly in class in English in the discussion class module. The author
will also consider the pedagogical implications of the findings and how it may be possible to limit thenegative impact that masks have on communication.

Lookatme Masks
In lesson six, the theme of the lesson was culture. The author included a warm-up question: “Didyou have a custom of wearing a mask before COVID-19?” Most of the students indicated that they did
not but that they did wear them when they were sick to protect other people. Some students also
indicated that wearing masks in the wintertime helped them to keep warm. During these questions,the author often heard the students say that they strongly disliked wearing masks now, especially inthe heat of summer. Some of the ideas mentioned in this lesson by students included the following:
Wearing a mask is bad because we can’t make friends and remember names, but we must try ourbest.
I don’t like wearing a mask because I can’t tell who is speaking and I feel hot.
I want to see people’s expressions and enjoy speaking more.
Wearing a mask is good because we have facial equality.
The responses given by students in this activity prompted the author to experiment with using
Lookatme masks (see Appendix B) in two of his classes. In the previous academic year, the university
in which this study is conducted distributed transparent Lookatme masks to all teachers andstudents. All these masks were free of charge, and their usage was encouraged by the university but
not deemed as mandatory. Several emails were sent by the university to teachers and students thatthese masks were available, and all were encouraged to wear them. The author had issued Lookatme
masks to his students in the previous year and advised them to wear them if they wanted to, but noneof the students did so. This was perhaps influenced by the fact that the author did not set an example
of wearing the mask himself, since he felt unaccustomed to them. Being that this was during theheight of the pandemic and students had been studying online for over a year in most cases, this
response was perhaps understandable. The author proposed to students in two classes in this study
from week nine that they try wearing the masks for just one lesson and to see if they aided in theircommunicative abilities. The students agreed, and the university provided enough free masks for thetwo classes. The author began wearing a Lookatme mask from week eight and had noticed that
although students were initially surprised, they soon got used to the author wearing it. The author
also believed that they understood his instructions more easily and appreciated that they could see
his smile and facial reactions to their discussion performances.
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HOW MASKS HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION

When the students in the two participating classes initially put the masks on, it was the first time
for them to see each other’s faces. Therefore, there was a mixture of excitement and nervousness. It
was soon apparent that students became relaxed wearing them and started to enjoy speaking to eachother with more freedom. In one class especially, it was noticed that all the students smiled for almost
the entire class and participated actively. Unfortunately, on the day of trying the masks for the firsttime in the other class, the weather was extremely hot and uncomfortable since there was a heatwave
in Japan at that time. Although very similar findings were produced, due to the heat the students took
longer to relax and enjoy seeing each other’s faces. At the end of each class, students were asked ifthey felt that the mask improved the smoothness of their speaking, and 19 out of 20 students agreed.
The students were advised that if they wanted to continue wearing the Lookatme masks for theremaining five classes, then they should bring one to the class and that it was completely theirchoice. In the following classes, three students in one class continued to wear the Lookatme masks
faces.While,
At theinend
each class,class, students
asked
if they thefelt Lookatmethat the mask
improveduntil the end of term.
theofotherjust one werestudent
broughtmask
and thesmoothness of their speaking, and 19 out of 20 students agreed. The students were advised thatwanted to wear it, but
becausethetootherclassmatesdone so,this student
swiftly putfive
the classes,
mask thenif they
wantedcontinue
wearinghad
the not
Lookatme
masks
for the remaining
away into their bag,indicating
to theoneauthorpeer
hadcompletely
played a rolein choice.
this. In the following
theyshould bringto thethat
class
andpressurethat it was
theirclasses, three students in one class continued to wear the Lookatme masks until the end of term.
While, in the other class, just one student brought the Lookatme mask and wanted to wear it,
but because the other classmates
had not done so, this student swiftly put the mask away into
Findings
their bag, indicating to the author that peer pressure had played a role in this.
In the final class of the semester, the students were asked to complete a Google Form to indicate
FINDINGS
their impressions of using masks throughout the semester.
A total of 118 students completed theform.
In the final class of the semester, the students were asked to complete a Google Form to
The first fourindicate
statements
to students
weredesigned
to foster
their general
their posed
impressionsof usingmasks
throughout
the semester.
A totalfeelingsof 118 ofstudents
wearing masks in completedclass. Thethe
resultsform.were reasonably ambiguous from the first statement poised to
The1first
fourshowsstatements
posed to students
designed
theirgeneralfeelings ofthe participants. Figure
belowthat students
did not wereclearly
indicatetoiffoster
masks
had
impacted
wearing masks
in class.
results
were reasonably
from the firstthatstatement
their ability to communicatesmoothlyin Theclass.
However,
there was aambiguous
marginal preferencemasks poisedto the participants. Figure 1 below shows that students did not clearly indicate if masks had
did have a negative
impact,their
withability
56 students(48%) indicating
thatinthey
had
and 48 students
impacted
to communicatesmoothlyclass.
However,
there was(40%)
a marginalindicating otherwise.
preference that masks did have a negative impact, with 56 students (48%) indicating that they
had and 48 students (40%) indicating otherwise.
Figure 1
Figure1
Wearing aamask
affectmy myability
to communicatesmoothly
in class in class
Wearing
maskdid
didnotnot
affectability
to communicatesmoothly

Wearing a mask did not affectmy ability to communicatesmoothly in class
50
40
30
20
10
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
DisagreeStatement two: “Wearing a mask in class made me feel comfortable,” provided similar
Statement two:
“Wearinga maskin class
made me(38%)
feel comfortable,”similarfindings,
witha majority
46 students
agreeing with provided
this and some
32 findings,
students (27%)
disagreeing
thisstatement.
Thisfindingcanbeattested
totheobvious
fact
that
masks
protected
with a majority 46 students (38%) agreeing with this and some 32 students (27%) disagreeing thisstudents from infection.
Statement three: “I often wanted to take my mask off in order to communicate smoothly”
also provided slightly agreeable data.
75 A total of 45 students (38%) agreed with this statement,with 36 students (32%) giving an opposite view. The observation by the author during class ofmany students often adjusting their masks lend credence to the fact that almost half of students
indicated that they had felt this compulsion.

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第3巻 （ JOURNAL OF MULTILINGUAL PEDAGOGY AND PR ACTICE, VOL. 3）

statement. This finding can be attested to the obvious fact that masks protected students from
infection.
Statement three: “I often wanted to take my mask off in order to communicate smoothly” also
provided slightly agreeable data. A total of 45 students (38%) agreed with this statement, with 36
students (32%) giving an opposite view. The observation by the author during class of many students
often adjusting their masks lend credence to the fact that almost half of students indicated that they
had felt this compulsion.
The fourth statement posed to students provided clearer results. A total of 64 students (56%)
agreed that it was difficult to understand others when wearing a mask, with 33 students (30%)
indicating that it was not difficult. With this being a discussion class, in which it is very important tounderstand other’simportant
ideas andtoopinions
smoothly,a sizable
differencein thisopinion.
This perhaps
understandother’s thisideasisand
opinionssmoothly,is a sizable
difference inopinion.
Thisperhapsthat somestudents
were more
to wearing a masksuggests that somestudents
weremoresuggests
accustomed
to wearing
a maskthan accustomed
others.
than others.
Figure 22
FigureIt wasotherswhenwhenthey werea mask a maskItwasdifficult
difficulttotounderstandunderstandothersthey wearing
were wearing

It was difficult to understandothers when they were wearing a
mask
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
DisagreeStatements five, six, and seven were designed to garner students’ feelings of how theStatements five,six, andsevenaffected
were designed
to garner
students’feelings
the wearing
ofagreed
wearingof masks
their behavior
duringthe class.
A totalofofhow
58 students(49%)
masks affected their
behavior
duringtheclass.
A
total
of
58
students(49%)
agreedwithstatementwith statement five: “I used more body language than usual when wearing a mask,” with only
students(23%)thandisagreeing,suggesting
thata students
were only
required
to exert more
five: “I used more28body
languageusual when
wearingmask,” with28 students(23%)energy
when
using
a
mask
to
make
their
opinions
understood.
disagreeing, suggesting that students were required to exert more energy when using a mask to
Regarding statement six, we can see a clear disproportionate response from students on themake their opinions
understood.
topic
of raising their voices in class. A total of 89 students (75%) agreed with the statement,with just 16 students (14%) disagreeing (see figure 3 below). Together with the extra usage ofbody language, the extra pressure of having to speak louder may play a role in students’performance and motivation.
Figure 3
I raised my voice more when wearing a mask

I raised my voice more when
wearing a mask
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

76
Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
DisagreeStatements five, six, and seven were designed to garner students’ feelings of how the
wearing of masksaffected
their
behavior
the class. A total of 58 students (49%) agreed
HOW MASKS
HAVE
AN IMPACT
ONduring
COMMUNICATION
with statement five: “I used more body language than usual when wearing a mask,” with only
28 students (23%) disagreeing, suggesting that students were required to exert more energy
when usingsix,
a maskto makeopinions
understood. response from students on the
Regarding statement
we cansee theira cleardisproportionate
Regardingstatement
six,
we
can
see
a
clear
disproportionate
responsefrom students
topic of raising their voices in class. A total of 89 students (75%)
agreed with thestatement,with juston the
topic of raising their voices in class. A total of 89 students (75%) agreed with the statement,
16 students (14%)with
disagreeing(see figure
below). Together
with3 theextraTogether
usage ofwithbodyjust 16 students(14%)3disagreeing(see figure
below).
thelanguage,
extra usage ofthe extra pressureof havingto speaklouder
may playa role intostudents’performance
motivation.
bodylanguage,the extrapressureof havingspeak louder
may playand
a rolein students’performance and motivation.
Figure 3
IFigureraised3my voice more when wearing a mask
I raised my voice more when wearing a mask

I raised my voice more when
wearing a mask
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
Disagree

The data gathered from statement seven regarding using eyes as a form of communication was
also unambiguous. A total of 74 students (62%) indicated that they did rely on more eye communication,
The data gathered from statement seven regarding using eyes as a form of communication
with just 16 students(14%)
indicating A
otherwise
figure4 below).
Thethatauthorpaidrely
particular
was also
unambiguous.
total of 74(seestudents(62%)
indicated
they didon more eye
communication,
just 16
students(14%) speaking
indicatingtests.
otherwise(see this,figurethe
4 below).
attention to the eye
movement ofwith
students
when
evaluating
By doing
author The
authorpaid
particularattention
to
the
eye
movementof
students
when
evaluating
speaking
tests.
could usually detect who was taking speaking turns smoothly.
By doing this, the author could usually detect who was taking speaking turns smoothly.
FigureFigure 44
II usedmore
to express
my opinions
usedmymyeyeseyes
more
to express
my opinions

I used my eyes more to express my
opinions
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
Disagree

The final statement was chosen to collect students’ impressions of the teacher wearing atransparent mask in class. The author wore the Lookatme mask for the final six classes of term.
The results, with 74 students (63%) agreeing that they understood the teacher’s instructions
more clearly, pale in comparison with that of only 11 students (9%) disagreeing (see figure 5
below).
Figure 5
It was easier to understand the teacher’s
instructions when he was wearing the Lookatme
77mask

It was easier to understand the

10
5
0

Strongly Agree

多言語教育実践ジャーナル

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly
Disagree第3巻 （ JOURNAL OF MULTILINGUAL PEDAGOGY AND PR ACTICE, VOL. 3）

The final statement was chosen to collect students’ impressions of the teacher wearing a
The final statement was chosen to collect students’ impressions of the teacher wearing atransparent mask in class. The author wore the Lookatme mask for the final six classes of term.
transparent maskThein class.
The
authorwore theLookatme
mask
theunderstood
final six classesof term.
The
results,with74 students(63%)
agreeing
thatforthey
the teacher’s
instructions
more clearly,
in comparison
that of only
studentsinstructions(9%) disagreeing(see figure 5
results, with 74 students(63%)paleagreeingthat theywith
understoodthe 11teacher’smore clearly,
below).
pale in comparison with that of only 11 students (9%) disagreeing (see figure 5 below).
Figure 5

Figure It
5 was easier to understand the teacher’s instructions when he was wearing the Lookatme
It was easiermaskto understand the teacher’s instructions when he was wearing the Lookatme mask

60

It was easier to understand theteacher's instructions when hewas wearing the Lookatme mask

50
40
30
20
10
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree

There was an additional statement on the Google Form for the two classes who wore theThere
was an atadditional
statement
oncan
the see
Googlefor the(60%)
two classes
who wore the
Lookatme masks.
By looking
the figure
below, wethat Form
20 students
agreed that
Lookatme masks. By looking at the figure below, we can see that 20 students (60%) agreed
wearing the masks boosted their ability to communicate smoothly, with only two students (10%)
that wearing the masks boosted their ability to communicate smoothly, with only two students
indicating otherwise. Six students (30%) were neutral (see figure 6 below). Since most students had(10%) indicating otherwise. Six students (30%) were neutral (see figure 6 below). Since mosta favorable experienceof wearing
the masks,
the reasons
why almost
the students
did notwhy
continue
students hada favorable
experienceof wearing
the allmasks,
the reasonsalmost all thewearing themstudents
in the following
lessonscouldbedeemedascomplex.
did not continue wearing them in the following lessons could be deemed as complex.
FigureFigure6 6
WearingthetheLookatme
mask helped
to communicate
more smoothlymore smoothly
Wearing
Lookatme
mask mehelpedme to communicate

1210Wearing the Lookatme mask
helped me to communicate moresmoothly

8
6
4
2
0

Strongly Agree

Agree

NeutralDisagreeStrongly Disagree

The final
was asking
open-ended,askingstudents
indicate
any positive
The final question
wasquestion
open-ended,
students
to indicate
any topositiveor negative
impactor negative
impact that they had felt about wearing masks in class. A total of 14 distinct advantages werethat they had felt about wearing masks in class. A total of 14 distinct advantages were stipulated by
stipulated by students. The most common were feeling relaxed and having peace of mind
(seven), followed by taking better care of pronunciation (four). Other noteworthy advantages
mentioned included no need for make-up(three) and being shy to show their faces (three). It is78
understandable that students should pinpoint that masks made them feel relaxed due to thehighly transmissible COVID-19 virus. The fact that students mentioned that they had toHOW MASKS HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION

students. The most common were feeling relaxed and having peace of mind (seven), followed bytaking better care of pronunciation (four). Other noteworthy advantages mentioned included no needfor make-up (three) and being shy to show their faces (three). It is understandable that students
should pinpoint that masks made them feel relaxed due to the highly transmissible COVID-19 virus.
The fact that students mentioned that they had to concentrate on their pronunciation more as anadvantage was unexpected and is one of few examples of how masks may improve a student’s
speaking ability.
Students specified significantly more disadvantages to wearing masks. The most common
included unable to see mouths, facial expressions, and emotions (41) and asking classmates to repeat
often (18). Having to speak with a loud voice (14) is perhaps linked to the fact that students had toconcentrate on their pronunciation more, thereby providing a possible caveat to this advantage. Hardto breathe and feeling hot (10) and difficult to make friends (four) were the other noteworthy
disadvantages mentioned. The students who claimed it was hard to breathe lends credence to a study
by Dooly et al. (1996), who reported that wearing a mask reduces the approximate value of maximal
oxygen uptake by about 10% in an individual.

Group Discussions and Inter views
In the final class of term, the final discussion questions were posed to the students: “What are
the advantages and disadvantages of wearing masks?,” and “How does wearing a mask impact oncommunication?”
The most common advantages mentioned fell in line with responses in the open-ended Google
Form question, such as protection against viruses and hay fever, no need to wear make-up, or noneed to shave and feeling less nervousness. However, some other noteworthy advantages were
given, such as from a shy person’s point of view, it was easier to start speaking everyone has abeautiful face, there was no need to show a fake smile, and students could hide their true feelings.
One student mentioned an advantage as “No mask, no life,” to which all the students’ classmatesagreed. The author later asked: “What do you mean by this?,” to which the student replied, “We havebeen wearing masks for three years, so we feel shy to take them off and change our faces.”
The most prominent disadvantages again correlated with the data from the Google Form, suchas can’t see people’s true feelings, feeling hot and hard to breathe, and must use body language
more. A few students mentioned that it was difficult to speak for prolonged periods because theirglasses steamed up.
Many students responded to the second question by saying that they couldn’t understandothers’ true feelings because they couldn’t see facial expressions. This prompted the author to ask
the question “How did this make you feel?”
Some of the responses to this follow-up question included the following:
It was difficult to express myself confidently.
I had to use gestures more to convey my feelings.
I was worried that they were disappointed about what I had said.
Because I couldn’t read the person’s mood, I felt anxious and confused.
It was difficult to predict how they would feel or react, so I felt anxious and hesitant.
The flow of the discussion was interrupted because I couldn’t understand classmates’ nuance.

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The two classes who had participated in the Lookatme experiment were also asked the follow-up
question: “Why did you discontinue wearing the Lookatme masks?” Some of their responses
included:
The Lookatme masks helped us to communicate, but do we not have a custom of wearing thesemasks.
The Lookatme masks are uncommon. We first met wearing normal masks, so it was difficult tochange.
The shape of the masks is like a bird’s mouth. It was strange for us.
Three students continued to wear the Lookatme mask until the end of term. All these students
were male, suggesting that male students had less inhibition to show their faces. One of thesestudents gave some positive feedback of using the Lookatme masks.
I’m grateful for the Lookatme mask. Regular masks irritate my skin and make me feel hot. I also
wore my Lookatme mask walking to the station from campus and on the train. It is much better thana regular mask.

Classroom Behavior
Starting from the first classes of the semester, the author noted any abnormal behavior by
students that he felt was caused by wearing masks. Some of the main behaviors observed included
students speaking louder and gesticulating more frequently; awkward breakdowns in communication
when turn taking should have been smoother; frequent adjusting of masks whilst and after prolonged
periods of speaking; displays of exasperation in the amount of effort speaking while wearing a mask;
often using a folding fan or a portable electric fan to keep cool when speaking; a tendency for
extroverted students to maximize their facial visibility to others, in contrast to introverted students
who minimized their facial visibility as much as possible; an inability to remember each other’snames, which would take place when they had forgotten their name cards; raising hands to taketurns and pointing at themselves when speaking; looks of confusion as to who was speaking; frequent
requests for classmates to repeat their ideas.

Instructor’s Perspective
Masked faces are harder to recognize (Marini et al., 2021). This is no trivial matter. The author’s
ability to connect with students and create a collaborative environment in classes was impaired by thewearing of masks. If students forgot to bring their name card to class, the author would sometimes
find it difficult to remember names to the detriment of the classes’ atmosphere. During the semester,
the author had a variety of rooms that ranged from small to spacious and a variety of individual
differences in students, varying from highly extroverted to extremely introverted. The acoustics ofeach room is unique, as well as outside on campus or noise from other classes since all doors needed
to kept open to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. All these factors play a role in the ability of ateacher to be able to listen carefully and accurately to each class and individual. In addition, wearing
masks of all students undeniably made the teacher’s task of accurately hearing a student speak wasmuch more challenging. An additional barrier to understanding was that students wore various types
80

HOW MASKS HAVE AN IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION

and sizes of masks, making the tasks of deciding who is talking even more difficult. Most students
tended to use some form of body language or optic expression to make themselves understood moreclearly. However, a significant number of students did not employ such practices, confusing theauthor as to who was speaking. At such instances, the author had to pay significant attention todiscreet movements in the students’ eyes and masks to identify who was enunciating. The author
often felt that whilst wearing a standard mask, sometimes the students could not read his instructions
or feelings accurately. The author clearly noticed that when wearing the Lookatme mask, students
understood instructions much faster. It was noted that students focussed on the teacher’s oral
movements and facial gestures to garner deeper understanding of the lesson’s instructions andfeedback. It is the author’s opinion that showing a smile of approval or a grimace of disapproval is anextremely effective way of giving immediate feedback to students.

Discussion
The fact the students indicated feelings of frustration at not being able to read other student’s
emotions and true feelings is understandable. Since this study was carried out in a discussion class
where the main purpose is for students to maintain conversations and take turns smoothly meant thatthe masks clearly obstructed and hindered their performance. They made students feel anxious, hot,and tired due to extra body language being used. By contrast, with around a third of students
indicating that they felt comfortable wearing a mask and did not want to show their faces, thissuggests that Japan has an affinity with wearing masks, which dates back to a century ago. However,
the author wonders how detrimental this reliance on masks is for one’s communicative and social
development. And what is the impact on society itself? Do people become more detached from one
another? Will people be able to take off their masks and interact naturally again? One student
remarked “No mask, no life” and subsequently explained that they had been wearing masks for three
years, which equates to the entirety of their high school days, suggesting that wearing masks has
significantly impacted some students’ confidence and social skills. Adolescence, which begins withpuberty, is a phase in which physical changes such as changes in facial structure take place, alongwith cognitive, social development as well as changes in perception, motivation, and behavior(Negrea et al., 2019). It is also worth considering the impact on young children. They have perhaps
been unable to learn communicative facial cues in early childhood that are pivotal for smoothcommunication and have been part of human evolution. As was previously mentioned, communication
is a combination of voice, body language, and facial expressions. The possibility of breakdowns incommunication between people wearing masks cannot be underestimated. Some of the examples
that the participants in this study suggested show this is the case. In retrospect, the author shouldhave issued the Lookatme masks earlier in the semester.

Conclusion
There can be no doubt that COVID-19 has profoundly changed the world and has affected how
people interact with each other. Good speaking teachers create environments where students can
express themselves creatively (Nunan, 2015). Creating this environment has become morechallenging. A covered mouth restricts breathing and makes communicating less efficient, while alsointerfering with understanding. Trust, empathy, timing, and recognition are all negatively impacted
when a mouth is obscured. Furthermore, mask wearing creates a sense of acceptance and81

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compliance, giving a feeling of reassurance in times of distress.
Since a high percentage of the students indicated that they wanted to see the teacher’s mouth
movements to gain deeper understanding of the instructions and word pronunciation, it isrecommended that teachers, especially those who are teaching an L2, consider wearing a facial
screen as opposed to a regular medical mask to facilitate this. For now, in Japan, masks are here tostay. It is crucial for teachers of English communicative classes to develop ways of facilitating
effective communication in masks while mask wearing remains prevalent, such as effective seating
positions with clear name cards in view, management of room temperatures, attention to room
acoustics, and an acute awareness of the sensitivity of students in this environment. Teachers will
also need to become adept at judging students’ communication and participation levels in class, suchas paying extra attention to their eye expressions, tone, and body language. More research in thisarea could be carried out to include the integration of video-based tools into class curricula, which
would allow students to become accustomed to speaking without a mask and to see other students’faces, which could possibly aid in diminishing students’ reliance on masks.

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Appendix A
Student Sur vey
1.

Wearing a mask did not affect my ability to communicate smoothly.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. Wearing a mask made me feel relaxed and comfortable in class.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
3. I often wanted to make my mask off to communicate more smoothly.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
4. It was difficult to understand others when they were speaking in a mask.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
5. I used more body language than usual when I was wearing a mask.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
6. I raised my voice more when wearing a mask.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
7. I used my eyes more to express my opinion.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
8. It was easier to understand the teacher’s instructions when he was wearing the Lookatme mask.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
9. **Wearing the Lookatme mask helped me to communicate more smoothly**
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
10.	Please leave any positive or negative comments about how wearing a mask impacted on yourability to communicate in class.
Note: Question nine was only asked to the two classes that wore the Lookatme masks85

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Appendix B
Appendix two

Lookatme mask
Lookatme mask

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