It is interesting to note that a vast majority of us communicate several messages without using speech quite often.

In fact, one theory on the origin of language is called the Gesture theory, which tries to establish that speech originated from gestures. Someone has aptly said that communication oo es out through one!s finger tips. "hough this may appear to be an e#aggerated statement, it is truth. $o we not nod our heads to show approval or sha%e our heads to indicate disapproval. &hen you are offered a cup of coffee you not only say' ()o, "han% you!, but, also sha%e your head or cross your hands. &hen someone attempts to touch you for a penny, you indicate your denial through words as well as sha%ing your palm. &hen someone is in difficulty, he wrings *twists+ his hands in frustration. "he study of body movements is also %nown as ,inesis. -ody language is so important that a description of it has entered our spo%en language. .ou say that some one blin%ed to mean that he was confused, someone was bleary eyed to mean that he was not focusing and some one %ept his fingers crossed to mean that he was eagerly anticipating and so on and so forth. /ur language itself has several such e#pressions recognising body language. 0ommunication e#perts point out that only a small percentage of communication is verbal whereas a large percentage is through body language. "he following features of one!s bearing or demeanour *way of behaving+ is part and parcel of communication. Important features of Body Language Posture "he way a person stands or sits is his posture. It is good to adopt a fle#ible erect posture rather than a stiff or slouching posture. 1n erect posture reveals confidence and poise. $rooping shoulders, sagging in the seat, etc., reveal a feeling of depression and lac% of interest. Head motion In oral communication, the movement of the head plays an important role. )o one is e#pected to %eep on sha%ing his head, but appropriate nods and sha%es of the head enhance the level of communication. Facial Expression 2ace is the inde# of the mind. &e say, (she put on a long face! to mean that she was not in the best of her moods. 3owever much one tries, his hidden feeling of anger, fear, confusion, uncertainty, enthusiasm and joy will get revealed by the facial e#pression. Sometimes, the words that you utter may be contradicted by your facial e#pression. 1 teacher might as% the student if he understood the idea, but he should not wait for an answer. 1 lac%4lustre bewildered facial e#pression would reveal that the student has not grasped anything. Eye Contact

In an oral communication conte#t, the spea%er and listener should not only face each other but also maintain correct eye contact. If someone avoids direct eye contact, he is suspected to be sly or cunning. In eastern countries, subordinates or younger people may avoid direct eye contact out of respect or deference, but it will be misunderstood in an international conte#t. "he "amil poet Subramanya -harathi has praised upright bearing and straight eye contact. Gestures 5ovement of hands and fingers enhance communication. -ut, gestures are culture specific. 1 clenched fist may mean emphasis for an 1merican but disrespect for an Indian. 1 thumbs up sign, a movement of the inde# finger communicate messages effectively. 0ontinuous gestures should be avoided. )on4verbal communication in short, adds, subtracts and amends our message. In an oral communication conte#t, all the above features of body language play an important role. If you e#pect to communicate in a rela#ed atmosphere, you have to %ill and destroy the stiffness with appropriate components of body language. "hough gestures are culture specific some of them have become universal cutting across cultural boundaries. "hey have become emblematic. I iach sign is almost an emblem for a particular message. 1 6 sign with inde# linger and central finger stands for victory. 1 thumbs up sign stands for hitchhi%ing. 1 wave of the arm is for a (hello! or a good4bye. 7mblems directly stand for a verbal message. 0ertain gestures are illustrators for they illustrate a point. 1n arm can be used to draw a circle. "he inde# finger shown with a little sha%e stands to emphasise a point as an illustrator. 0ertain gestures made unconsciously will reveal the mental state of the spea%er. 1nger, fear, nervousness etc., are often revealed by fidgeting, shifting of legs etc., "wisting the shirt button or cuff4lin%s, rubbing the nec%4tie, scratching the chee%, nose, stro%ing the chin are some of the innumerable unconsciously acquired gestures. If overdone, they may degenerate to the level of mannerisms. /ne has to avoid the habit of over4gesturing in oral communication. -ody language can be studied elaborately under %inesis which ma%es a scientific and analytic study of the subject. /ral communication ta%es place in face to face or one to one situation or when a spea%er addresses an audience. "he audience may be small as in a group discussion or large in the case of some business meetings. In all these situations, body language plays an important role. Paralanguage In oral communication situations paralanguage plays an important role while spea%ing or listening. "he spea%er or listener ma%es use of sounds li%e (3mm! 8 (ha!, or clic%s his tongue or chuc%les. "hese sounds, though do not have a semantic value *meaning+, are in fact important prompters in maintaining an unbro%en communication chain. "hey are effective tools of listening. 7mpathetic listening *ability to imagine and share another person!s feelings, etc.+ is characterised by the use of para4language. /ur speech is

affected by the volume of our voice, the speed of articulation and such sounds made by clic%ing of our tongue, chuc%ling, etc. &e come across people whose voices quiver when e#cited. Some others raise the decibel level of their voice. "hese are people who shrie% or shout when provo%ed. 1ll these lead to an evaluation of the personality of the communicator. Voice and Tone It is possible to communicate an unpleasant information pleasantly or good news badly. &hen you tell someone, (you have done a great job!, it is your statement and the tone together show the receiver whether you are complimenting him or ridiculing him. 1 complimentary tone is distinctly different from a sarcastic tone. pace In oral communication situations, the space between the spea%er and the listener is important. 1mericans consider that a person who comes very close to him while spea%ing, say, less than two feet is invading into his privacy. /nly in intimate and personal situations can people move closer than a foot and a half. "o us, who are used to overcrowded public transport system, the 1merican practice of maintaining space in the elevator will be rather surprising whereas to him our invasion of his personal space revolting. ilence In oral communication situations, silence plays an important role. 9eople quite often tal% about eloquent silence. .es, silence can send communication signals. Silence in a particular situation may mean acceptance, agreement and in certain others indifference, apathy or even anger. Listening ! a Proacti"e #ill In oral communication situations, listening plays an important role. :istening is different from hearing. /ne can hear all noises and sounds and yet could be a poor listener. :istening is hearing attentively and responding appropriately. /nly a good listener can became a good spea%er. 1ttentiveness begins with the posture a listener adopts while he is listening. If a person inclines towards the spea%er, it means that the spea%er is not clear either in the message or in his articulation. If the listener tilts his head bac%wards, it shows that he is indifferent. 1 Good listener is proactive. 3e is, as they usually say, all ears. 3e responds appropriately using paralanguage. 3e says, 3mm;yeah;yes;come on now and then. 3e as%s questions and verifies facts. 1 listener!s role in an oral communication situation is as important as a spea%er!s role. :istening in communication has several beneficial results. Good listening leads to getting useful and updated information. Good listening creates a better understanding and rapport

between the spea%er and listener. Good listening leads to better decisions. Good listening provides the best feed bac% to the spea%er. ,inesics is a major form of non4verbal communication. ,inesics is defined as ("he study of non linguistic bodily movements such as facial e#pression and gestures!. ,inesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial e#pressions and gestures or, more formally, non4verbal behaviour related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole. <ust being there, nodding your head, blin%ing your eyes, shrugging shoulders, waving the hands and other such physical activities are all forms of communication. Some %inesics behaviour is deliberately intended to communicate, as when you nod your head for acceptance. =nderstanding non4verbal cues will develop your ability to use them more effectively during your presentations. 2ace' "he most e#pressive means of body language are face and eyes. 6arious meanings communicated by facial e#pression are happiness, sadness, disgust, contempt, interest, bewilderment, determination, fear, anger, surprise. Interpretation of facial meaning plays an important role in communication, because facial e#pressions can affect the feedbac% positively as well as negatively. &hile spea%ing, listening, reading or writing, we consciously use words to receive or send ideas. &e use words because they are the primary symbolic forms that convey our thoughts. /n paper, words remain static> punctuation mar%s are used to convey pauses, e#pressions, emotions, etc. 3owever, in face4to4face communication, the message is conveyed on two levels simultaneously. /ne is verbal and the other is non4verbal. 2or e#ample, you are congratulating two of your friends on their success in their interviews. If you e#tend your hand to them with a big smile on your face along with your utterance, (congrats!, your appreciation has more impact on them than the word in isolation. .our smile and the handsha%e are non4verbal means of communication, which enhance the impact of your verbal communication. "he non4verbal part of an oral presentation is not as deliberate and conscious as verbal communication. ?ather, it is subtle and instinctive. )on4verbal communication refers to all communication that occurs without the use of words either spo%en or written. )onverbal communication is concerned with body movements *,inesics+, space *pro#emics+ and vocal features *paralinguistic features+. It is important that we %now more about these features of body language because the verbal components of oral communication carry less than @A B of the social meaning of the situation, while more than CA B is buried on the nonverbal band. 9eople react strongly to what they see.