English for Communication

Fikom – Ubhara Jaya

Session XI
The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” – Peter F. Drucker

Nonverbal communication describes the process of shared cues between people, which goes
hand-in-hand with public speaking. This can include eye contact, frequency of glances, blink
rate, gestures, facial expressions, postures, and more.

The presentation is, perhaps, the one mode of communication that has proved relevant through
every technological innovation. Our decks get more glamorous, but it’s still just you on stage, in
front of an audience. Nonverbal signals can increase trust, clarity, and add interest to your
presentation when yielded properly. Learning how to become more sensitive to body language
and nonverbal cues will make you the best presenter you can be.

The Five Nonverbal Abilities

How is it that non-verbal communication is the element of the in-person presentation that has
caused it to be the default response when responses matter most: inaugural addresses, States of
the Union, getting big accounts, keeping big accounts–the list goes on and on. Perhaps because
this form of communication shares so much more than dialogue. According to the Edward G.
Wertheim, author of The Importance of Effective Communication, there are five main effects that
nonverbal communication can have:

1. Repetition – They can reinforce what is already being said

2. Contradiction – They can contradict the message and make the speaker seem untruthful
3. Substitution – They can take the place of words
4. Complementing – They can complement a verbal message, for instance, a pat on the
back
5. Accenting – They can underline a certain point in the message

Work on It

As you practice your presentation, film yourself. What do your facial expressions communicate?
Happiness, fear, sadness, surprise, or boredom? Be mindful of your posture as well, ensuring that
you don’t have the slump of an uninterested presenter. Don’t forget to examine your gestures.
Does the way that you point, wave, or flail your hands distract from the message, or enhance
your points? Try to film yourself for more than one practice to see where nonverbal patterns
emerge, and where you can strengthen your physical delivery. Also consider rating yourself on a
scale of 1-5 in the following areas:

Eye Contact

Facial Expression

Tone of Voice

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 English for Communication
Fikom – Ubhara Jaya
Posture and Gesture

Take a Moment

“60% of all human communication is nonverbal body language; 30% is your tone, so that means
90% of what you’re saying ain’t coming out of your mouth.” – Alex “Hitch” Hitchens

We tend to think of presentations as two elements combined: what is shown, and what is said.
However, it’s much more than that. Have you ever considered how much you’re saying without
speaking? The truth is we still fundamentally believe the echoed words of yesterday’s grizzled
businessmen: “I want him to lie to my face!” Physical presence is truth, or we’re inclined to
think so. The importance of non-verbal communication, then, is to provide the content of your
presentation with that elusive element of credibility and expertise that printed and mailed to your
intended audience, would be lost in translation. Make sure what you’re not saying is as poignant
as what you are.

Nonverbal Miscommunication

"Like the rest of us, airport security screeners like to think they can read body language. The
Transportation Security Administration has spent some $1 billion training thousands of 'behavior
detection officers' to look for facial expressions and other nonverbal clues that would identify
terrorists.

"But critics say there’s no evidence that these efforts have stopped a single terrorist or
accomplished much beyond inconveniencing tens of thousands of passengers a year. The T.S.A.
seems to have fallen for a classic form of self-deception: the belief that you can read liars’ minds
by watching their bodies.

"Most people think liars give themselves away by averting their eyes or making nervous
gestures, and many law-enforcement officers have been trained to look for specific tics, like
gazing upward in a certain manner. But in scientific experiments, people do a lousy job of
spotting liars. Law-enforcement officers and other presumed experts are not consistently better at
it than ordinary people even though they’re more confident in their abilities."

Vocabulary

Match the Following Words with Their Definition

The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing,

1. ___ Cue A.
situation, etc.
A thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other
2. ___ Expression B.
performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance.
3. ___ Presentation C. A look on someone's face that conveys a particular emotion.
Closely connected or appropriate to what is being done or
4. ___ Tone D.
considered.
5. ___ Gesture E. A movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head,

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 English for Communication
Fikom – Ubhara Jaya
to express an idea or meaning.
A gesture, action, or sound that is used to convey information or
6. ___ Relevant F. instructions, typically by prearrangement between the parties
concerned.
A speech or talk in which a new product, idea, or piece of work
7. ___ Signal G.
is shown and explained to an audience.
A sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound
8. ___ Echo H.
waves from a surface back to the listener.

Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Words

1. She shouted on the mountaintop and listened for the …………… .

2. The rising …………… of her voice emphasized her panic.
3. The studio manager will …………… you in when it's your turn to sing.
4. He made a rude …………… at the driver of the other car.
5. Her statement was a clear …………… of her views on this subject.