BODY SPEAKS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE

How Does Body Speak?

- Like any spoken language, body language has words, sentences and punctuation. - Each gesture is like a single word and one word may have several different meanings.

BODILY SPEAKING
According to the social anthropologist, Edward T. Hall, in a normal conversation between two persons, less than 35% of the social meanings is actually transmitted by words. So, at least 65% of it is conveyed through the body (non-verbal channel).

Why Is It Important to Understand Body Language?

A murder case in Los Angeles in 1988. President Bush senior in Australia in 1993 An American teenager in Nigeria in 1997 An American couple in New Zealand in 1999 People in other parts of the globe are more perceptive to body language than the North Americans (do).
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Lets Examine How Body Communicates, from head to toes

HEAD
- Nodding the head
- Yes in most societies - No in some parts of Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey

- Tossing the head backward

- yes in Thailand, the Philippines, India, Laos

- Rocking head slowly, back and forth

- yes, Im listening in most Asian cultures
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FACE

FACE
* Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings and attitudes, but.. * The Asians are sometimes known as - emotionless - mixed-up emotion

EYES
* Eye contacts

- Encouraged in America, Canada, Europe - Rude in most Asian countries and in Africa
* Raising eyebrows

- Yes in Thailand and some Asian countries - Hello in the Philippines

* Winking eye

- Sharing secret in America and Europe - flirtatious gesture in other countries

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EYES (Contd)
* Closed eyes
- bored or sleepy in America - Im listening and concentrating. in Japan, Thailand, China

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EARS
* Ear grasp
- Im sorry. in parts of India

* Cupping the ear

- I cant hear you. in all societies

* Pulling ear
- You are in my heart for Navajo Indians

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NOSE
* Holding the nose - Something smells bad. universal * Nose tap - Its confidential. England - Watch out! or "Be careful. Italy

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NOSE
* Pointing to nose - Its me. Japan * Blowing nose - In most Asian countries, blowing the nose at social gathering is disgusting.

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CHEEKS
* Cheek screw
- gesture of praise - Italy - Thats crazy. Germany

* Cheek stroke
- pretty, attractive, success most Europe

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LIPS AND MOUTH

* Whistle, yawn, smile, bite, point, sneeze, spit, kiss.. * Kiss. In parts of Asia, kissing is considered an intimate sexual act and not permissible in public, even as a social greeting. * Kissing sound. To attract attention in the Philippines, to beckon a waiter in Mexico. * Finger tip kiss. In France, it conveys several messages, Thats good! Thats great! Thats beautiful!.

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LIPS AND MOUTH (Contd)

* Spitting.
* Spitting in public is considered rude and crude in most Western cultures. * In the PRC and many other Asian countries, spitting in public is to rid a persons waste and, therefore, is healthy.

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THE LIP POINTING

* Lip pointing (a substitute for pointing with the hand or finger) is common among Filipinos, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and many Latin Americans. * Open mouth. Any display of the open mouth is considered very rude in most countries.

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ARMS
* Some cultures, like the Italians, use the arms freely. Others, like the Japanese, are more reserved; it is considered impolite to gesticulate with broad movements of the arms. * Folding arms are interpreted by some social observers as a form of excluding self, I am taking a defensive posture, or I disagree with what I am hearing.
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ARMS (Contd)
* Arms akimbo. In many cultures, this stance signals aggression, resistance, impatience, or even anger. * Arms behind back, hands grasped is a sign of ease and control. * Arms in front, hands grasped, common practice in most Asian countries, is a sign of mutual respect for others.
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HANDS
* Of all the body parts, the hands are probably used most for communicating non-verbally. * Hand waves are used for greetings, beckoning, or farewells.

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HANDS
* The Italian good-bye wave can be interpreted by Americans as the gesture of come here. * The American good-bye wave can be interpreted in many parts of Europe and Latin America as the signal for no.

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HANDS (Contd)
* Beckoning.

* The American way of getting attention (raising a hand with the index finger raised above head) could be considered rude in Japan, and also means two in Germany. * The American come here gesture could be seen as an insult in most Asian countries. * In China, to beckon a waiter to refill your tea, simply turn your empty cup upside down.
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HANDS (Contd)
* Handshaking is a form of greeting in most Western cultures.
* In the Middle East, a gentle grip is appropriate. * In most Asian cultures, a gentle grip and an avoidance of direct eye contact is appropriate.
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HANDS
* Hand-holding among the same sex is a custom of special friendship and respect in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries.
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HANDS (Contd)
* Right hand. The right hand has special significance in many societies. In certain countries in the Middle East and in Asia, it is best to present business cards or gifts, or to pass dishes of food, to get an attention, using only the right hand or both. * Left hand is considered unclean in much of the Middle East and in parts of Indonesia.
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HANDS (Contd)
* Hang loose. (thumb and little finger extended) * could convey different meanings:
* in Hawaii, its a way of saying, Stay cool, or Relax. * in Japan, it means six. * In Mexico (do vertically), it means, Would you like a drink?

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HANDS (Contd)
* Clapping hands.
* Russians and Chinese may use applause to greet someone. * In many central and eastern Europe, audience frequently clap in rhythm.

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FINGERS
* The O.K. signal. (the thumb and forefinger form a circle) means
* * * * fine, or O.K. in most cultures, zero or worthless in some parts of Europe money in Japan an insult in Greece, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Russia and some other countries

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FINGERS (Contd)
* Thumb-up means:
* O.K. good job or fine in most cultures, * Up yours! in Australia * Five in Japan; One in Germany

* Avoid a thumb-up in these countries: Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Russia, and most African countries.

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FINGERS (Contd)
* Pointing.
* Pointing with the index finger is common in North America and Europe. * But it is considered impolite in Japan and China where they favor using the whole open hand. * Malaysians prefer

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LEGS AND FEET

* In Asia, do not point with your toes. * In Asia and some European countries, putting feet up on a desk or any other piece of furniture is very disrespectful. * Sitting cross-legged, while common in North America and some European countries, is very impolite in other parts of the world.
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LEGS AND FEET (Contd)

* In most Asian countries,a solid and balanced sitting posture is the prevailing custom. Sitting cross-legged shows the sign of disrespect. * In the Middle East and most parts of Asia, resting the ankle over the other knee risks pointing the sole of your shoe at another person, which is considered a rude gesture.
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WALKING
* Walking can reflect many characteristics of a culture. For example,

* In parts of Asia and some of the Middle Eastern countries, men who are friends may walk holding each others hand. * In Japan and Korea, older women commonly walk a pace or two behind male companion. * Asians often regard Western women as bold and aggressive, for they walk with a longer gait and a more upright posture.
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HOW PEOPLE OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD VIEW AMERICANS

* * * * * * Careless with dress, manners, and body movement Generous as neighbors Superficial, shallow and short-lasting friendship Confident but demand almost too much of self Ethnocentric - less interested in others Independent - Individually feeling, not to fit others mold.
Source: Tyler, V. Lynn. Intercultural Interacting. (1987)

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FOR ALL OF US
Becoming sensitive to the clues of body language can help us communicate more effectively with students.

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 We can understand what students are saying even when they are not talking.

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 We can sense when students are silent and digesting information, or when they are silent and confused.

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 We can share feelings too strong or too difficult to be expressed in words,

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 Or decode secret messages passing silently from person to person,

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 And we may spot contradictions between what students say and what they really mean.

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 Finally, we can learn to be more sensitive to our own bodies to see how they express our feelings and to see ourselves as others see us.

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 We do not have bodies; we are our bodies.

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