Non-Verbal Communication
As I am in the department of EFL non-verbal communication arouse a desire to me to create a discussion about it while the communication can be completed with language.Human beings make their communication accurate when it connects with their body language which is non-verbal communication.The only way that we can indicate the accurate term that we want to give can only be done by our body language.
Body language goes both ways:
- Your own body language reveals your feelings and meanings to others.
- Other people's body language reveals their feelings and meanings to you.
Body language is a powerful concept which successful people tend to understand well.Our body movement tells more than what our mouth says. Within our facial-expressions,posture,eye-contact,gestures,personal space ,paralinguistics , haptics and appearance.
1. Facial Expression
Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. Consider how much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. While nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger and fear are similar throughout the world.
2. Gestures
Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without words. Common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric amounts. Other gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.
3. Paralinguistics
Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual language. This includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection and pitch. Consider the powerful effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a strong tone of voice, listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone of voice might convey disapproval and a lack of interest.
4. Body Language and Posture
Posture has great significance while reading body language.Postulating is very general approach of adjusting-relating with and defending from various physical environments,social situations or persons.Adopting a posture is what we have been coded in our subconscious minds since millions of year as primary defense and adaption mechanism.
5. Proxemics
People often refer to their need for "personal space," which is also an important type of nonverbal communication. The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, situational factors, personality characteristics and level of familiarity. For example, the amount of personal space needed when having a casual conversation with another person usually varies between 18 inches to four feet. On the other hand, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people is around 10 to 12 feet.
6. Eye Gaze
Looking, staring and blinking can also be important nonverbal behaviors. When people encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate. Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions, including hostility, interest and attraction.
7. Haptics
Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a substantial amount of research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy and other emotions.
8. Appearance
Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of nonverbal communication. Research on color pschology has demonstrated that different colors can evoke different moods. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions, judgments and interpretations. Just think of all the subtle judgements you quickly make about someone based on his or her appearance. These first impressions are important, which is why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately for interviews with potential employers.
In other Words
As I have covered the all characteristics of non-verbal communication they are all important in communication through using language. As we can not separate language and communication from each other we can not separate the body language as well .All the 8 characteristics demonstrate the meaning of what we want to say accurately.
You can see in the video simply that language is not enough.For instance , the boy says the little boy that it is great that he got the lead role in the play but there is something wrong the little boy is not satisfied why? It is because of his tone he said that is is great but he seemed he did not care about it. Even this example can easily cover what body language and how body language shape language through communication.
Now before you share your opinions I would like you to focus on these questions that are below:
- What is the importance of body language?Why do you think so?
- Can we separate non-verbal communication from a language?Why/Why not?
- Do you think it is important in our department?Why?Why not?
There are related videos below if you are interested in the topic
In this video it again remains the features of non-verbal communication
In this video the man is in the interview and simply demonstrates positive body language . You can take it as an example for yourself.
Çimen =)) I have to say that non verbal communication in other words body language is one of my own interest areas too, like yours. So, I am glad that you chose this topic to explore in your blogging;) I think that, as most of us may actually do, body language has a significance in reading a person's real feelings about the things they talk about. For example if we look closely we can differentiate a dishonest person from the honest ones around us from their explicit bodily movements as they use the language through their mouths. A simple arm movement can convey frustration or happiness as well as a frown can explain that our mind is occupied with a disasterous event in our life or a smile can radiate that we are enjoying our time. For me, body language helps us decipher the real thoughts of the people around our environment. I think that if we train our body movements to aid our speech it becomes an advantage that can gurantee a working place in a job interview or just simply impressing our teacher and peers while doing a presentation, so I think that we shouldn't separate our body movements from our language use for it can become useful in our academic life, work life and even in our social life( if we maintain a warm approach to others around us through both our language and non verbal communication we can be well liked among our friends ;)). We are trying to become teachers whose job is to transfer their knowledge about language through their effective usage of language as well as their confident and friendly arm and body movements to create a warm environment between him/her and his/her students, in this light the body language has a positive effect in our profession as we not only need to explain what we know about language to new learners but also need them to have a trust in us through our body language :D
ReplyDeleteNil, firstly thank you for your comment. All points that your are touched upon are realible. I agree with you we can not separate body language from language.Through using it we demosntrate our feeling , thought and ideas about the topic we are talking about. You are right again that we are going to be teachers in our future career , so we need to know the importance of body language .Otherwise, as you said we can not create a warm environment to our students.
DeleteThis was an interesting topic Çimen!. I had an investigation on body language last years as one of my friend wanted me to help him to gather information about this issue and believe me Çimen when I searched this topic I fascinated the power of the body language and it made me to think myself whether I am successful as I think, whether I effectively send message that I want to send or whether I am good at setting my barriers against the people I don't want to interact with. Therefore, I liked your topic as this also draws my attention as well. The organization of your blog post seems very well as I was be able to get the message from your blog, you explained each gestures one by one which made me to get more information instead just leaving me with reading the names of what the non-verbal expressions are. When it comes to your questions, my answers for your questions will be as below: :))
ReplyDelete1) In my opinion, the importance of the body language is as you said above, the words that we produce are not enough to the convey the meaning as the way that we use our body language affect the message so considering this, the body language is not separated from what we say. We can think our body language as assistant to us. I think, without the help our our non-verbal expressions, there is something makes us feel the sense that something is unfinished. I also think that our body expressions are more stronger than what we say. Think yourself, when you are disturbed by a person that you don't like, you tell your feelings out of words; however, when you use your hands to tell her/him to get out of your sight, it will be more affective, won't be? Therefore, I give importance to body language.
2)When I think myself, I think, I can't say that I can separate the non-verbal communication from my language because when I was not competent as now while I was speaking English last years or earlier than, I felt a need to integrate my body language into my speaking so that I can give my message to the people in front of me. My using my body language helped me a lot to give the message as ,according to my observations, either proficient speakers of English or not, they also use their body language to express their feelings. I think even you want not to use your body language at all, it would be impossible as the use of body language comes naturally through our use of language, in my view. That's why I don't think we can separate it from the language.
3)I think that using body language in our department is so crucial. Do you remember Çimen that Alev Hoca showed us in one of our friend's presentation how we can use our body language while we are giving instructions to our students or we are teaching? Considering this, it can be an example for your question that shows the importance of the use of body language in our teaching as well. Beside this, I also think that there may be students that understand differently than others or there can be students that loose their concentration easily, in that case,as a teacher, my using my body language such as hands, arms, facial expression, tone of voice, eye contact can draw my students interest and relate them to my lesson instead leaving them lost.
Ayten thank you for your comment. You have answered all my questions by combining them with important examples. I agree with your all answers such as body language come up naturally while we are talking. It conveys the message we want to give the person in front of us . It also helps us to to give the message easily.In addition, you are right we can not separate non-verbal communication from language ; they go together to complete the message. And, I do remember the example that Alev hoca gave us while we are in the process of learning we learn too much from our instructors it was a good example of it. Simply, we can create warm environment to our students by using our gestures as you said.We can show them if they are right or not with our body language again. :)
DeleteI think that we cannot seperate non-verbal communucation from the language because it seems like a part of the communication. As words have a role in communication, body language also has a big role in terms of reflecting your mood to the conversation.As it is shown in the first video, even your answers are the same, your way of saying them is also very important because you reflect your mood such as excitement,anger,happiness through your tone,facial expressions, pitch...etc. So, body language has an undeniable affect while we are speaking and I think that using body language is very effective in expressing yourself. Additionally, it has an important role in teaching profession that through body language, you can mae your students understand whether you like their behaviour or not or if you are happy with their answers or not...
ReplyDeleteUlku thank you for your comment. Yes, we can not separate non-verbal communication from the language. We need to use them both to show our mood and to convey the message as you said.Thank you for watching the video , it simply covers the all points that I wanted to indicate ; our expressions , tone of voice , gestures ,position...etc they all help our communication to be accurate in a way of our view.And, yes it is important in our department as future teachers we need to be aware of the importance of body language as we are dealing with the language , with human beings and to convey knowledge also. In addition, it demonstrates our feelings and thoughts as you said through using it we can show our students what are our expressions about them or their situation.:)
DeleteBody language is good and interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteAccording to me, body language is important to understand people because it shows people's identity. For example, while a person speaks, listens and looks, you can understand what kind of emotions that person has. Also, by looking a person's body movements, we can understand what kind of personality that person has. In brief, as ı said above, body language can reflect a person's identity. İnstead of writing too much thing, ı can say that you clearly explained everything and with regard to me, ıf a person knows body language, s/he can set good relationship in face to face communication.
Thank you for your comment Evren you have touched upon good points that are related to mine . :)
ReplyDelete