COMMUNICATE WITH BODY LANGUAGE

When we communicate with others, we express our thoughts and feelings not only through the words we choose but also through our tone of voice, facial expression and body language. In fact, many communications experts believe that far more information is communicated non-verbally than verbally.   

"Body Language" is an important part of non-verbal communication.

Body language includes many different aspects of our everyday physical behaviour: the way we greet one another; how we stand, how we sit or walk; the way we position our arms and legs or use our hands and eyes are some of the most basic.

To learn another language is more than just learning words and grammar, it involves learning about another culture, too. We learn much of our own culture's body language before we learn to speak, from the time we are children, usually without being aware of it. Because we are brought up with this body language at such a young age, gestures vary strongly from culture to culture, so it's something which second language learners should pay attention.

Sometimes, cultural differences in appropriate body language can cause discomfort or misunderstandings too. A common example of misunderstanding is the use of a smile. In some Asian cultures, a smile can show embarrassment or apology. However, smiling back at a teacher who is unhappy with you, or a stranger whose foot on you accidentally stepped upon, is probably not a good idea in most English-speaking cultures! Also, you should not assume that nodding your head means "yes" or that shaking your head means "no" or vice versa. Yes, you can even get that wrong, with potentially disastrous consequences.

It's worth learning, understanding any underlying cultural or regional attitudes can help you learn how to understand and use body language to improve your communicative abilities.