Beginner's Guide To Body Language

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YOUR BODY SPEAKS

IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE

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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.

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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).

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Let’s Examine How Body

Communicates, from head to toes

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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, I’m listening” in most Asian cultures

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FACE

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FACE

* Facial expressions reflect emotion,

feelings and attitudes, but…..

* The Asians are sometimes known as

- emotionless

- mixed-up emotion

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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 (Cont’d)

* Closed eyes

- bored or sleepy in America

- “I’m listening and concentrating.” in Japan,

Thailand, China

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EARS

* Ear grasp

- “I’m sorry.” in parts of India

* Cupping the ear

- “I can’t 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

- “It’s confidential.” England

- “Watch out!” or "Be careful.” Italy

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NOSE

* Pointing to nose

- “It’s 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

- “That’s 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,

“That’s good!” “That’s great!” “That’s beautiful!.”

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LIPS AND MOUTH (Cont’d)

* 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 person’s 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 (Cont’d)

* 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 (Cont’d)

* 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 (Cont’d)

* 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 (Cont’d)

* 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 (Cont’d)

* Hang loose. (thumb and little finger

extended)

* could convey different meanings:

* in Hawaii, it’s 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 (Cont’d)

* 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 (Cont’d)

* “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 (Cont’d)

* 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 pointing

with the thumb.

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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 (Cont’d)

* 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 other’s 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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FOR ALL OF US…

• Becoming sensitive to the clues of

body language can help us

communicate more effectively.

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• We can understand what others

are saying even when they are

not talking.

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• We can sense when others 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 others 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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THANKS! AND …..

YOUR

thoughts

experiences

questions