Body Language Gesture

Why people use gesture when they speak? People use gestures when they talk, but is this behavior learned from watching others move their hands when talking. When speaker talk, they gesture. The goal of this article is to understand the contribution that these gestures make to how we communicate and think. Gesture can play a role in communication and thought at many timespans. I explore, in turn, gesture’s contribution to how language is produced and understood in the moment; its contribution to how we learn language and other cognitive skills. I find that the gestures speakers produce when they talk are integral to communication and can be harnessed in a number of ways. Gesture provides building blocks that can be used to construct a language.

A signal for yes in one culture may mean no in another; a gesture for good-bye in one culture can be interpreted as come here in another.

Body language includes all the communication through the non-verbal channel. This can include how we greet others, how we sit or stand, our facial expressions, our clothes, hair styles, tone of voice, eye movements, how we listen, how we breathe, how close we stand to others, and how we touch others. This article will use the terms body language and nonverbal communication, gestures. I have my own opinion that everyone talks with their hands at least sometimes. Some people’s hand-talking or gesturing matches their message well. Other people have a tendency to make overly large gestures that can be distracting. And still others don’t use their hands much at all. No matter which camp you fall into it’s important to pay attention to your hand gestures while you are communicating or making a presentation. Many gestures are universal across cultures and geographies. Here are some

While it is being accepted in Asia, the Asians still prefer a different form of greeting: a bow in East Asia, a wai joining the two hands together like in prayer for some Southern and Asian countries. Asians and Middle easterners prefer a soft handshake. Strong grips are interpreted as a sign of aggression.

Legs and Feet. Sitting cross-legged is common in North America and some European countries but it is viewed as disrespectful in Asia and the Middle East where a solid and balanced sitting posture is the prevailing custom. In Asia and the Middle East, resting the ankle over the other knee risks pointing the sole of your shoe at another person, which is considered a very rude gesture. One should never point or move an object with their feet in these cultures In conclusion, becoming sensitive to the clues of body language can help us communicate more effectively with students or scholars from other cultures. We can understand what they are saying even when they are not talking. We can sense when they are silent and confused. We can share feelings too strong or too difficult to be expressed in words, or decode a secret message that passes silently from person to person. Finally, we can learn to be more sensitive to our own bodies, and to see what messages they are sending and to see ourselves as others see us. We are our