- 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. 3

 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). 4

 A murder case in Los Angeles in  An American teenager in Nigeria in 1997  An American couple in New Zealand in 1999 *…*… 5

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- 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 7

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* Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings and attitudes, but….. * The Asians are sometimes known as - emotionless - mixed-up emotion 9

* 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 10

* Closed eyes - bored or sleepy in America - “I’m listening and concentrating.” in Japan, Thailand, China 11

* 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 12

* Holding the nose - “Something smells bad.” universal * Nose tap - “It’s confidential.” England - “Watch out!” or "Be careful.” Italy 13

* Pointing to nose - “It’s me.” Japan * Blowing nose - In most Asian countries, blowing the nose at social gathering is ‘disgusting.’ 14

* Whistle, yawn, smile, bite, point, sneeze, spit, kiss.. * 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!.” 15

* 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. 16

* Of all the body parts, the hands are probably used most for communicating non-verbally. * Hand waves are used for greetings, beckoning, or farewells. 17

* 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.” 18

* 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. 19

* 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. 20

* Hand-holding among the same sex is a custom of special friendship and respect in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries. 21

* 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 22

* “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. 23

* 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. 24

* 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. 25

* 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. 26

 Becoming sensitive to the clues of body language can help us communicate more effectively with students. 27

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

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

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

31  Or decode secret messages passing silently from person to person,

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

33  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.

 We do not have bodies; we are our bodies. 34

 2005 NACADA National Conference  Kris Rugsaken  Ball State university  Muncie, Indiana 35