NONVOCAL COMMUNICATION NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Signals are patterns of interruptions of something that might otherwise
continue unperturbed. A flow of smoke rising from a hilltop can be
interrupted to become a series of puffs of smoke that communicate a
message. Or, silence can be interrupted by the sound of a finger
tapping on a table that would communicate a nonvocal message.
Signs probably exist in all cultures and have very specific meanings that
convey messages quickly, conveniently, and without ambiguity . They
can be as common as pictures or drawings, hand signs, or badges. They
may be uncommon to our culture, but certainly not in the culture of
their origin, e.g., body adornments.
Symbols represent abstractions on a personal level. They serve as
metaphors for a wider range of understanding within a cultural context
and often represent rather complex ideas that might require tedious or
involved verbal explanations. Wedding rings, for example, are symbols
that, like pictures, are worth thousands of words.
Icons occur as an assortment of different symbols that represent
something in a cultural or social context. Paintings or buildings for
special uses can be considered as icons to communicate ideas.
The types of interpersonal communication that are not expressed
verbally (with speech) are called non-verbal communications.
There are many different types of non-verbal communication.
They include:
 Body Movements (Kinesics), for example, hand gestures or
nodding or shaking the head;
 Posture, or how you stand or sit, whether your arms are
crossed, and so on;
 Eye Contact, where the amount of eye contact often
determines the level of trust and trustworthiness;
 Para-language, or aspects of the voice apart from speech, such
as pitch, tone, and speed of speaking;
 Closeness or Personal Space (Proxemics), which determines
the level of intimacy;
 Facial Expressions, including smiling, frowning and even
blinking; and
 Physiological Changes, for example, sweating or blinking more
when nervous.

Gestures or body language in communication have been dignified

through scholarly efforts that resulted in a new name - kinesics. From
the precise translations of street gestures to carefully learned
movements in drama, hundreds of nonvocal clues are not only rich
expansions of our communication repertoire, but are the unique
devices for communicating the intent or feelings behind spoken or
unspoken words. Closely related to this area is the special category of
proxemics that includes the kind of communication conveyed by body
positions, body odors, angles of vision, and time as a determinant of
communication.