BO Source: TOPICS

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If you think that human beings only communicate with words, think again.
Like all animals, we also have a complex body language of gestures, postures
and expressions. Our bodies, in fact, are constantly talking. Sometimes we
used them in a very conscious way. We smile, shrug, frown or make shapes in the air with our hands. This kind of
body talk normally takes place while we’re either using or listening to words. Even when words aren’t involves,
though, our bodies still show what we’re thinking and feeling. For example, …

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A bored person yawns or scratches one ear.
Someone who’s nervous blinks a lot or moves one foot up down very fast.
A fascinated child sits absolutely still, eyes and mouth wide open.

We all produce thousands of signs like these every day –some obvious, others more subtle. We’re also experts at

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understanding them. This explains (among many other things) the pleasure we get from watching dancers or
mime artists. Non-verbal
performers like these depend
completely on the fact that we
understand and ‘speak’ body

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language fluently.

What many of us don’t

understand, however, is the
importance of body language in
everyday life. For example, we

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rarely think about the fact that
we ‘watch’ people speak as
well as listening to them.
Words communicate a great
deal on their own, of course,
but be honest… wouldn’t you
rather talk to someone face-to-
face than over the phone?

Glossary

Blink -, you close and then open your eyes quickly once or several times
Frown - to bring your eyebrows together so that there are lines on your face above your eyes to show that you
are annoyed or worried
Postures – positions of the human body
Scratch- to rub your skin with your nails:
Shrug – raise and lower one or both shoulders
Subtle- not noticeable
Yawn - to open the mouth wide and take a lot of air into the lungs and slowly send it out, usually when tired or
bored