BAHASA DAN KOMUNIKASI

UL00402

SEMESTER I, SESI 2022/2023

SEKSYEN :

TAJUK TUGASAN :

BODY LANGUAGE IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

DISEDIAKAN UNTUK :

DR. SAIDATUL NORNIS BINTI HAJI MAHALI

DISEDIAKAN OLEH :

BIL NAMA NO.MATRIK NOMBOR TELEFON

1 NURFAIZAH BINTI SOFIAN BP22160523 013-891 3456

1.0 INTRODUCTION: BODY LANGUAGE AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication is vital in human life thus the existence of language as a medium for us to
connect with each other. Along with human civilization, various types of language have been
invented to ease the communication process. The debate of figuring out what is the first
language ever invented in the world is still ongoing as there is no written evidence that can
prove it. This is said so because language was found around 150,000 years ago meanwhile
writing, 6000 years back (McWorther, 2020). Nevertheless, it is believed that the start of
language is because of the need to communicate that started with incomprehensible sounds
which then evolved to more systematic ways for us to communicate. This simply proves that
humans are inherently social animals who depend greatly on communication with others in
order to survive.

In order to get the information across, it is crucial to be aware of how to implement effective
communication correctly. Generally, there are five methods of communication which are verbal,
non-verbal, written, listening, and visual communication (Vain, 2022) .One of the most
seemingly overlooked aspects in effective communication is body language. The correlation
between body language and effective communication might not be as obvious as other methods
because we use body language unconsciously most of the time. However, did you know that
body language plays a big part in effective communication? According to a study carried out by
Mehrabian, three aspects that contribute an amount of percentage in effective communication
are body language (55%), tone of voice (38%), and words (7%) (Park & Park, 2018).

The definition of body language is quite self explanatory by its name alone. But what actually
does it mean by body language? According to Allarkha (2021) body language is a sort of
nonverbal communication that plays an important role in our daily interactions. What you are
saying to others is only the tip of the iceberg of communication while the rest lies in your body
movements. Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian British philosopher once said “the human body is
the best picture of the human soul”.

2.0 TYPES OF BODY LANGUAGE

There are few types of body language which are eyes, facial expressions, mouth, gestures,
limbs, and posture (Cherry, 2022). Though all of the body parts belong to one vessel, each of
them surprisingly carry out different roles and indicate different meanings to its own.

Firstly, the eyes, which are one of the five senses that we use daily to see. Owning a pair of well
functioned eyes is a privilege which not everyone can experience. Other than seeing, our eyes
can also be a medium to deliver messages whether we are the messenger or the receiver. A
well-known English writer, Samuel Richardson once quoted “when the words are restrained, the
eyes often talk a great deal”. This highlights how important the role of the eyes in non-verbal
communication as part of the body language. Our eyes can indicate different emotions including
showing interest, affection or attraction. Research shows that eye contact assists in forming
perception of the other person who meets our gaze (Jarret, 2019). It is said that in Western
culture, people who make more eye contact are perceived to be more intelligent and sincere
which will then influence other people to believe what they are saying.

Besides our eyes, eyebrows are one of the elements that can be grouped under facial
expressions. Scientifically, the role of our eyebrows is to protect our eyes from dirt and moisture
such as sweat and rain (Cirino, 2018), but it also serves as a representative for effective
communication. According to Cirino (2018), in a previous study from 2003, participants were
asked to recognise the faces of fifty well-known figures, including former American president,
Richard Nixon and actress Winona Ryder. The images were altered by the scientists to either
lack eyebrows or eyes. Even without their eyes, subjects could still recognise the renowned
faces 60% of the time. In effective communication, the movements or shape of our eyebrows
can show the other person what we are thinking or feeling. For example, raised eyebrows
indicate the feeling of astonishment or disapproval and sometimes even works when we are
expecting an answer.

Next, lips, or generally known as one of the parts of the mouth. According to Edwards (2022),
there are 10 different types of lip gestures which can express different emotional states. This
might seem not related with effective communication on the surface level, but in reality, when we
are communicating with others, it is important to be fully aware of others' emotional state. This is
said so because human cognitive functions such as perception, attention, learning, memory,
reasoning, and problem-solving are all significantly influenced by emotion (Tyng et al., 2017). To
add, emotion also aids in the efficient encoding and retrieval of information. Edwards (2022)
mentioned that, lips pursed or sucked in could be a sign of stress or it could also signal the
person is trying to hold anything back and restrain their facial expressions. In Asian culture,
parents will purse their lips and at the same time will enlarge the size of their eye opening to
give non-verbal warning to their children if their children happen to say or do anything that may
seem inappropriate in public.

In Malaysia, Karam Singh Walia was one of the most famous journalists known for his hand
gestures when delivering his reports on television. Even after many years passed by, many
Malaysians still remember him because of his body language and this shows how powerful body
language can be if used accordingly. Not only able to get his point across, he also becomes part
of Malaysians’ core memories. Our hand gestures can be a platform for effective communication
and one of the examples is when other people ask us for directions. For instance, instead of
only instructing the individual to turn right by using our words, we can make our communication
even more effective by pointing towards the direction for the other person’s better
understanding.

The next body parts that play an equally important role in body language are limbs or simply
known as our arms and legs. One of the examples that can be seen is when a mother stands
with her hands placed on her hips while looking at her children, it can possibly indicate that she
is unhappy with their attitude and is ready to nag. However, people might also place their hands
on their hips solely because of the feeling of comfort and relaxation with no hard feelings
included. This is when another body language such as facial expressions come in handy in
allowing us to analyze the hidden emotion that is not shown on the surface level.

Meanwhile, Goman (2013) mentioned that, other than assisting us in moving from one place to
another, our legs are also the front line when it comes to fight or flight survival responses which
are influenced by our limbic brain. The Limbic brain is responsible for instructing our legs to
react before our conscious mind has an opportunity to process any plan beforehand, such as
running from any unexpected incoming, even if the unexpected incoming is someone we know.
In communication, legs can be agents in non-verbally telling others that we are confident or vice
versa. For example, people who stand with their feet close together tend to look timid than
people who stand with their feet widened. Our feet placement is greatly connected with our next
and last type of body language, which is the body posture.
There is a saying that goes “never judge a book by its cover”. But the truth is, we humans
cannot deny that we can build an impression of someone impulsively and it can simply be done
within the seven seconds of meeting them (Gibbons, 2018). In this context, the main character
of the vessel, which is the body posture, needs to be prepared in any social situation in order to
not be wrongly judged by others, especially when we are talking to a large audience. By
standing with our back straight, it will not only avoid us from getting back pain in the near future,
our audience will also be convinced with what we are saying because our body posture appears
to make us look confident and trustworthy. Based on real life experience, the experience of
speaking with people who slouch their backs due to their laziness is uninteresting.
Nevertheless, It is important to keep in mind that we should not let others’ perspective consume
us but it is also better to always be the best version of ourselves for our own sake, by making an
effort to stand firmly and practice better posture.

3.0 IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

Every knowledge in this world has its own importance, such as religious knowledge. It is
important for the followers of the religion, for instance, muslims should be able to know how to
perform prayers according to the right manner so the prayers will be considered valid. Same
goes for body language. After acknowledging the type of body language, we have to be aware
of the importance of its application in order to fully understand the reason why we should be
attentive to this subject. There are several importance of body language that can be addressed
related to body language knowledge.

The first importance of learning body language is that we will be able to be an understanding
and compassionate individual. When we are familiar with body language and the meaning
behind it, we can easily read the room. Just like what has been mentioned previously, it is
crucial for us to be aware of other’s emotional state before letting our mouths utter any words.
The implication of not analyzing body language properly due to lack of knowledge will put us in
a poor position. For example, if you try to crack a joke when with another individual who clearly
has their eyebrows frowned, you will most likely get scolded and this will lead to arguments, and
the other person might create an unpleasant perspective of your attitude.

It is truly upsetting when nobody pays attention to what you are delivering when you are talking,
especially when it comes to topics that you are very fond of. It will make us feel unappreciated
which then will dwindle our confidence level. This is where the knowledge of body language can
assist us in making our speech appear interesting. Secondly, mastering body language is
important because it will assist us to act accordingly, appropriately with our audience. Other than
avoiding them from getting bored or annoyed, being able to earn the audience's attention in this
context means being able to make sure they are getting the right information and seeing the
details through the same perspective as ours. The importance of understanding body language
is even strengthened when researchers in Canada have found that the average attention span
has dropped from 12 to eight seconds. The declining attention span has become critical ever
since the revolution of mobile phones (McSpadden, 2015).

Next, when we know how to behave correspondingly with our surroundings, we will most likely
have a better chance to be successful in different aspects of life. The use of body language is
relevant in order to be successful in relationships, friendships, and even the side of our
professional life such as at the workplace or alma mater. If something is not used accordingly, it
will surely have repercussions which later cause other problems. Implications of not having the
faintest idea of body language is miscommunication and the most obvious of them all is
miscommunication will happen. When miscommunication happens, you will radiate a negative
energy which will make others feel uncomfortable or upset. The other person will undoubtedly
notice any hostile body language you exhibit, even if you are not arguing, a fight may happen
simply because of wrongly used body language.

5.0 HOW TO IMPROVE AND ADD OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE
Though we converse with others almost every single day in our life, being able to effectively
communicate is uncertain. Be it in a professional setting or vice versa, the skill of effective
communication will give benefits to both sender and receiver of the information. Some people
might feel uncomfortable in making changes relating to body language, however you have to be
in the driving seat in order to improve your body language, slowly, but surely.There are few
suggestions that might help to improve the way you implement body language in daily life.

Ever Since we were children, most of us were encouraged to read by our parents and the
teachers. Everyone knows that reading is a good alternative that we can use in finding
information relating to almost literally everything in this world. However, as we grow older, most
of us do not have the time to read useful and informative articles and journals due to our life
schedule which might restrict us to read more. So, why not implement the old habits of reading
in improving our body language? There are a large number of books about body language that
we can make use of to know more about this subject. One of the books that Jacob (2022) has
suggested for better understanding in body language is the book Body Language written by
Allan Pease which mentions universal body language in different cultures and locations.

Another alternative that can be used in order to improve our body language is by joining
seminars or online programs organized by rightful facilitators. This is a good method for those
who are simply not into readings. One of the communication coaches that we can look up to
attend their seminar is Rizal Rashid, or known as one of the famous communication coaches in
Malaysia. He has given plenty of talks regarding communication which helps people to
understand the aspect of communication better. Seminar is also said to be a good option
because we will be able to see other people who are also attending the same class as us. This
means, we can observe the way people communicate and how they use their body language
which will then link to the next point, which is practicing our knowledge in real life situations.

To hone the skills of body language, more practice in real life should be executed after much
participation in both methods mentioned previously. To master any aspect, we must put our best
effort in learning and also practicing to not let the skills or knowledge rust by time. There is an
idiom that goes “practice makes perfect” which can perfectly fit this point. For instance, body
language can be practiced by smiling more often and standing straight while talking to people to
give a good impression. Knowing when to smile and the preferred time for eye contact duration
can also be taken into consideration when trying to implement body language.
6.0 CONCLUSION

The conclusion is, this essay has discussed the general idea of body language, the types of
body language, its importance and also improvements that we can make. Body language is one
of the most powerful skills in communication that everyone should acquire. We should be aware
that there are many aspects of our body that can be a medium to deliver a message, not just the
body parts mentioned previously. This shows how universal body language is, thus it should
often be featured and be taught in early childhood. Many figures such as parents, schools, alma
mater, and even the government are responsible in nurturing this knowledge regarding body
language as it will assist each individual in their daily life affairs. It is therefore recommended
that everyone should unite in acknowledging and allocating their parts in order to create a
society with better communication skills which allows effective communication to happen more
frequently.

REFERENCE:

Allarkha, S. (2021). What Are The Different Types of Body Language?. Retrieved from:
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_different_types_of_body_language/article.htm
 Cherry, K. (2022). Understanding Body Language and Facial Expressions. Retrieved from:
https://www.verywellmind.com/understand-body-language-and-facial-expressions-4147228

Cirino, E. (2018). Why Do We Have Eyebrows? Retrieved from:

https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-have-eyebrows

Edwards, V. V. (2022). 39 Mouth Body Language Gestures to Spot in Your Next Convo.
Retrieved from:
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/mouth-body-language/#pursed-lips-the-small-mouth-gesture
Goman, C. K. (2013). A Body Language Secret: Look Below The Belt. Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/2010/07/15/body-language-feet-leadership-managing-legs.html?sh=523
a7254f26e
Gibbons, S. (2018). You And Your Business Have 7 Seconds To Make A First Impression:
Here's How To Succeed. Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2018/06/19/you-have-7-seconds-to-make-a-first-i
mpression-heres-how-to-succeed/?sh=1f8457eb56c2

Jacob, C. (2022). The 13 Best Books On Body Language To Read In 2023. Retrieved from:
https://upjourney.com/best-books-on-body-language

Jarret, C. (2019). Why Meeting Another’s Gaze is So Powerful. Retrieved from:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190108-why-meeting-anothers-gaze-is-so-powerful

Kang, S., Tversky, B. (2016). From hands to minds: Gestures promote understanding. Retrieved
from:
https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-016-0004-9#citeas

McSpadden, K. (2015). You Now Have A Shorter Attention Span Than A Goldfish. Retrieved
from: https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/

Park, S. G., & Park, K. H. (2018). Correlation between nonverbal communication and objective
structured clinical examination score in medical students. Korean journal of medical education,
30(3), 199–208.Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2018.94
Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017, August 10). The influences of
emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers. Retrieved from:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01454/full

Vain, C. (2022). Different Methods of Communication. Retrieved from:

https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/business/different-communication-methods/