UNIT 1-LESSON 6.

NONVERBAL
LANGUAGE IN COMMUNICATION
• It has been a common observation that you can find
people from different cultures using nonverbal language in
expressing their ideas and feelings toward others.
Intentionally, they convey messages through signals called
cues such as body language, appearance and gestures to
name a few.
• Nonverbal language is considered as communication
without the use of language and is symbolic and
representational. It is a second kind of language which is
also called as Artificial Language which uses all elements
of communication except words.
NONVERBAL LANGUAGE USES THE FOLLOWING
SYMBOLS:

1. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. It refers to the expression or

countenance that seems to an onlooker to be represented
by the appearance of a person’s face, resulting from
specific use of that person’s facial muscles. It is also
responsible for enormous part of nonverbal communication.
Facial expressions can be used to express a huge number
of emotional messages which can be interpreted in many
ways. Communicators utilize their faces and eyes to
emphasize the essence of their messages.
2.GESTURES. In lexical expression, gesture pertains to a
movement you make with your hands, arms or head to
express what you are thinking of or feeling about.
Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to
communicate meaning without words. Waving, pointing,
and using fingers to show numeric quantities are
considered to be the very common gestures used by
communicators when sharing thoughts and feelings to
others. Culturally, gestures are arbitrary and relational in
nature. Gestures are also termed as hand and body
motions.
• 3. PARALINGUISTICS. In linguistics, paralinguistics refers to the
non-verbal element of speech, and to a limited extent of writing,
used to modify meaning and convey emotion such as pitch, volume,
loudness, tone of voice, inflection and intonation.
• Imagine the commanding effect that tone of voice can have on
the meaning of a sentence or statement. When delivered in a very
commanding tone of voice, listeners might interpret approval and
enthusiasm. The same words said in a timid tone of voice might
express dissatisfaction and a lack of interest.
• Paralanguage which is the other name to refer paralinguistics
also includes whimpering, laughing giggling and vocalized pauses
such as um, ah and er.
4. BODY LANGUAGE AND POSTURE. Body language is a
nonverbal form of communication which is executed by means of
facial expression, eye behaviour, gestures, and posture; often
thought to be involuntary while posture pertains to the way a person
holds and positions his body.

5. PROXEMICS. Proxemics as may refer to space and territory in

layman’s term pertains to the study of the effects of physical distance
between people in different cultures and societies.
People often refer to their need for “personal space” which is
also a vital form of nonverbal communication. The extent of distance
we need and the quantity of space we see as belonging to us is
influenced by a number of factors such as including social standards,
cultural opportunities, situational factors, personality characteristics,
and level of familiarity.
6. EYE GAZE. Eye gaze is lexically defined as the condition or action
of looking at another human or animal in the eye. The eyes play a
vital role in nonverbal communication and such things as looking,
staring, and blinking are important nonverbal behaviors. People can
use eye gaze as means to determine if someone is being honest or
not.

7. HAPTICS. Haptics pertains to the study of sense of touch.

Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal
behaviour. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity,
sympathy, and other emotions.
Wood (2010) posited that touch is also often used as a means
to communicate both prestige and authority.
• 8. APPEARANCE. Appearance refers to the act of appearing or
coming into sight, the act of becoming visible to the eye. Our
choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting
appearance are also considered a means of nonverbal
communication.
Appearance can also alter physiological responses,
conclusions and analyses. Just think about the delicate judgments
you hurriedly make about someone based on his or her appearance.
“First impression lasts” as the saying goes, which is why job seekers
need to dress appropriately for interviews with potential employers.
9. ARTIFACTS. It refers to objects and images that are
used to communicate nonverbally. The things or objects
people wear, use or associated with their cultures are the
typical examples of artifacts.
People often spend a great deal of time
developing a particular image and surrounding themselves
with objects designed to convey information about the things
that are important to them. Uniforms, for example, can be
used to transmit remarkable pieces of information about a
person. At a mere glance, these clothes signify what a
person does for a living.