NONVERBAL

COMMUNICATION
Paralanguage
 the “how” of
saying
something
Example:
saying I LOVE YOU with an angry tone is a contradictory
message
Flowers
Flowers say for many of us what we
cannot say ourselves.
These meaning are also influenced by
culture and gender.
Supposedly, only Filipino men send
flowers, women do not.
Red roses are to be sent only to a
female sweetheart or a wife, no one
else.
And only on Valentine’s Day and
birthdays.
Nonverbal Communication using
flowers can become problematic
when we move outside of Philippine
culture.
Example:
Hawaii’s State flower is the plumeria known as kalachuchi
Filipinos may not feel welcomed in Hawaii by a lei made by plumerias because
it has a disagreeable smell to Filipinos.
Example:
Italians send chrysanthemums for special
occasions but Filipinos generally see them in
funeral arrangement.
Color
 Have certain meanings
based on the dictates of
culture and gender
Example:
Pink is for baby girls and blue for baby boys
In Thailand, only the King can wear yellow. Tourists who dare to
wear the royal color are punished.
Chronemics
 Shows how time is
viewed differently in
various countries
Example:
Filipinos tend to see time as being elastic. “Filipino Time” means
an appointment is scheduled between 1:00 & 2:00pm. A meeting
starts at around 8:30. (Time is used to convey how powerful a
person is)
Example:
In the West is always exact and to the point, no matter who the
visitor is.
Proxemics
 The use of space provides
us the ideas about how
close or how far people are
from the center of power or
where the person is in the
social ladder
Example:
The biggest office in a company is reserved for the President or
the CEO.
Example:
Houses of millionaires are actually huge and would include
landscaped garden, a big garage most likely with a giant
swimming pool.
Example:
A middle-class house will have enough space according to the
budget of the couple, balanced by their needs. It will at least
have a small garden.
Haptics
 The use of touch
 Like the use of flower and
colors, it can say what
cannot be said verbally by
the speaker
 Touch can comfort, it can
aggravate, it can encourage,
or it can dissuade.
 Filipinos like many Latin
nationals are always
touching but without
embarrassment
 However, in Indonesia no one
pats the top of a child’s head,
because they believe that this
is where the spirit of the child
resides.
 Filipinos also like to touch
friends, relatives and loved
ones who touch us back
 Ofcourse, there are few
exceptions particularly in
countries where men and
women are segregated (a
woman is not supposed to see,
talk, or touch a man until they
are married)
Gestures
 are the most often used
Nonverbal communication
 speech to be understandable
and interesting must be
accompanied by different
gestures
 Emphasizing gestures
- punctuate what we want to highlight
Example:
Hitting the lectern or the table interjects
force, helping emphasize a point being made.
(but for Thai’s such action is considered rude)
 Regulating gestures
-used to control the flow of
communication such as nodding one’s head
so that someone will continue talking.
This gesture might also mean understanding
or a way of saying “yes”
In the Middle East, however nodding means
“no” while shaking the head means “yes”
 Illustrating gestures
-used to show size, height,
distance or similar qualities
 Emblems
-gestures associated with specific
meanings.
A clinched fist is associated with activism and
protest, but this is an insult in some part of
Europe
Pointing finger to one’s head can be read as
either being smart or being crazy
 Emblems
Greeks and other Europeans do not wave
goodbye with the palm of the hand facing
forward.
(see how the Queen of England makes a half
wave, known as the royal wave)
Facial Expression
 assists the listener in
understanding the message better
 this will be the listener’s gauge as
to whether the speaker is sincere
Posture & Personal
Appearance
 how one sits or stands in
communicative situation
Example:
When one carries oneself well and with confidence, people will
want to listen.