Download Body Language: A Hidden communicator

Chauhan, V. & Shukla, N. / Educationia Confab
ISSN: 2320-009X
Body Language: A Hidden communicator
Dr. Vandana Chauhan & Dr. Nidhi Shukla
Assistant Professor, Shiva College, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India
Abstract
Communication is such a vital part of each of us that it contributes heavily to the success or
failure of every human activity. The word communication has been derived from the Latin word
‘communico’ which means to share hence the main purpose of communication is the
transmission of some information, ideas, feelings which is the subject-matter of communication.
Body language is the unspoken communication that goes from one face to face another, on
encounter with another human being. It tells ones attitudes, feelings, perceptions. No matters
how well words are being received but still 90% of our message is Non-verbal and only 10%
through verbal. For instance, maintaining eye contact is positive in eastern culture, minimal eye
contact is positive and beyond its limits, it should not be mistaken for staring, which is negative.
Hidden communication is like emotion, those cannot be expressed in words. The present article
enlightens that body language is a powerful tool that can help you connect with others, express
what you really mean and build better relationships. Most of messages we send other people by
use of body language Body language as a hidden communicator includes our facial expressions,
gestures, eye contact, posture and tone of voice.
Key-words: Communication, Types Of Body Posture, Non-Verbal, Language, Contact
Introduction
Body language is a vital form of communication- a natural unconscious language that
broadcasts our true feelings and intentions in any given moment and intentions of those around
us. Body language is 55% of any message. Body language says much move then the words as
the saying goes “The way you say what you say and the way you look when you say it speaks so
loudly that I can’t hear anything else”. Your gestures and body language are 5 times more
powerful than words. If your body language and your words are inconsistent people will believe
your body language. The gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how
close we stand, how much eye contact we make send strong messages. Even when you are silent,
you are still communicating non-verbally through body language. Patterson's (1990) has simply
stated functions of nonverbal communication as ‘providing information, regulating interaction,
Expressing intimacy, Presenting identities and images, affect management’. Linguistic scholar
Thirumalai (2001) has cited many literary references of communication through Eyes. His text
reads as ‘Eye as a communicative medium has referred to in many poems and other works of
literary art. The expression of emotion via eye attracts special notice in dramatic works also. At
the ritual level, eyes are seen as 'a means of expressing feelings, of imposing silence, will, love
or reverence, a means also of participating in the essence and nature of the person or object
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Chauhan, V. & Shukla, N. / Educationia Confab
ISSN: 2320-009X
looked at'. Facial expressions are also a form of kinesics used to nonverbally transmit messages.
According to Knapp and Hall (2006, p. 260), Eye contact also signals cognitive activity. When
one of the interactants looks away during a conversation, it may be due to complex information
processing (Andersen, 1999). There is a shift in attention from the external conversation to
internal cognition (Knapp & Hall, 2006). Gesture, facial expression, and gaze behavior all work
together with words to create meaning, both in encoding and decoding messages. When activities
and interaction in the classroom are devoid of the kinesic behavior), a reduction in the quality of
communication may result (Kellerman, 1992).
Types of body- language
Facial expression- The human face is extremely expressive, able to express countless emotions
without saying a word and unlike some forms of non- verbal communications.
Different facial expressions• Happiness
• Surprise
• Sadness
• Fear
• Anger
Posture- considers how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk, stand
up or hold their head. The way you move and carry yourself communicates a wealth of
information to the world. This type of non verbal communication includes your posture, bearing,
stance and subtle movements. Powerful people take up space with their feet apart, heads up.
Unfortunately, many of us are taught to take up least space.
Keep your posture erect and chin up: your posture communicates how you feel about yourself.
Keeping your posture erect and your chin up conveys a sense of energy and confidence.
Plant yourself evenly on both feel: when standing and speaking before a group, place your feet
apart about 8-12 inches, depending on your height. Regular shifting of weight makes you look
less balanced and less powerful.
Gestures: Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We wave, point, beckon and
use our hands when we are arguing or speaking animatedly- expressing ourselves with gestures
often without thinking.
Move deliberately: Movement is an effective way to support and visually convey your message.
The key is to avoid pacing or too much movement and balance a firm stance with deliberate
movements. A good technique for movement is to start from the center of the stage and move
towards right, return to center and move to your left, to conclude return to center.
Relax your hands at your sides: Learn to stand with your hands relaxed at your sides. Allow
your hands to be free so that your gestures can come easily and look more natural, not stiff and
mechanical.
Eliminate distracting items: Fidgeting is a distraction and is perceived as nervousness and lack
of self-confidence. Avoid using any paper material when delivering the lecture as whatever the
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Chauhan, V. & Shukla, N. / Educationia Confab
ISSN: 2320-009X
teacher holds becomes fascinating for the students. Avoid holding any item in your hand that is
very jazzy and can cause distraction.
Eye contact: Eye contact makes up about 55% of non-verbal part of message communication.
Most people think that when a person is speaking without making eye contact he/she is lying,
shy, not confident, not trust worth’s, uncaring, Embarrassed. Most comments about lack of eye
contact are negative or unfavorable. Good communicators and good listener develop positive
eye contact. “Eye contact is humanizing element in an often impersonal world.” Eye contact is
an important part of being perceived as a good speaker. To get control over the audience eye
contact is a must.
Voice: It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When we speak, other people” read” our
voices in addition to listening to our words things they pay attention to include your timing and
pace, how loud you speak, your tone and inflection and sounds that convey understanding, such
as “ahh” and “uh-huh”. Think about tone of voice.
Conclusion
Good communication is the foundation of successful relationship, both personal and
professional. It takes more than words to create satisfying, strong relationships. Body language
communication has huge impact on the quality of your personal and professional relationships.
As you continue to pay attention to the body language cue and signals you send and receive, your
ability to communicate will improve. Wang (2009) supported our study that without
interpersonal communication, people are unable to understand each other, cooperate with each
other and promote the development of human society uneasingly.
Therefore, the study of interpersonal communication has great significance.
Interpersonal communication is fulfilled through two forms: one is verbal behaviors, the other
one is nonverbal behaviors. Verbal communication is the most common and significant form of
communication. But it does not mean that we can ignore the importance of nonverbal
communication. In interpersonal communication, many messages and meanings are expressed
through touch, eye contact and gaze, slight diversity of tone, gesture and facial expressions with
or without the help of verbal behaviors. We often try to understand one’s heart thoroughly and
make important judgment and decision to others according to nonverbal behaviors. So, the study
of nonverbal communication and the effect on interpersonal communication has great practical
significance. It cannot be denied that the importance of interpersonal communication to the
development of our society.
References
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Publishing Co.
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[3] Crotean, james marcel (1975).Non-verbal communication education.A Transactional view point. DAI,
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[4] Haiyan Wang (2009). Nonverbal Communication and the Effect on Interpersonal Communication,asian
social science,vol.-5,no.-11
[5] Kellerman, S. (1992). I see what you mean: The role of kinesic behaviour in listening and the
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ISSN: 2320-009X
[6] implications for foreign and second language learning. Applied Linguistics 13(3), 239-258.
[7] Knapp, M., & Hall, J. (2006). Nonverbal communication in human interaction. Belmont, CA: Thomson
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[8] Thirumalai, M.S. (2001). Look into my eyes: what do you see? Language in India,
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