CONFLUENCE
26 February 2011
Communication without Words
Dr. Kalpana Maheshwari
Rajasthan College of Engineering for Women, Jaipur (Rajasthan)
“The eyes of men converse as much as their tongues, with the advantage that the ocular dialect needs no
dictionary, but is understood the world over.”
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nonverbal Communication
Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both personally and professionally.
But we communicate with much more than words. In fact, research shows that the majority of our
communication is nonverbal. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes our facial
expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and even the tone of our voice. Non-verbal communication
(body language, paralinguistics) has been a focus of attention for some time in areas such as the
refinement of presentation skills, developing social skills, and even as a realistic alternative to the liedetector test. Relatively, however, little attention has been given in language teaching to non-verbal
communication as a complement to spoken language, though recent trends in neuro linguistic
programming regarding mirroring and parallel body language have filtered into current research and
practice.
Many nonverbal signs are universal. For example, smiling and frowning mean the same thing (amongst
humanity) regardless of where one travels on this globe. Often, nonverbal signs are involuntary and
physiological. Blushing is a nonverbal signal showing the quality of being embarrassed. Unlike verbal
signals, nonverbal signals often resemble their referents; that is to say, nonverbal signals resemble that to
which they refer. Words do not resemble, except when one is being onomatopoetic, the subject to which
the word refers. The word "Anger" Doesn't sound angry, and the word "Wonderful" doesn't sound so
wonderful. While words are arbitrary, non-verbal signs are not.
Alternatively, there are many non-universal nonverbal signs. Signs that mean something in
America may very well mean something very different somewhere else (if they mean anything at all).
Encoding and Decoding Nonverbal Messages
Nonverbal messages are encoded in a variety of ways; this variety is broken down into two categories:
simple and complex. Simple encoding happens naturally and is such that the receiver of the message can
easily decode the message and retrieve the meaning. Simple encoding is often (if not always) involuntary.
Complex encoding requires a thoughtful effort. One form of complex encoding takes place when we
decide how we wish to communicate. We do not, one would presume, speak in the same manner with our
professors and employers that we speak with our friends or family. Neither do we dress the same way for
a job interview that we would for a night at the movie theater. Also, a form of complex encoding is used
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when coordinating verbal signals with their nonverbal counterparts. An example of this would be nodding
while agreeing verbally. Nonverbal communication also serves to complement our spoken
communication. Saying that we're really excited about something is one thing, but unless it is visible on
our faces and in our gestures, it does not carry the same message.
Components of non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication is a system consisting of a range of features often used together to aid
expression. The combination of these features is often a subconscious choice made by native speakers or
even sub-groups/sub-cultures within a language group. The main components of the system are:

Kinesics (body language) Body motions such as shrugs, foot tapping, drumming fingers, eye
movements such as winking, facial expressions, and gestures

Proxemics (proximity) Use of space to signal privacy or attraction

Haptics Touch

Oculesics Eye contact

Chronemics Use of time, waiting, pausing

Olfactics Smell

Vocalics Tone of voice, timbre, volume, speed

Sound symbols Grunting, mmm, er, ah, uh-huh, mumbling

Silence Pausing, waiting, secrecy

Posture Position of the body, stance

Adornment Clothing, jewellery, hairstyle

Locomotion Walking, running, staggering, limping
Nonverbal communication cues can play five roles:





Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally
Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey
Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can often
convey a far more vivid message than words and often do.
Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal message. A boss who pats a person on
the back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message
Accenting: they may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can
underline a message.
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Teaching non-verbal communication
On the grounds that; 'It's not what you say, it's the way that you say it', there is much to be said for
teaching non-verbal communication either parallel to, or integrated with, a language and skills based
syllabus,
in
the
same
way
that
phonology
is
often
treated.
Relatively few techniques have been suggested for teaching non-verbal communication, but some
suggestions are:

Learners discuss the meaning of gestures and expressions (either demonstrated by the teacher,
from pictures, or from existing published materials). This is particularly effective with
multilingual classes.

Learners mime adjectives of both physical and emotional feelings.

Learners watch a video clip without sound, discuss body language, relationships, emotions and
feelings, and then write the dialogue.

Learners act out a dialogue using gesture and expression only.

Learners make up a dialogue based on mime.

Learners, in pairs, take turns in listening to each other for 30 seconds, using only non-verbal
responses.
There are some important reasons why we use nonverbal communication:





Words have limitations.
Nonverbal signals are powerful.
Nonverbal messages are likely to be more genuine.
Nonverbal signals can express feelings too disturbing to state.
A separate communication channel is necessary to help send complex messages
Just how important is nonverbal communication? Some research findings suggest that two-thirds of our
communication is nonverbal. Other experts suggest that only seven percent of a message is sent through
words, with the remaining 93 percent sent through facial expressions (55 percent) and vocal intonation
(38
percent).
In the classroom, teachers and students--both consciously and unconsciously--send and receive
nonverbal cues several hundred times a day. Teachers should be aware of nonverbal communication in
the classroom for two basic reasons: to become better receivers of students' messages and to gain the
ability to send positive signals that reinforces students' learning while simultaneously becoming more
skilled
at
avoiding
negative
signals
that
stifle
their
learning.
Students use smiles, frowns, nodding heads and other cues to tell teachers to slow down, speed up or in
some other way modify the delivery of instructional material. To be a good receiver of student messages,
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a teacher must be attuned to many of the subtle nonverbal cues that their students send.
It is just as important for teachers to be good nonverbal communication senders as it is for them to be
good receivers. Teachers express enthusiasm, warmth, assertiveness, confidence and displeasure through
facial expressions, vocal intonation, gestures and use of space. However, when teachers exhibit verbal
messages that conflict with nonverbal messages, students become confused, which in turn can affect their
attitudes and learning.
How to decode
Observation is a form of decoding, and one’s ability in this area can be increased by three factors:
education, awareness, and need.
Education and awareness are interrelated. Through education, a person becomes aware of more things. In
other words, a person knows what to look for; therefore, a person is more likely to observe it, to decode it.
Likewise, realizing a need for something makes a person ready and eager to acquire it.
Perception has to do with one’s ability to observe, to remain alert, and to extract from a given
communication incident the 'realities' of the situation (recognizing, of course, that reality is different for
each of us). You must try to take from the communication verbal and nonverbal messages which are
similar for both encoder and decoder. While encoding your message, you must be decoding the body
language of the decoder. (Communication is indeed a continuous process)
While mastery of communication techniques is important, it is essential that the encoder be sensitive to
the human relations aspects in the communication process, and these human elements are often revealed
vividly in body language and other nonverbal communication.
The sooner we, as encoder, receive feedback in the form of a body language message, the sooner we can
switch to a more effective encoding technique if necessary.
In terms of skills development, non-verbal clues should not be underestimated when developing both the
listening and speaking skills. Like grammatical structures, non-verbal communication has form, function
and meaning, all of which may vary from language to language. The ability to understand and use
nonverbal communication is powerful tools that will help you connect with others, express what you
really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.
Many people are devoting their entire life to the study of body language. Body language is an interesting,
fascinating area of nonverbal communication; much remains to be learned about it. By becoming a better
observer, by sharpening our powers of perception, and by knowing as much as possible about our
audience (decoders), we should be able to translate more accurately nonverbal and verbal messages.
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