The importance of Body Language Listening Comprehension Exercise

The importance of Body Language: Listening Comprehension Exercise Prof. Myrna Monllor English 112 All images taken from Google for educational purposes.

Vocabulary • • • Blunders Meaning Behavior Gestures Convey Therefore Strengthen Posture Slouch Droop • • • Breathing Self-assured Tilt/tilting Flirt/flirting Clue/s Keep Furthest Tend Fidget/fidgeting

How the Body Speaks The body, like spoken language, has a way of communicating different meanings. Only 35 % of social meaning is expressed through words. 65%

We continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our nonverbal behaviors—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 and convey meaning. These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally.

The body language we use decides the quality of our communication. Therefore, we should become conscious of our own and others' body language. Body language signs can strengthen the meaning of what we communicate.

Distance and Personal Space Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space. You can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy, aggression, dominance, or affection.

In this picture, which is the person with more power? Eye Contact Maintaining good eye contact shows respect and interest in what the other person has to say.

Posture Get your posture right and you'll automatically start feeling better.

Posture When you slouch, the shoulders droop down and inward. This collapses the chest and impedes good breathing, which in turn can help make you feel nervous or uncomfortable.

What feeling do these body positions signal?

Head Position When you want to feel confident and self- assured, keep your head level both horizontally and vertically. You can also use this straight head position when you want to be authoritative and what you're saying to be taken seriously. Tilting your head to the side can signal flirting and should be avoided in formal situations.

Arms The position of your arms gives away the clues as to how open and receptive you are. So keep your arms out to the side of your body because this shows you are not scared to take on whatever comes your way. When you want to come across in the best possible light, crossing the arms is a no, no in front of others.

LEGS Legs are the furthest point away from the brain, because of this, they're the hardest bits of our bodies to consciously control. They tend to move around a lot more than normal when we are nervous, stressed or being deceptive. So the best way is to keep them as still as possible in most situations

LEGS

Facial Gestures The face expresses many emotions and attitudes. A smile shows warmth and interest.

Fidgeting Don’t: • Tap your foot • Twirl your pen • Pick at your nails or cuticles • Twirl your hair • Rub your hands • Tap your fingers on a table

What feeling do these body movements signal?

In conclusion, becoming sensitive to the clues of body language can help us communicate more effectively. We can learn to be more sensitive to our own bodies – to see how they express our feelings and to see ourselves as others see us.

Use the following questions as a guide to writing a summary of today’s presentation • Why is it important for people to understand body language? • Give three examples of how we can use our bodies to project ourselves well. • What are some of the things you should not do with your body in professional situations?

Sources • The Importance of Body Language in Business http: //www. live-from-campus. eduniversal-ranking. com/live-fromhiba--higher-institute-of-business-administration/tips-tricks/theimportance-of-the-body-language-in-business. html • 15 Body Language Blunders https: //www. forbes. com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/03/12/15 body-language-blunders-successful-people-nevermake/#27638416 d 6 d 9