Professor: Good morning! Let’s get started. So, last time we talked about what
nonverbal communication is. Let’s review with an example. Have you ever wanted to say
something in a conversation, but the other person just talked on and on? OK, so take a
moment to imagine what you would do in this situation. Write down the nonverbal
signals you might give to show you want to say something. Now, if you compared notes
with the person next to you, would your signals be the same? That depends. See,
everybody uses nonverbal communication, but the specific signals used are different
among people and cultures. So today we’re going to discuss two universal ways
nonverbal communication is used, but also how people assume things based on personal
interpretations.
Now, one way people use nonverbal communication is to regulate conversation, like in
the example I just gave. In Western cultures when a listener wants a turn to speak to
someone else, she will make eye contact with the speaker, or look straight in the
speaker’s eyes, and raise her eyebrows. In a large group, like in a classroom, a student
will usually raise her hand to show she wants to speak. In addition to helping to regulate a
conversation, nonverbal signals can be used to quickly communicate an idea. When a
specific body movement is used instead of words, it’s called a gesture. Putting a finger to
the lips can mean “be quiet,” for example. Of course, you must be careful with gestures,
because they’re not the same across cultures. A gesture like putting your thumb up means
“Good job!” in the United States, but it can easily get you in trouble in certain other
cultures. Clearly, there is a lot of potential for misunderstanding with nonverbal signals.
Now, I’d like you to break into groups and discuss your own experiences with nonverbal
communication . . .
Student 1: OK. . . The first point of the lecture was that people use nonverbal
communication to regulate conversation. Anyone have an example of this?
Student 2: Yeah, like when I first left Japan and went to America, I had a really hard
time talking in groups of Americans. They didn’t give me a turn to speak. I was silent and
polite—in the Japanese way—but they just talked and talked! It was difficult for me
because they talked so much. It took me a long time to learn to give appropriate signals,
but now I understand, and I am comfortable talking with Americans.
Student 3: I have an example of someone being rude. There’s this guy in my math
class—when the teacher asks a question, he doesn’t just raise his hand to answer—he
waves it around. Or, he calls out the answer. He just wants to make a good impression on
the teacher, but the rest of us interpret this as inappropriate, because no one else has a
chance to answer. It’s good to raise your hand, of course— but quietly, ya know