Body language

Body language

Body language

Introduction

non verbal communication

 

Words you learned before are used in the following texts, exercises and videos.

Let's see if you still know them.

 

 

Before you read the next text learn a few words first.

Do the exercise untill you know what word follows what picture!

Click on "learn the words first" link.

learn the words first

 

Now check if you can remember them! Do the exercise below.

 

What does body language tell us?

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words; now picture yourself.  How do you look?
What message do you communicate the moment you walk into a room? What are your eyes, hands and shoulders saying? What information do you give people before you ever say a word? Never thought about it? You should.
People read your body language, often via instinct and without thinking. It’s because our postures are a great source of information. We stand and walk a certain way when we’re confident and another way when we’re nervous, angry , sad or shy.

•             55% of the communication is body language,

•             38% is expressed through tone of voice

•             7% is communicated through words.

Example 1

 

 

Hands in your pockets

To show confidence with body language is to keep your hands out of your pockets. We put our hands in our pockets when we’re uncomfortable or unsure of ourselves. And as long as you have your hands stuffed down your pants, that’s how other people will see you.

Example 2 and 3

Your eyes forward

When you’re walking anywhere by yourself, it often feels natural to lower your head a bit and watch your step, but this posture communicates to others that you don’t want to interact.
Keep your chin up and your eyes forward and you look ready to communicate!

Standing up straight with your shoulders back.


Standing up straight is perhaps the most important way

of communicating confidence.

 

Example 4

Crossing your arms

If a person crosses his arms as a sudden change from his normal behaviour, it can show that he has got uncomfortable as a reaction to something that has been said or done. Other times, this gesture can show that they are in disagreement with something said or done, or that they have a negative attitude.

Using only 1 arm (arm barrier) is a finer way of crossing the arms. Women do this more often than men.

You may see women:

  • cross one arm in front of their body and hold onto the opposite upper arm
  • play with a bracelet (armband) on the opposite wrist (pols)
  • hold onto the strap of a handbag that’s hanging from the opposite shoulder.

You may see men:

  • adjust the sleeve (mouw) of their shirt,
  • rub (wrijven) the opposite lower arm.

If this gesture is a sudden change from someone’s normal behaviour, it means that a person feels more uncomfortable than before, or that they feel threatened.

arms

Example 5

 

Pointed feet

If we’re pointing one or both of our feet at a person, this is our way of showing that we want to interact with that person in some way.
Sometimes it means that we’re sexually attracted to the person, but other times it can mean that we find the person interesting and simply want to socialize with them.
When someone is pointing their foot towards an exit, it usually means they want to leave.

 

Play the slideshow over and over again untill you know what the words mean.

(click on the slideshow - click on the loudspeaker icon to get some music)

 

 

legs and feet words

Now watch the video (click on the link) & answer the questions of the test.

legs and feet

Check what you have learned

  • Read the following text. (a lot of words you have learned in previous lessons are in this text)
  • Then answer the questions.

 

Body Language Lost In Translation

Retail | OR, USA | At The Checkout, Bad Behaviour,

  1. (One of our new employees is dealing with a customer who is clearly angry, and is being physically aggressive and threatening. We are on the verge of calling security, but we can see that our new employee is still very calm. We hit the button when we see the customer lunge at her, despite the fact that she doesn’t react at all, and just stares at him. I run over to see what’s wrong.)
  2. Me: “Hi there, I’m the manager. Is there a problem I can help with?”
  3. Customer: “This white b**** won’t give me the sale price!”
  4. (The customer waves a sale leaflet from one of our competitors in my face.)
  5. New Employee: *still very calm* “I tried to tell him that isn’t our flyer, and we don’t even have that item, but he doesn’t seem interested in hearing that.”
  6. Customer: “Don’t lie to me, you b****! You just don’t want me to get this great price!”
  7. New Employee: “Sir, I have two things to say. Firstly, that flyer is from last year—”
  8. Customer: “How the f*** do you know?!”
  9. New Employee: “Because, it’s for a summer sale, and it is currently February. Second, if we had that item at a great price and you wanted it but could not find it, I would do my best to track it down in-store for you. If we didn’t have it here, I would call other stores for you. The simple truth is that we don’t carry that particular item.”
  10. Customer: “How the f*** do you know?”
  11. New Employee: “Because, sir, it’s an adult novelty, and this is a children’s clothing store.”
  12. (Security arrives and escorts the customer out of the store.)
  13. Me: “I don’t know how you were able to stay so calm! You almost sounded bored! I don’t think your expression changed the entire time!”
  14. New Employee: “Oh, I have a lot of trouble with body language. I figured out a long time ago that when I get confused, it’s better not to respond at all, because usually I laugh and it makes them angry.”
  15. (She’s now one of our area supervisors, and is actually better at handling the rare aggressive customer we get than our security team. This is because, apparently, a person who can’t be intimidated makes people uncomfortable.)

check your know how

 

Do the listening test.

 

 

Can you read body language?

 

Do the quick test.

 

what does he not say?

 

You can read someone's face of course. But you do need the person's posture too. Or don't you?

Check it out...

 

Were you right? If not, try again, but now add this posture.

 

Now do it again!

 

With posture they show...?

body language & lying

Watch the video "how to tell when someone is lying" and answer the questions.

Mrs. Jegen can see how you have done!

 

In order to watch the video you need to:

- sign up

- click on "join new class"

- fill in the following code:   Class Code boyW7L

 

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