The document discusses non-verbal communication and how it varies across cultures. It covers several domains of non-verbal communication including kinesics (body language), paralinguistics (vocal tones), haptics (touch), proxemics (use of space), oculesics (eye contact), and chronemics (sense of time). It notes that behaviors like smiling, gestures, eye contact, and perceptions of punctuality can have different meanings in different cultures. The document emphasizes that non-verbal signals should not be interpreted based solely on one's own cultural norms and that understanding these cultural differences is important, especially in classroom settings with students from various backgrounds.

1. Non-Verbal
Communication
Presented by
Mary C. Acevedo, M.Ed., TESOL

2. Edward Hall
 Anthropologist
 1959, The Silent Language
 1966, The Hidden Dimension
 Every culture has its own way of depicting
the following domains of nonlinguistic
communication.

3. Kinesics
 The study of body language
 Facial expressions, posture, gestures,
body movements
 Example: In the US American culture, a
smile appears friendly, but it can signify
affection or it can disguise feelings in other
cultures (East Asian).

4. Paralinguistics
 The set of vocal, nonverbal utterances that
carry and augment meaning
 Pitch and intonation can infer sarcasm,
humor, disbelief, and various emotion

5. Haptics
 The art of how people use touch to
communicate
 Holding hands, hugging, kissing, patting a
back or head
 Example: An American will stroke another
who is hurting.

6. Proxemics
 The way a person uses and perceives
body space
 “Don’t INVADE my privacy.”
 Example: Americans stand farther apart
than members of Latin American, Turk,
and most African countries.

7. Oculesics
 The study of eye movement and position (eye contact,
winking, raise the eyebrows, widening the eyes)
 Example: Some cultures (US Americans) use eye
contact to show respect and that they are listening.
Other cultures (Haitian, Puerto Rican, Asian as a whole)
show respect and that they are listening by not making
eye contact. Many Asians will actually close their eyes
and appear to be sleeping when they are in fact
concentrating on what is being said.

8. Chronemics
 The way a person views and uses time
 Polychronic time: doing many things at once; crowding
around (no standing in line)
 Monochronic time: doing one thing at a time; standing
single file when waiting in line
 Example: banking in America and banking in South
Korea
 Example: Party invitations in the US have a beginning
and ending time. If a guest is late, she apologizes; she is
also conscious not to linger after the end time.

9. Caution!
 Do not interpret the facial expressions,
gestures, and other elements of non-
verbal communication based on your own
frame of reference.
 Problems occur when the participants do
not know the “rules.”

10. Implications for the Classroom
 All cultures operate on their own systems
of communication, and these beliefs will
be manifested within the everyday context
of the classroom.
 Knowledge of nonverbal communication
specific to other cultures will help teachers
to understand the students they teach as
well as the students’ parents.

11. References
 Hall, E.T. (1959). The Silent Language,
New York: Doubleday.
 Hall, E.T. (1966). The Hidden Dimension,
New York: Doubleday.