Non-Verbal
Communicatio
n
What is non-
verbal
communication?
This is the form of communication that does not involve the use of speech
or writing.
In effect, non-verbal communication is the use of voice, space, objects,
movement, time and the five senses to convey meanings without using words.
Because the types of non-verbal communication focus on physical actions
and manipulations to convey meanings, they are often referred to as
communicative behaviours.
Types of Non-Verbal
Communication
01 02 03
. . .
Body Artefacts The Five Senses
Language/Paralanguage
01
Body Language/
Paralanguage
.
Body Language refers to the use of the body
like posture and movements,be it conscious or
unconscious, to convey attitudes and feelings.
Examples include:
❖ Posture
-slumping at your desk
❖ Gestures
-waving
❖ Facial Expression
-smiling
❖ Eye Contact
-gazing at someone
The same aspect of body language can communicate different
messages.
For Example:
❖ Yawning may communicate that the individual is bored or tired.
❖ Failure to make eye contact may be a sign of shyness or
embarrassment.
❖ Making eye contact may communicate brazenness, invitation or
a challenge.
Because body language can be interpreted in different ways,it is
Paralanguage refers to our use of volume, tone, pitch and
rate of speaking to give additional meaning or emphasis to
what is spoken.
People can change, consciously and unconsciously, the volume, tone and
pitch of their voices. For example:
❖ People often raise their voices and shout when they are
angry.
People can vary speed at which they speak and this can be used to create
and effect.For example:
❖ Politicians may speak very slowly and deliberately to suggest that what
they are saying is of great importance.
Paralanguage also encompasses the sounds people can make.The different
sounds have different meaning and communicate different feelings and
emotions which people recognise.For example:
❖ Laughs,cries and moans.
Paralanguage is also revealed in text
communication via the Internet. For
example:
❖ Emoticons allow writers to express
emotions in an exciting way.Also the
use of lowercase or capital, and the
use of characters all aids in
expressing an idea.
-For example using “LOL” instead
of “lol” . Bother refer to “laugh out
loud” but the capitals suggest a
louder, full-body laugh.
Artifacts-use of
objects
Artefacts are any object, piece of jewellery or clothing that may be used to
communicate something about the type of person you are, or that you
belong to a particular group.Artefacts tend to perpetuate stereotypes. We
expect a certain type of person to dress an certain way or to possess or use a
certain object.
For
❖
example:
The fashion statements we make by the clothes or hairstyles we wear.
❖ The car one drives or the neighbourhood in which one lives can convey a message
about one’s resources.
❖ The objects we associate with doctors ,priests and business executives. Also the
message we might inder if we observe a person with a asthma pump or
wheelchair.
02
.
The Five Senses
Our five senses are the channels via
which we receive so much information
about the world around us and about
ourselves. The fives senses which
include sight,hearing,touch,taste and
smell are used in non-verbal
communication. For example:
❖ A bad odour on a person may
communicate that he/she does not
practise proper hygiene or it could
suggest the person is unwell.
❖ A particular engine sound in the driveway
may communicate the arrival of a family
member.
What is Standard
Language?
This is the language or dialect of a country used for formal and official
purpose, such as education.
A dialect becomes standard when it is spoken by the dominant group in the
society thus it commands the most prestige and becomes the target to which
people aspire.
