2. 3. 4 Replacement
Non-verbal behavior can also substitute for verbal messages. Quite a few nonverbal messages are commonly used to take the place of words. For instance, when someone directs you into a tight parking space, gestures might be used to substitute words because the car’s noisy engine prohibits speaking. If a group of people is boisterous, you might place you index finger to your lips as an alternative to saying, “Please calm down so that I can speak.” When you have a strong argument with someone, he may attack you with “looks that could kill”. Sometimes, when we are too sad or excited to say anything, we just keep silent. Our silence may replace any verbal messages.
For non-verbal communication to act as substitution, it must be interpreted in specific culture. If we try to use our culture’s nonverbal substitutes in another culture, misunderstanding may occur. For example, Americans who say “I” by pointing to their chests would not be understood in Japan, where “I” is symbolized by pointing to one’s nose.
2. 3. 5 Regulation
Non-verbal behavior is also used to regulate verbal behavior. Non-verbal behaviors usually represent the most efficient and lease offensive means of regulating interaction. To say “Shut up, Tom” may trigger a hostile and defensive reaction; to present the same message by eye contact or gesture is a more desirable way. Many forms of nonverbal action can be used to manage our communication. Nodding and eye contact are two typical nonverbal hints that mean “I want to talk” and “It’s your turn to talk”. When we want to indicate we have finished speaking and the other person can start in a conversation, we may increase our eye contact with the other person. Conversely, if we want to keep the other from speaking, we may decrease eye contact and perhaps raise the volume. When we don’t want to take a speaking turn, we might reinforce our head nods and maintain attentive eye contact. Rapid nods may signal the speaker to hurry up and finish while slow and silent nods usually indicate the speaker’s talking will continue.
2. 3. 6 Contradiction
The term contradicting includes a variety of ways verbal and nonverbal signals are not in agreement with one other. There are many instances where someone’s verbal message contradicts his nonverbal one. For instance, you may not like your friends’ new skirt, but you still say “It looks beautiful.”
The contradictory message occurs because people do not want to tell the truth and they do not want to lie. In most cases, we don not like to contradict others, hurt their feeling or let them lose face. When a friend gave a terrible presentation, we may say “You did it quite well.” But our voice, face and body may not support the words. On other occasion, people even use contradictory messages to communicate sarcasm or irony, saying one thing with words but meaning the opposite with vocal tone or facial expressions.
Generally, our faces and eyes are the best senders of contradictory messages. They are the most expressive but tell the most lies. We should be more sensitive to these nonverbal hints to understand the true feelings and ideas of others.
Since non-verbal behavior carries meaning and can emphasize the meaning which is intended to convey by the speaker, it is of great importance that the teacher of English makes good use of it so as to obtain a better result in oral practice exercises. Knowledge of potential effects of verbal and non-verbal behavior can be useful in impression management techniques to create more effective communication in face-to-face interactions. For example, in a simulated employment interview setting, Washburn and Hakel demonstrated that when applicants were given a high level of non-verbal “enthusiasm” by the interviewer (for instance, gazing, gesturing and smiling); the applicants were judged more favorably than those given a low level of interviewer enthusiasm. Another study showed that when candidates received non-verbal approval during an employment interview, they were judged by objective observers to be more relaxed, more at ease and more comfortable than candidates who received non-verbal disapproval from the interview.
Therefore, the teacher of oral English, as both the encoder of the language input and the decoder of the students’ language output, should have some knowledge of non-verbal behavior. In this way, he/she will more willingly and consciously use it in classroom teaching. He/she will be able to try to use gestures and facial expressions to attract the students’ attention and arouse their interest. For instance, the author once has visited two classes. Both of them were teaching the same text which was about the “black hole”. One of the teachers not only explained the text very clearly to the students, but also drew a picture on the blackboard. Although the picture was not well drawn, the students were all interested. With the picture on the blackboard, the teacher explained the features of “black hole” with gestures and vivid facial expressions. The students’ interests were greatly aroused. They not only listened very attentively, but also answered the teacher’s question actively and asked many questions about “black hole”. A heated discussion about “black hole” was initiated and it seemed obvious that both the teacher and the students enjoyed the class greatly.
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