Nonverbal Communication: Definition, Types,

Importance (Explained)

The nonverbal way is the most

commonly used communication medium in the world in culture.

Sometimes we may not know the exact name of those but we use them
almost every time.

Nonverbal behaviors enjoy close to zero formality, however depending on the

situation.

What is Nonverbal Communication

Non-verbal communication occurs without using any oral or written word.

Instead of written or oral words, it relies on various non-verbal cues like

physical movements, tasks, colors, signs, symbols, signals charts, etc. to
express feelings, attitudes or information.

Although no word is used in non-verbal communication, it can effectively

communicate many human feelings more accurately than verbal methods of
communication.

Common types of nonverbal communication are;  eye contact, facial

expressions, gestures, posture and body orientation, body language, touch,
para-linguistic, silence.
Types of Nonverbal Communication

 Eye contact,
 Facial expressions,
 Gestures,
 Posture and body orientation,
 Body Language,
 Space and Distance,
 Proximity,
 Para-linguistic,
 Humor,
 Touch,
 Silence,
 Personal Appearance,
 Symbol,
 Visual Communication.

Eye contact

Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps

regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others.

Furthermore,

Eye contact with audiences increases the speaker’s credibility. Teachers who
make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest,
concern, warmth, and credibility.
Facial expressions

The face is an important communicator. It is commonly said that the face is

the index of the mind.

It expresses the type of emotions or feelings such as joy, love, interest, sorrow,
anger, annoyance, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, hatred surprise, and
uncertainty.
Facial expressions are indicated through the mouth (open, wide or closed),
eyelids (raised or lowered), nose (wrinkled or relaxed), cheeks (drawn up or
back) and the forehead (lowered or raised).

Within the facial area, eyes are especially effective for indicating attention and
interest. However, interpretations of facial expressions differ from culture to
culture.

Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits:

 Happiness.
 Friendliness.
 Warmth.
 Liking.
 Affiliation.

Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly,
warm and approachable.

Smiling is often contagious and students will react favorably and learn more.

Gestures

If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring, stiff and
un-animated.

A lively and animated teaching style captures students’ attention, makes the
material more interesting, facilitates learning and provides a bit of
entertainment.

Head nods, a form of gestures, communicate positive reinforcement to

students and indicate that you are listening.

Gestures are movements of the arms, legs, hands, and head.7 Some authors
opine that gesture is the deliberate body movement because they express
specific and intentional meaning.
For example;

a wave of the hand has a specific meaning-“hello” or “good-bye”; a forefinger

and a thumb touching to form a circle have the meaning -“ok”.

Alike facial expressions, interpretations of some gestures also differ across

cultures.

For example, in Europe, raising thumb is used to convey that someone has
done something excellent while in Bangladesh the same gesture means
something idiotic.

Posture and body orientation

You communicate numerous messages by the way you walk, talk, stand and
sit.

Standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates to
students that you are approachable, receptive and friendly.

Furthermore,

Interpersonal closeness results when you and your students face each other.

Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be
avoided; it communicates disinterest to your class.

Body Language

Body language is another widely recognized form of non-verbal

communication. Body movements can convey meanings and messages. Body
language may take two forms of unconscious movements and consciously
controlled movements.

For example;
When a person is bored, he may gaze around the room rather than look at the
speaker or he may shift positions frequently.

When a person is nervous, he may bite his nails or mash hair. These are usually
made unconsciously. On the other hand, leaning forward toward the speaker
to express interest is the case of conscious body movements.

Space and Distance

Space and distance are significant non-verbal tools in the case of

organizational communication.

A spacious and well-decorated room indicates a person’s position in the

organization hierarchy and external people get a message about his
importance and authority only by visiting his room.

Distance is another communication tool, which expresses the degree of

intimacy and individual acceptance.

Proximity

Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with students.

You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading students’ space.
Some of these are:

 Rocking
 Leg swinging
 Tapping
 Gaze aversion

Typically, in large college classes space invasion is not a problem. There is

usually too much distance.

To counteract this, move around the classroom to increase interaction with

your students.
Increasing proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the
opportunities for students to speak.

Para-linguistic

This facet of nonverbal communication includes such vocal elements as:

 Tone
 Pitch
 Rhythm
 Timbre
 Loudness
 Inflection

For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your
voice.

One of the major criticisms is of instructors who speak in a monotone.

Listeners perceive these instructors as boring and dull.

Students report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when
listening to teachers who have not learned to modulate their voices.

Humor

Humor is often overlooked as a teaching tool, and it is too often not

encouraged in college classrooms. Laughter releases stress and tension for
both instructor and student.

You should develop the ability to laugh at yourself and encourage students to
do the same. It fosters a friendly environment that facilitates learning.

Adequate knowledge of the subject matter is crucial to your success; however,

it’s not the only crucial element.

Creating a climate that facilitates learning and retention demands good

nonverbal and verbal skills.
Touch

Touch is a widely used form of non-verbal communication tool.

By touching, one can express a wide range of emotions. However, the

accepted modes of touch vary depending on the gender, age, relative status,
intimacy and cultural background of the persons.

For example, in the context of our culture, when one touches you from the
back of the examination hall, your understanding is that he wants to know
something.

Silence

Silence is a powerful tool for communication. It may have a positive or

negative meaning.

In a classroom, silence indicates that students are listening carefully and

attentively. In the same way, through silence one can communicate his lack of
interest or a failure to understand.

For example, silence often indicates that a person receiving instruction does
not understand the action required or sometimes silence indicates consent.

Personal Appearance

Appearance is also an important non-verbal communication tool. Appearance

includes dress, hair, jewelry, makeup, belt buckles and so on.

Appearance indicates the degree of importance or interest a person conveys

to an occasion. Through uniform, we can identify a student, a doctor, a lawyer,
a police officer, etc.
Some important points expressing the importance, necessity, advantages or
functions of non-verbal communication are discussed below:

Well Expression of the Speaker’s Attitude

Various non-verbal cues of the speaker like physical movements, facial

expression, a way of expression, etc. play an important role in expressing the
inner meaning of the messages in face-to-face conversation and interview.

For example, the facial expression of the speaker indicates his attitude,
determination depth of knowledge, etc.

Providing Information Regarding the Sender of The Written Message

The format, neatness, language and the appearance of the envelope used in a
written message send a non-verbal message regarding the writer’s tests,
choice, level of education, etc.

Expressing the Attitude of the Listener and Receiver

Sometimes the appearance of the listeners and receivers conveys their

attitudes, feelings, and thoughts regarding the messages they have read or
heard.

Gaining Knowledge about a Class of People

Clothing, hairstyle, neatness, jewelry, cosmetics, and stature of people convey

impressions regarding their occupation, age, nationality, social or economic
level, job status, etc.

For example; students, policemen, nurses, etc. can easily be identified through
their dresses.
Gaining Knowledge about the Status of a Person

Non-verbal cues also help to determine the relative status of persons working
in an organization. For example, room size, location, furnishings, decorations,
lightings, etc. indicate the position of a person in the organization.

Communicating Common Message to All People

In some cases, non-verbal cues can effectively express many true messages
more accurately than those of any other method of communication.

For example; the use of red, yellow and green lights and the use of various
signs in controlling vehicles on the roads.

Communicating with the Handicapped People

Non- verbal cues of communication greatly help in communicating with the

handicapped people.

For example; the language of communication with the deaf depends on the
movements of the hands, fingers, and eyeballs.

Conveying Message to the Illiterate People

Communication with illiterate people through written media is impossible.

There may also be some situations that do not allow the use of oral media to
communicate with them.

In such situations, non-verbal methods like pictures, colors, graphs, signs, and
symbols are used as the media of communication.

For example; to indicate danger we use red sign and to mean dangerous we
use a skull placed between two pieces of bone put in a crosswise fashion.
Quick Expression of Message

Non-verbal cues like sign and symbol can also communicate some messages
very quickly than written or oral media.

For example; when drivers of a running vehicle are to be communicated that

the road ahead is narrow or there is a turn in the road ahead, we generally use
signs or symbols rather than using any written or oral message.

Presenting Information Precisely

Sometimes quantitative information on any issue may require a lengthy

written message. But this quantitative information can be presented easily and
precisely through tables, graphs, charts, etc.

Conclusion

To improve your nonverbal skills, record your speaking on videotape. Then ask
a colleague in communications to suggest refinements.

Non-verbal communication can take many forms depending on the situation,

the ability of communicators, etc.

According to one estimate, there are more than 0.70 million forms of non-
verbal communication.