Non-verbal Communication

This passage discusses how body language, or non-verbal communication, can help us express ourselves as much as words can.

Lexile Level: 1450L

Categories: People & Places

Knowing how to read someone's body language can often tell you much more than listening to his or her words. For example, you may already know that people who bite their fingernails are showing nervousness, but did you know that rubbing your eyes can be interpreted as disbelief? Crossing your arms can signal having a negative attitude, and tapping or drumming your fingers can indicate impatience. Those who study non-verbal communication, or paralanguage, are skilled at "reading" what people say without using any words, and they can often detect lies as well as a polygraph, or lie-detector, test can. A person's gestures, posture, movements, eye contact, and facial expressions can reveal much more than most people realize, especially since these things can be intentional or unintentional. Since unintentional signals can communicate critical information, good communicators learn to accurately convey their own messages as well as to interpret those of others.