Six ways to improve your nonverbal

Six ways to
improve your nonverbal



Communications







Nonverbal
communications depend upon seven elements which are:










1- Eye contact


2-Facial
expressions


3-Gestures


4-Posture and
body orientation


5-Proximity


6-Paralinguistics


7-Humor




Eye contact:







Eye contact , an important channel of
interpersonal 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:





Smiling is a powerful cue that
transmits:


•Happiness





•Friendliness


•Warmth


•Liking


•Warmth


•Liking


•Affiliation


Thus, if you smile frequently
you w ill 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 unanimated. A lively and animated teaching style
captures students' attention, makes the material more interesting, facilities
learning and provides a bit of entertainment. Head nods , a form of gestures,
communicate positive reinforcement to student and indicate that you are
listening.






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.







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
space invasion is not a problem . In fact , 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.







Paralinguistic:







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 classroom environment that
facilitates learning.





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





Vocabulary:






•Orientation : guidance


•Norms: the known traditions


•Stiff: strict


• Colleague: mate


• Aversion: hatred

•Interact: communicate
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