SIX WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR NONVERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

It is not only what you say that is important, but it's how you say it that can make the difference . Nonverbal messages are an essential component of communication in a conversation.

We should be aware of nonverbal behavior for three major reasons:

• An awareness of nonverbal behavior will allow you to become better receivers of your partners' messages.
• You will become a better sender of signals that reinforce learning.
• This mode of communication increases the degree of the perceived psychological closeness between speaker and listener.

Some major areas of nonverbal behaviors to explore 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, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye contact with audiences increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers 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
• Affiliation

Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and the audience 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 speaking style captures the audiences' attention, makes the material more interesting, facilitates learning and provides a bit of entertainment. Head nods, a form of gestures, communicate positive reinforcement 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 that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Furthermore, interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience 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 audience. You should look for signals of discomfort . Some of these are:

• Rocking
• Leg swinging
• Tapping
• Gaze aversion

Typically, in large college classes space invasion is not a problem. In fact, there is usually too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for the audience to speak.

Paralinguistics:
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 speaking tool, and it is too often not encouraged in. Laughter releases stress and tension for both speaker and audience. You should develop the ability to laugh at yourself and encourage the audience to do the same. It fosters a friendly room environment that facilitates learning. (I play soccer and if our team felt/is successful I always observe the presence of good humor in the locker room.)

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.