Communication is far more than an exchange of words. Facial expressions, hand gestures, posture, eye contact, even silence all of them are constantly sending messages about our attitudes, our emotions, our status, our relationships.

Body language and other nonverbal cues vary as widely as spoken language among different cultures. If you smile at the German woman, and she doesnt smile back, what does that mean? Is she angry? Bored? Lost in thought? To really understand what the German woman is saying, youll need to understand German body language.

Nonverbal cues are critical in the workplace. These cues tell one whether your staff understands his instructions, whether his customer is interested in buying, and much more. The nonverbal language we learned while growing up seems natural and normal. And while some facial expressions, such as fear or disgust, are universal biological reactions, most other nonverbal cues are learned behavior with no universal interpretation.Some of the non Verbal communications across the cultures are:Personal space is the distance two people keep between themselves in order to feel comfortable. If the amount of space is too great, the person approaching you will seem cold, shy, or unfriendly. If the amount of space is too small, the person approaching will seem aggressive, rude, or intrusive. Personal space is influenced by gender. Two women will naturally stand closer than two men or a man and a woman. Personal space is influenced by status. A person of high status is normally instinctively granted more space. This distinction will be more pronounced in cultures that have a greater consciousness of status and social class, such as Asian cultures. Personal space is influenced by the degree of intimacy in a relationship. Good friends stand closer than two people whose relationship is strictly business. A romantically involved couple stands closer yet. Many Latin American and African cultures place heavy emphasis on personal relationships in their business dealings, which will shrink the personal space bubble down from business size to personal size. Personal space is influenced by the space available. Colleagues may be comfortable standing right next to each other in a crowded elevator, but not in an empty room. Most people will cope with this collapsing of personal space by facing outward, rather than toward the other person, and avoiding eye contact. The standard personal space of a culture is also strongly influenced by available space. People from crowded places, such as India or New York City, will be accustomed to a smaller circle of personal space. People from empty places such as Mongolia or Montana will generally have a much larger personal space bubble.

Eye Contact:

The duration and frequency of eye contact communicates a great dealhonesty, respect, shame, interestbut the rules governing eye contact and what it means differ widely among cultures. Among Latinos, it is respectful to avoid direct eye contact with authority figures. For Muslims, direct eye contact between members of the opposite sex is considered bold and flirtatious. Arabs have greater eye contact than Americans among members of the same gender. Eye Contact Among Asians, direct eye contact is very brief, with the gaze then sliding away to the side, especially with superiors or members of the opposite sex. Southern Europeans generally engage in more eye contact than Americans. Britons generally engage in less eye contact than Americans.The volume at which we speak says nearly as much as the words themselves, communicating shyness, uncertainty, anger, enthusiasm, and more by the degree to which it varies from a baseline. But normal baseline volumes also vary among cultures and among individuals. White Americans typically interpret raised voices as a sign of anger or hostility. Among non-white Americans and other ethnic groups such as Latin Americans or Africans, raised voices may simply signify an exciting conversation. Baseline speaking volume is generally lower among Asians and Western Europeans. American tourists in these parts of the world are often seen as rude and thoughtless. In some African cultures, whispering is a signal of witchcraft, plotting, or malicious gossip. Good manners dictate speaking loudly enough for everyone present to hear what you are saying

Hand Gesture Meaning.Hand gestures form the mainstay of this communication, with gesture meaning being studied and researched by universities across the world. Researchers have pinpointed the brain structures likely involved in the formation and development of these hand gestures, areas such as Brocas Area and Wernickes area.

Chironomia is the name given to the effective use of hand gestures in debate as body language conveys additional meaning to the spoken word.

In fact, the use of hand gestures is thought by some researchers to be the precursor to modern language. This theory, known as gestural theory, postulates that communication of hand gestures in our primitive ancestors eventually led to communication through the medium of speech. The evidence for this theory comes from three main sources: The areas of our brain for hand communication and oral communication are approximately in the same region. Our closest relatives, the Apes, use hand gestures that bear some resemblance to the gestures used by humans today. The shift to vocalization took place because hand gestures require individuals to see each other and, therefore, vocalization would allow the expression of ideas when the individuals are out of view of each other.Some of the most popular hand gestures, taking a look at how such simply symbols can have markedly different meanings depending upon which culture you happen to be in.

Ok Sign

The Ok sign is a hand gesture formed by attaching the thumb and the index finger in a defined circular shape. Usually, the remaining fingers are relaxed or pointing upward, depending on the context. The gesture meaning for this ubiquitous symbol is as varied as it is widespread, ranging from expressions of indifference to ones of anger. The symbol is also called by the name of A-Ok, a phrase attributable to NASA officer John A.In terms of gesture meaning, the Ok sign has an incredible number of different meanings. In ordinary Western context, it can refer to safe underwater activity as theres no other way to communicate this message while submerged. The same is true for its everyday use in many English-speaking Western countries to signify that everything is alright, particularly when two people are distanced or have interfering noise hindering their communication. In China, the symbol is used to refer to the number three, as three fingers tend to hang from the hand, while in Japan, it refers to money, particularly when the hand is faced upside-down. In France and Australia, the symbol can also refer to the number zero.Paranormal occultists consider the Ok sign a symbol of Satan as the symbol appears to represent 666 with the Sticking with this notion of zero, the Finnish people have a unique way of representing this symbol in a wholly positive light. In Finland, one may need to spend time in the Finnish Defense Forces, with conscripts counting down the days theyve got left to complete. As they approach zero, the conscripts will notate this fact by signifying the Ok sign, a symbol often used to taunt other enlisted members who havent yet completed their conscripted term! In this respect, the Finnish people use the Ok sign in a celebratory way, a way that no other country has managed to adopt, further highlighting the highly discrepant way in which hand gestures are used throughout the world.Similarly, many countries take open offense at the very presentation of the Ok sign, particularly in the Arab world. There, this example of sign language is considered borderline threatening, as if to suggest to the other person that youre going to get them back for some ill deed. As you can imagine, this may not go down well with certain individuals, so its best avoided when you visit their heartland. The symbol is also considered an insult in countries such as Turkey and Brazil, where its akin to being called a certain part of your body! Many South American countries employ the Ok sign as an insult to others, particularly in a derogatory way of calling somebody a homosexual.

Thumbs Up

As one of the most famous hand gestures in the world, the thumbs up sign is created by forming a closed fist with the thumb erected above. The common meaning is, of course, to signify approval, or inversed to express disapproving sentiments. This is widespread across the world, from the United States to India. In fact, it was from the United States itself that the gesture meaning gradually permeated into society as pilots during World War II used it in communication with ground crew to signal take-off. It has since remained popular and considered positive in many different and varying societies, but with some notable exceptions: In Iran, the thumbs up signal can refer to a male sex individual. In Sardinia, this symbol is considered highly offensive and therefore should be avoided if one wished to hitchhike. Prior to World War II, the thumbs up signal meant the same as Up Yours!; a negative connotation that has since fallen out of use.In other Western European cultures, such as Germany, France, and Hungary, the thumbs up symbol has come to represent the number one as opposed to the traditional meaning seen in other Western countries. The symbol is more likely to receive a neutral or negative response, even though its use is commonplace across such media sources. Its best to avoid communicating the thumbs up symbol in Iran and West Africa, as its generally considered an obscene and offensive gesture.

Sign of the Horns

This symbol has been used for hundreds of years in a wide variety of different cultures and countries with meanings ranging from the superstitious right through to offensiveness. The story, though, begins with the Buddha as it was he who first popularized the symbol as a mechanism to ward of demons and other supernatural bodies. This same protection effect is seen in many Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, where the symbol is the equivalent of touching wood to bring forth good luck. In fact, many Italian politicians, such as Silvio Berlusconi, have even used this symbol in public when visiting people or areas of distress.This Italian connection also reflects the modern day use of the sign of the horns, with heavy metal performers such as Ronnie James Dio of Black Sabbath. Dio claimed to employ the symbol given his grandmother used it to ward off the evil eye (malocchio); and the symbol came into popular use thereon. In many countries, though, its considered highly offensive, such as in many South American countries. Here, it represents infidelity and, so, waving the sign of the horns in an individuals face is more-or-less waving infidelity in their face hardly something someone would consider a compliment!

Fig Sign

The somewhat popular fig sign is formed by placing the thumb in between the two adjacent fingers. The symbol goes all the way back to Ancient Rome where it signified an apotropaic way of warding off evil, similar to the way the sign of the horns is used in Italy today. In fact, the fig sign was once popular in Italy for precisely the opposite reason, as it was considered obscene and offensive, akin to representing female genitalia in public. The Italian poet of the middle ages, Dante Alighieri, famously made reference to the symbol in his magnum opus, the Divine Comedy.However, even though the fig sign continues to possess this offensive nature in many countries ranging from Slavic nations to Turkey there are some countries where it adopts a more neutral meaning. Take Kenya, for example, where the symbol is used to represent the number five (by a particular group called the Massai tribe!). This is no less true of the situation in Greece. Here, the fig sign carries the same weight of insult as the mountza symbol the traditional symbol of insult in modern Greece. The mountza involves extending the fingers and palm of the hand in someones face, the nearer you are, the more offensive it is! Depending on where you are in Greece, either the fig sign or the mountza symbol is considered the most popular way to offend. In the Ionian Islands, for example, the fig sign is widely used, whereas this sign is not appreciably practiced on mainland Greece, where the mountza remains the main symbol of insult. The mountza has to be one of the most unusual examples of hand gestures but, then again, many other hand gestures would appear weird to the Greeks too!

Shaka Sign

The shaka sign represents the number six in China In American sign language, the symbol refers to surfing.In many Caribbean islands, the shaka sign suggests a potential sexual exchange!In Australia and New Zealand, the symbol acts to depict an invitation to smoke weed.In Hawaii, it refers to friendship and solidarity