Verbal Communication · 2015. 11. 12. · Chapter 1 Verbal Communication 27 Verbal Communication in Presentational Speaking Language is a system of communication that enables humans

Verbal Communication 1Chapter

The words you choose to say something are just as important as the decision to speak.

— Anonymous

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

understand the importance of language in ESL presentational speaking.

know how to choose the right words in giving presentations.

master several types of figures of speech.

know how to use signpost language.

Introduction

Communication in general is a process of sending and receiving messages that

enables humans to share knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although we usually identify

communication with speech, communication is composed of two dimensions —verbal and

nonverbal. In this chapter, we will look at verbal communication in presentations, which

English Presentational Speaking: Skills & Practice英语演示发言技能与技巧实训

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here in this context refers to the English words and language. The word “verbal” means

communicating with words and language (as opposed to images, actions or behaviour).

Verbal communication is restricted to language. In Chapter 2, we will talk about the other

dimension of communication—nonverbal communication.

English is a West Germanic language and the first language for most people in Australia,

Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and

the United States of America. It is widely used as a second language and as an official

language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri

Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, Singapore, and in many international organizations.

With its popularity and wide spread of use, modern English is sometimes described as

the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international language in communication,

science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. English is also specifically

used for giving presentations.

English language is essential in presentation giving if you are non-native presenters of

English. But it can be one of the biggest barrier to communication in English presentations

for non-native speakers. In order to deliver your message to your audience, you must make

your language work for you. If you know how to make language work for you, you must

know how to use it effectively.

Language is powerful if you know how to use it effectively. When you are giving an

English presentation, there are certain structures you can follow and certain key words and

phrases you can use. This chapter will introduce to you specifically the “hows”, such as how

to make the language work for you, how to introduce yourself, how to state the purpose of

your presentation, how to sequence your ideas, and how to use signpost language, etc.

Warming-Up

1. How do you usually start a presentation?

2. How can you make language work for you in a presentation?

3. What are some of the ways to state your purpose clearly at the beginning of your

presentation? Name a few.

4. List about 6 types of figures of speech.

5. List some key words you can use to “signpost” different stages in your presentation.

Verbal CommunicationChapter 1

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Verbal Communication in Presentational Speaking

Language is a system of communication that enables humans to cooperate. It is an

instrument or a tool for you to use to communicate your ideas and thoughts. Only if you

know how this tool works and how to use this tool well, can you make your audience

understand your message. In a word, language is basically for communication, which

enables humankind to express and bring to reality great ideas. That is to say, to communicate

effectively while presenting, you have to respect the language you use and know how it

works.

Language is powerful if you use it effectively. If you use “power” and “command”

words, you will get your audience’s attention and give them the impression of confidence

and competence. You sound more confident and competent if you use “I am certain you will

agree” instead of “I think you will agree”.

Using non-committal or vague language such as “you should find” or “your sales should

improve” can subconsciously imply to the audience that you don’t have much confidence on

what you can deliver. Using positive, solid language such as “you will sell more in a shorter

space of time”helps to instill confidence in your audience and they will find themselves

really imagining what your offering could do for them.

In the word of Lucas (2010) “Words are vital to thinking itself ”, which means that

thought and language are closely linked. You don’t get an idea first and then figure out some

words to convey it. You think with words. Language structures your thoughts. When you

are looking for the “right word”, what you are really looking for is just the right “idea”. As

a presenter, as long as you get the right idea, you must consider how to express it to your

audience best. Thus, you need to know how language works and what language can do.

While delivering a presentation, unless you use simple and clear language, you will not be

understood by your audience. To remove the language barrier and make it work for you in

presentations, you have to show enough respect to it and know well how to use it effectively.

Choice of the Right Word

Words are the component structures of language; they are combined to form sentences.

As ESL presentational speakers, your focus on your language for the words you choose to

use can have a big impact on your audience—far more than the way you hold one’s hands.

In order to make the language work for you, you should consider the following points about

words you choose to use in drafting your presentation.


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Power of Words

Words to a presenter are like tools to any profession. Watch a carpenter hitting a nail

into a piece of wood. It only takes him a few seconds, but you or I would spend several

minutes or even an hour to have the job done. You cannot turn a screw with a hammer or

drive a nail with a screwdriver. It is the same with oral presentations. You must choose the

right words for the job you want to do. Words are powerful. They can either help or hurt

your presentation and your audience. The words you select will dramatically influence and

impact your audience’s reaction to both your ideas and your image as an effective presenter.

Denotation and Connotation of Words

Words have both denotative meanings and connotative meanings. Good presenters

should be conscious of the meanings of words. They should also know how to use them

clearly, vividly and properly. Then what is denotation? Denotation refers to the literal

meaning of a word, the “dictionary definition”. For example, if you look up the word snake

in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its denotative meanings is “any of numerous

scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and

found in most tropical and temperate regions”.

Connotation refers to the associations that are connected to a certain word or the

emotional suggestions related to that word. The connotative meanings of a word exist

together with the denotative meanings. The connotations for the word snake could include

evil or danger. The denotation of the word “politician” is “someone who holds a political

office”; while its connotation is “opportunist or wheeler-dealer”.

It is important for you as a presenter to know the difference between the denotation and

the connotation of words you choose to use. Denotative meaning is obvious, literal, and

objective; while connotative meaning is subtle, implied, figurative, and subjective. Almost

everyone who speaks the language agrees on the denotative definition of a word because it is

the most precise meaning available.

The connotative and denotative meanings of words are both correct, but a word’s

connotation determines when it is used. By definition, synonyms have the same denotation

or literal meaning, but usually have different connotations, or shades of meaning. For

example, the synonyms of “boat” include ship, yacht, dinghy, and ferry. All these words refer

to the same thing, but each elicits a different association in the audience’s mind.

Audience-centered Words

The words you use should be audience-centered. It’s easy to accidentally focus a

presentation on the presenter, rather than the audience. Even if you’ve cut the company

description and focused on how you can deliver benefits to your audience—which is by no

means the standard—many presenters unknowingly turn the presentation back to themselves,


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simply by the language they use. Phrases such as “we deliver” and “we can provide” sound

like the obvious choices in a sales presentation, but it actually focuses on the presenter.

Using audience-centered language such as “you need”and “you will experience” draws

the audience in, and presenters will automatically find themselves expressing benefits, as

they focus on what everything means to the audience. If you are a salesperson, you are not

teaching the audience about your company while presenting; you are demonstrating how

they would benefit from working with you. “You” is a very powerful word; generally, the

audience react much better to being addressed as “you” than in the third person as “they”.

“As a participant, you will benefit” sounds more powerful than “participants will benefit”.

Therefore, while giving a presentation, you’d better address your audience in the second

person—“you”.

Simplicity and Clarity of Language

Vast amounts of skills, expertise and knowledge remain hidden while you are

giving presentations because of the language barrier. Language is the biggest barrier to

communication in English presentations for non-native presentational speakers. By language

barrier we do not mean foreign languages or accents: we mean technical language or jargon.

Presenters often assume that their audience have a similar level of knowledge and familiarity

with the subject matter to themselves, thus making the fatal error of using terminology that

the audience do not understand. This leads to incomprehension and confusion, which can

have the added effect of making the audience lose interest.

Therefore, if you want your audience to understand your message, your language must

be simple and clear. Use short words and short sentences. Do not use jargon, unless you are

certain that your audience understand it. In general, you should talk about concrete facts

rather than abstract ideas. Use active verbs instead of passive ones. Active verbs are much

easier to understand, and they are much more powerful.

Using Figurative Language

One meaning of “figure” is “drawing”, “image”, or “picture”. Figurative language

creates figures in the mind of the listeners. These pictures help convey the meaning faster

and more vividly than words alone, add color and interest to the subject and awaken the

imagination. A figure is worth a thousand words.

Figurative language is everywhere, from classical works like Shakespeare or the Bible, to

everyday speech, pop music and television commercials. It inspires the listeners to use their

imagination and understand much more than the plain words do.

Figurative language is the opposite of literal language. Literal language means exactly


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what it says. Figurative language means something different from (and usually more than)

what it says on the surface: It is important to recognize the difference between literal and

figurative language. We use figure of speech in figurative language.

He ran fast. (Literal)

He ran like the wind. (Figurative)

In the above example “like the wind” is a figure of speech (in this case, a simile). There

are many different kinds of figures of speech, such as metaphor, simile, personification,

hyperbole, understatement, paradox, and pun. It’s important that you understand several

kinds of figures of speech.

Simile

Simile is a figure of speech comparing two different things by using like or as. For

example, if you say, “My boyfriend is like a watermelon in the summer,” you are creating a simile

that compares your boyfriend with a watermelon. If on the other hand you are mad at your

boyfriend and say, “He’s like a typhoon in the house,” you’re comparing your boyfriend with a

typhoon.

The word “simile” reminds one of “similar”, and it is the neuter of the Greek word

“similis” meaning “like”. It is a specific comparison between two essentially unlike things. It

is aimed at illustrating, enhancing the meaning of one thing by means of another. A simile is

often marked by words “like” or “as”. If used ingeniously, it is capable of expressing surprise

and poignancy. We can use similes to make a speech more emphatic or vivid. Given below

are a few simile examples to help you understand it better.

It’s been a hard day’s night, and I’ve been working like a dog. (have a hard time) — The Beatles

Life is like a box of chocolates, and you never know what you’re going to get. (Life is a

mystery) — Forrest Gump

His explanation was as clear as mud. (not clear at all since mud is opaque)

The film was about as interesting as watching a copy of Windows download. (long and

boring)

Watching the show was like watching paint dry. (very boring)

Metaphor

A metaphor compares two dissimilar objects without using a word like as or like. “All

the world’s a stage, all the men and women merely players, they have their exits and their

entrances.”In just these few words, Shakespeare managed to capture the entire play of life

and death by comparing the world to a stage. Rich in vivid imagery, no wonder, it is one of

the finest examples of a metaphor. Metaphors are linguistic symbols that convey a particular


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image. It is a figure of speech wherein an idea is given to provide clarity by comparing or

associating it to another totally different idea. And it won’t be fair to think of it the same as

analogy or simile.

Metaphors differ from analogy in the sense that no specific interpretations are provided

for the former. And unlike similes, there are no direct comparisons. In metaphors, the

concept is presented as something else, which in fact is not. This association between two

different concepts, which are similar in some respects, presents a very strong image. So, when

you say that “He is an elephant”, then the image that it creates is that the person is huge as

well as strong. Given below are a few metaphor examples to help you understand it better.

“The rain came down in long knitting needles.” — (Enid Bagnold, National Velvet)

“Language is a road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where

they are going.” — (Rita Mae Brown)

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new

nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created

equal.”— (Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1863)

You can see from the examples given above, metaphors can make a simple sentence

interesting by conveying strong imagery. Poets have used metaphors with great effects as they

enabled them to say profound things without being verbose. Using metaphors can make any

speech or writing stylish. Cultivate the habit of using metaphors and you will find that you

can speak and write beautifully.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement to

create a strong emotional response. As a figure of speech it is not intended to be taken

literally. Hyperbole is frequently used for humor. Examples of hyperbole are:

I will die if she asks me to sing in front of everyone.

My dog is so ugly; he only has cat friends!

The town I grew up in is so isolated; rock, paper, scissors is considered a high tech game.

My aunt is so fat that when she walks by the TV, I miss three shows.

These are some of the best (hyperbolically speaking!) examples of hyperboles. Try

imbibing them into your language to have an impact — the very dramatic way!

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that deliberately uses two contradictory ideas. This

contradiction creates a paradoxical image in the listeners’ mind that generates a new concept

or meaning for the whole. “An oxymoron is formed when two words that don’t normally go


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together are conjoined, creating a compressed paradox. A paradox is interesting because it is

false and true at the same time. Paradoxical observations are often extraordinarily thought

provoking, helping us see old realities in new ways. Somebody once said—quite wisely—that

a paradox is a truth standing on its head to get our attention.” The following sentences are

some typical Oxymora:

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

The Sounds of Silence (song title)

We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart, we take separate vacations. We’re

doing everything we can to keep our marriage together.

“We picked a bad year to have a good year.”

Oxymora can make the following effects:

1. Humor. As you can see from these examples, oxymoronic humor is a sophisticated

humor. It’s directed at the most important organ in the human body—the brain. As Grothe

puts it that the self-contradictory aspects of oxymoronic humor appeal to a special part

of our mental apparatus, a part that enjoys thinking about some of life’s most intriguing

contradictions and paradoxes.

2. Ironic Contrast. Oxymoron can be useful when things have been contrary to

expectation, belief, desire, or assertion, or when your position is opposite to the one which

you are discussing. The figure then produces an ironic contrast which shows, in your view,

how something has been misunderstood or mislabeled:

The cost-saving program became an expensive economy.

3. Paradoxes. Oxymora, as more or less true paradoxes, show the complexity of a

situation where two apparently opposite things are true simultaneously, either literally

(“desirable calamity”) or imaginatively (“love precipitates delay”). Examples some people

have used are these: scandalously nice, sublimely bad, darkness visible, cheerful pessimist, sad

joy, wise fool, tender cruelty, despairing hope, and freezing fire. An oxymoron should preferably

be yours uniquely; do not use another’s, unless it is a relatively obvious formulation (like

“expensive economy”) which anyone might think of.

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is

endowed with human qualities or abilities.

When used in the right way, a personification can make your style of conversing

extremely artistic and intriguing. When you use personifications, you endow inanimate

objects or abstractions with qualities, characters and abilities that are generally associated

with humans. Assume that you want to describe wind. With personifications, you can

juxtapose the wind to an angry young magician. This is something that you can do if you


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are going to talk about a very strong wind. For example, “O Wild West Wind, thou breath

of autumn’s being/ Thou from whose unseen presence the leaves dead/ Are driven like

ghosts from an enchanter fleeing.”(Shelley, P. B. 1792-1822) It might seem like an alien

concept in the very beginning, but as you familiarize yourself with more and more examples,

you might just become an expert in personifying objects and abstractions. Go ahead and

discover for yourself a cluster of personification examples. Going through the examples on

personification will help you exploit this figure of speech to the hilt too.

Every morning my alarm clock springs to life; I hate it when that happens.

When I woke up this morning and looked out of the window, it was the sun who was so

willing to greet me.

From the roof of my house, I observed that snow had wrapped a white blanket over my

city.

Careful when you talk; around here, even the walls have ears.

Wisdom cries aloud in the streets; in the markets she raises her voice ...

Going through the examples should familiarize you to this important figure of speech

and how it can be used when talking to a group of friends, delivering a presentation or even

writing. If you have always wanted to use personifications when looking to express your

thoughts, you now know how to go about it. It is really not as difficult as you may think.

Remember, it is all about giving a human personality to your subject or theme.

Signpost Language

When you drive on the roads, you know where you are on those roads. Each road has

a name or number. Each town has a name. Moreover, each house has a number. If you are

at house #120, you can go back to #60 or forward to #160. You can look at the signposts

for directions. In addition, you can look at your atlas for the structure of the roads in detail.

In other words, it is easy to navigate the roads. You cannot get lost. However, when you

give a presentation, how can your audience know where they are? How can they know the

structure of your presentation? How can they know what is coming next?

Signpost language is the words and phrases that people use to tell the listeners what has

just happened, and what is going to happen next. A good way to make your presentations

effective, interesting and easy to follow is to use signpost language.

Different Signpost Language

Signpost language guides the listeners through the presentation. A good presenter will

usually use a lot of signpost languages, so it is a good idea to learn a few of the common

signpost phrases, even if you spend more time listening to presentations than giving them.


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Signpost language is usually informal, so it is relatively easy to understand. Signposts make

it easier for the audience to follow the structure of the presentation, understand the speaker

more easily, and get an idea of the length and content of the presentation. The following is a

list of phrases to help you make a professional presentation:

1. Welcoming. You may use the following structures to welcome your audience:

Good morning and welcome to [name of company, name of conference hall, hotel,

etc.].

Thank you all very much for coming today.

I hope you all had a pleasant journey here today.

2. Introducing yourself and your presentation. These are ways to introduce yourself and

your presentation:

My name is Mark Watson and I am responsible for …

My name is Mark Watson from [name of company], where I am responsible for …

Let me introduce myself; my name is Mark Watson and I am responsible for …

The purpose of today’s presentation is to …

The purpose of my presentation today is to …

In today’s presentation I’d like to … show you … / explain to you how …

In today’s presentation I’m hoping to … give you an update on… / give you an overview

of …

In today’s presentation I’m planning to … look at …. / explain …

3. Outlining your presentation. You can also outline your presentation to give the

audience a clear overview of what they can expect:

In today’s presentation I’m hoping to cover three points:

Firstly, …, after that we will look at … , and finally I’ll ….

In today’s presentation I’d like to cover three points:

Firstly, … , secondly … , and finally …

4. Starting the presentation. These are ways how you start a presentation:

To begin with ….

To start with ….

Let’s start by looking at …

I’d like to start by looking at …

Let’s start with / start by looking at …


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5. Beginning a new section of the presentation. The expressions include:

Now, let’s move on to …

Now, let’s take a look at …

Now I’d like to move on to …

Next I’d like to take a look at …

Moving on to the next part, I’d like to …

Moving on to the next section, let’s take a look at …

6. Concluding and summarizing the presentation:

Well, that brings us to the end of the final section. Now, I’d like to summarize by …

That brings us to the end of the final section. Now, if I can just summarize the main

points again.

That concludes my presentation. Now, if I can just summarize the main points.

That’s an overview of … Now, just to summarize, let’s quickly look at the main points

again.

7. Finishing and thanking:

Thank you for your attention.

That brings the presentation to an end.

That brings us to the end of my presentation.

Finally, I’d like to finish by thanking you (all) for your attention.

Finally, I’d like to end by thanking you (all) for coming today.

I’d like to thank you (all) for your attention and interest.

8. Inviting questions:

If anyone has any questions, I’ll be pleased to answer them.

If anyone has any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask them now.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask them and I’ll do my best to answer.

9. Dealing with (difficult) questions:

I’ll come back to that question later if I may.

I’ll / We’ll come back to that question later in my presentation.

I’ll / We’ll look at that point in more detail later on.

Perhaps we can look at that point at the end / a little later.


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Conclusion

One important factor of presentational apprehension is that for many people English is

not their mother tongue. As what Chesebro and McCrosky (1992) stated, people experience

a high degree of communication apprehension with limited English proficiency because

English is not their mother tongue. To break the language barrier, you have to know how

language works and how to use it effectively. In other words, you should understand the

power of language and try to use figurative language to make your message more vivid and

understandable to your audience.

Unlike writing, a presentation has no paragraphing to help an audience know when the

presenter is changing subject or concluding his remarks. So the signpost language is crucial

in the main part of the presentation and will help the audience understand and appreciate

your presentation.

While giving a presentation in your job interview, business career, no matter whether

it is a formal presentation at a conference or a more informal talk to staff or a short

presentation as part of a meeting, you can either make it a chance to improve your career

prospects, or conversely to damage your possibilities of future promotion. It is vital to know

the key language of presentations. Presentations have a fairly set structure and it helps to

learn how to use a language effectively.

Related Words and Expressions

clarity [XklBrRtH] n. 清晰；明晰

connotation [k�nRGXteHSRn] n. 含蓄；内涵意义，隐含意义

denotation [Zdi#nRGXteHSRn] n. 表示；（词等的）指示意义

exaggerate [HgXzBdJRreHt] vt. 夸张；夸大；言过其实 vi. 夸大其词

extravagant [HkXstrBvRgRnt] adj. 过度的；过分的；（言行等）放肆的；越

轨的

figurative [XfHgjurRtHv] adj. 比喻的；借喻的；象征的；用修辞手段的，

有文采的

hyperbole [haHXp!#bRlH] n. （修辞学中的）夸张法；夸张法的运用

jargon [XdJA#gRn] n. 行话，行业话；黑话

literal [XlHtRrRl] adj. 逐字的；照字面的；原义的；如实的；不


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夸张的

metaphor [XmetRfR] n. 隐喻；比喻说法

personification [pRZs�nHfHXkeHSRn] n. 化身；象征；人格化；拟人化；（修辞的）

拟人法

simile [XsHmHlH] n. 明喻；明喻说法

terminology [t!#mHXn�lRdJH] n. （某学科的）术语；有特别含义的用语；

专业用语

verbose [v!#XbRGs] adj. 冗长的；唆的；唠叨的

figurative language 修辞语言

figure of speech 修辞格；修辞手法

language barrier 语言障碍

lingua franca （不同民族之间交际用的）混合语，交际语，

通用语

signpost language 标示语

Further Questions/Discussion

1. Why are words powerful in presentations?

2. What are the two kinds of word meaning and what are the differences between them?

3. What are the differences between simile and metaphor?

4. What is personification? Please use examples to explain it.

5. What other figures of speech do you know? Please use examples to explain them

respectively.

6. Do you agree that “A figure is worth a thousand words?” Why or why not?

Speaking Activities

1. Without feeling that you’re in competition with Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson, try

your hand at creating a fresh example of personification. Simply take any inanimate object

or abstraction and help us see or understand it in a new way by giving it human qualities or

abilities.

2. Each of you can look at magazine pictures, and then prepare for five minutes to speak

about the pictures in a presentation. Pay attention to your use of language.


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3. You can look up information about a given topic. For example, a famous person, a

strange animal, man-made wonders of the world. Practice speaking formally within a group

about your topic.

Nonverbal Communication 2Chapter

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

better understand the importance of body language in presentational speaking.

learn the importance of knowing how people communicate.

master the strategies of nonverbal communication in preparing and conducting

presentations.

learn the different types of nonverbal communication.

Introduction

In the introduction part of Chapter 1, we mentioned the two dimensions of

communication: verbal and nonverbal. We have known that verbal communication is

restricted to language. Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication

without words. It includes apparent behaviors such as facial expressions, eye contact, touch,

What you do speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you say.—Ralph Waldo Emerson


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and tones of voice, as well as less obvious messages such as dress, posture and spatial

distance between two or more people. Everything communicates including material objects,

physical space, and time systems. Although verbal output can be turned off, nonverbal

cannot. Even silence speaks.

We use nonverbal communication for a number of reasons, including:

1. Words have limitations: There are numerous areas where nonverbal communication

is more effective than verbal (describing the shape of something, or providing quick

directions, for instance).

2. Nonverbal messages are likely to be more genuine: Because nonverbal behaviors

cannot be controlled as easily as spoken words.

3. Nonverbal signals can express feelings inappropriate to state: Social etiquette limits

what can be said, but nonverbal cues can communicate thoughts.

4. A separate communication channel is useful to help send complex messages:

A speaker can add enormously to the complexity of the verbal message through simple

nonverbal signals.

Nonverbal communication serves many purposes in the presentation process and there

are many channels for nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is usually used

to support, reinforce, and even replace verbal communication, though it can also stand alone

and convey messages on its own. As presenters, if you want to communicate effectively with

your audience, you will need to pay attention to your nonverbal communication such as

body language, eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, appearance, voice and pronunciation

of English words. Awareness of the impact of these elements is an important step toward a

successful presenter.

Warming-Up

1. What are the main functions of nonverbal communication?

2. What are the key elements in nonverbal communication?

3. What is body language? And what does body language include?

4. Do you know how to use your voice effectively while giving presentations?

5. Is it important to pay attention to eye contact, facial expressions and appearance in a

presentation? Why or why not?

Nonverbal CommunicationChapter 2

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Nonverbal Communication

As you have noticed, nonverbal communication can be used to imply things that might

be inappropriate to verbalize or to make explicit. Persons, who are speaking a non-native

second language or sign language, often use universal visuals and nonverbal communication

cues to expand on the limitations of their verbal knowledge to be more clearly understood.

Body language is one of the key elements of nonverbal communication. Usually,

body language occurs unconsciously. It is also interlinked with spoken language and the

whole pattern of behavior from a person. In addition to that, various body language signs

can complement each other to make a particular meaning crystal clear or strengthen the

meaning. Body language is used especially to express feelings. If you are not aware of your

body language, you may give your true feelings away.

Another main aspect is paralanguage, the use of your voice. It can refer to volume (how

soft or loud your voice is), pace/rate (how quickly or slowly we speak), intonation (inflection,

accent), pitch (high or low) and filler of word, “uh-huh”, “shhh”, and “mmm”.

The other key element of nonverbal communication is the proxemics (how we use and

manage space). It refers to the distance between parties while conversing and the choice of

place when entering a room.

Of course, personal appearance also deserves attention. The first impression the

audience have of the presenters is their appearance. If these elements are combined together,

they convey messages that language cannot achieve. Awareness of the impact of these

elements is an important step toward a successful presenter.

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication can fulfill different functions. The universal functions of

nonverbal communication include identification, relationship, emotion and delivery.

The identification function signals group membership, individuality, gender, age,

ethnicity, and personality. It is communicated primarily through physical appearance. The

relationship function signals the two dimensions of relationships: intimacy and control.

It is usually conveyed via gaze, touch and proximity (contact codes). The third function is

emotion function, which signals basic emotional states and expresses social intensions. It is

communicated primarily through facial expressions and also vocal expressions. The last one

is delivery function which conveys verbal messages primarily through voice and gestures.

Nonverbal channels can support, modify and replace spoken message.


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Elements and Purposes of Nonverbal Communication

There is a variety of elements that make up nonverbal communication. These key

aspects can be organized as kinesics (body language), paralanguage (use of voice) and proxemics

(how we use and manage space). When combined, these elements make up the unique

messages sent by the presentational speakers, intentionally or not. Researchers established

four basic purposes that body language serves: emblems, illustrators, affect displays and

adaptors.

Emblems are nonverbal signals that can generally be translated directly into words.

People within a culture of group agree in their meaning. A good example is the “A-OK”

symbol made with the thumb and forefinger. Because these gestures can be directly translated

into words, they are quick to use and unambiguous in meaning. However, you have to be

culturally aware that, outside of your “home” culture, this gesture can have quite a different

interpretation than being OK!

Illustrators are movements that complement verbal communication by describing,

accenting or reinforcing what the speaker is saying. People use illustrators to indicate the size

of an object or to draw a picture in the air or to emphasize a key word by pounding on the

table. Use of illustrators can help indicate interest, efforts to be clear or enthusiasm for the

topic being talked about.

Affect displays are nonverbal displays of the body or face that carry an emotional

meaning or display affective states. Our gait (shuffling, suggesting depression), and our facial

movements (breaking into a big grin, suggesting pleasure) send a message about our feelings.

Affect displays are often spontaneous and thus they may send signals that we would rather

not convey based on social norms or our goals for communication. We will explore facial

expressions more in a later section.

Adaptors are forms of nonverbal communication that often occur at a low level of

personal awareness. They can be thought of behaviors that are done to meet a personal

need as one adapts to the specific communication situation. They include behaviors like

twisting your hair, tapping your pen, scratching, tugging on your ear, holding yourself etc.

Given the low level of awareness of these behaviors by the person doing them, the audience

are sometimes more aware of the behaviors than the presenter is. Adaptors may thus serve

unintentionally as clues to how a presenter is feeling. Adaptors are not intended for use in

communication, but rather may represent behaviors learned early in life that are somehow

cued by the current situation and may be increased when the level of anxiety goes up in the

situation.

After discussing the basic purposes nonverbal communication serves, let’s move on to

talk about different aspects of nonverbal communication respectively.

Nonverbal CommunicationChapter 2

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Kinesics

Kinesics is a term used by social scientists. It is about how we move, and can be simply

understood as body language. Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial

expressions, eye contact, gestures, and postures—or, more formally, nonverbal behaviors

related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.

The term was first used (in 1952) by Ray Birdwhistell, an anthropologist who wished to

study how people communicate through posture, gesture, stance, and movement, and later

popularized during the late 1960s by members of the counter-culture seeking to de-verbalize

human communication. According to Knapp (1972:94-95), a “kineme” is similar to a

“phoneme” because it consists of a group of movements which are not identical, but which

may be used interchangeably without affecting social meaning. Birdwhistell estimated that

“no more than 30 to 35 percent of the social meaning of a conversation or an interaction is

carried by the words.” (Birdwhistell, 1985:158). Now, let’s look at different types of kinesics.

(en. wikipedia.org/wiki/knesics)

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication that can contribute to the

development of your message. They are a primary means of conveying social information

among humans.

When is the last time you thought about your facial expressions? You probably spend

a lot of time on the big picture and the vital details of your presentations. What story

am I trying to tell? What is my message? What is the best introduction? What is the best

conclusion? Do I have enough slides or do I have too many? You might have spent a lot

of time and energy on these aspects and worked on the tiniest details of your slide design,

staying up all night slaving over every last caption and font. However, facial expressions are

probably finer points that you usually don’t consider when making a presentation.

It’s easy to forget that we have these highly effective expression-machines pasted on the

front of our heads. Most of us aren’t aware of what we are saying with our facial expressions

most of the time. This isn’t a serious problem for us in the real life, but what about when

we are presenting? Most of us avoid making insanely weird faces during our time on stage,

but what if we could make use of our facial expressions more effectively in our quest for

PowerPoint presentation greatness? Here are five facial formulas for maximum expressions

during your next presentation.

1. Smiling eyes. Every person you know has a different smile. In fact we all have more

than one smile. Although smiling is an important expression when we are presenting, trying

to maintain a constant tooth-show will make you look more like a leering sociopath than a

happy, enthusiastic presenter. Practice smiling with your eyes. First grin slightly, and then


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narrow your eyes slightly into a stare. This will allow you to project those good vibes during

your presentation without anyone trying to rip the Prozac out of your pockets.

2. Looking up. Remember, you don’t have the luxury of having a long conversation

with each member of your audience. You can’t share your feelings so you have to project

them. One way to project your thoughtful consideration of your audience’s comments and

questions is to turn your eyes to the skies as you contemplate your answers.

3. Guffawing. Although your presentation is no place to let it all hang out, you need

to be open and allow your feelings to show through. Don’t be afraid to laugh out loud —

especially at yourself. As we all know, “They’ll laugh with you.”

4. Noddirg on. Expressing interest in your audience’s feedback is important. No

one likes a self-centered snob. One way to convey that you are indeed engaged with the

comments and questions they offer is to nod as you listen. Opening your eyes a bit wider will

also help to convey your attentiveness.

5. Looking disgusted. It may seem odd to practice looking disgusted in order to prepare

for a presentation, but it can be a good idea. Looks of anger, disgust, and sadness can be

exaggerated for humorous effect. A face can be a punch line. Just be careful of not making

someone want to punch your face.

Of course, none of this works if you aren’t actually engaged, interested and enthusiastic

about your presentation and your audience. However, all the energy and emotions in the

world won’t do you any good if you can’t express it.

Eye contact

According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, eye contact is “a meeting of

the eyes between two individuals”. For human beings, eye contact is a form of nonverbal

communication and is thought to have a large influence on social behaviors. Many authors

emphasize the importance of eye contact with the audience and while giving presentations,

presenters should vary the person they look at as well (Bergin, F. 1995; Kupsh, J, Graves, P R,

1993; Kushner, M, 1996; Leech, T, 1993; Synder, E, 1990).

Eye contact is the cement that binds together speakers and their audience. When you

speak, your eyes involve your listeners in your presentation. There is no surer way to break a

communication bond between you and the audience than by failing to look at your listeners.

No matter how large your audience may be, each listener wants to feel that you are talking to

him or her.

“The eyes are the mirror of the soul”. This underlines the need for you to convince

people with your eyes, as well as your words. Only by looking at your listeners as individuals

can you convince them that you are sincere and interested in them, and that you care

whether they receive your message. When you speak, your eyes also function as a control

device you can use to assure your listeners’ attentiveness and concentration.

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