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5 Communication

Beyond Words

Warm Up

● When you speak to someone how do you express your emotions?
Do you express through words or facial expressions?

Reading skills

Most of us relate communication to use of words. It seems to us

the most natural way to communicate with someone.
But would you believe that it is possible for you to communicate

without uttering a single word? It may sound strange but you
can actually convey messages with signals from your body. This
is called ‘body language’.

While using words to communicate is referred to as ‘verbal

communication’, using your body language to communicate is referred to as ‘non-verbal
communication’.

Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in conversations as it complements the verbal
message. It adds depth, emotion and context to the spoken words.

Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions, space, touch, posture, gestures,
movements of the body, tone of voice and eye contact. It enhances understanding beyond

the words spoken. It creates a deeper connection with the listeners. It contributes to building
trust and rapport with others. Further it demonstrates attentiveness, honesty and sincerity
thereby adding credibility to what the speaker says. Above all, non-verbal communication

adds visual interest and variety to a conversation. It can captivate the listener’s attention,
making the message more engaging and memorable.

So, how does non-verbal communication happen? It can happen through facial expressions,
which allows an individual to convey a message through the use of his or her eyebrows, eyes,
mouth and facial muscles, gestures and body postures.

Smiling, scowling, eye rolling and frowning are examples of facial expressions. All these can
reveal your mind or your true feelings.

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