Public Relations and Social Marketing

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SOCIAL MARKETING 4(1+3)

Lesson 5 : Body Language in Public Speaking

Gestures

A gesture is a visible bodily action that may express implicit meaning. It refers to the use of fingers, hands, and arms for expression. It is an important dimension of body language. Gestures may reveal the mindset of the communicator and convey thoughts through voluntary or involuntary physical movements. For example, if a person is very upset and nervous, his/her hands may tremble. Although most of the gestures that we make are voluntary, we may sometimes send out negative signals by making some inappropriate involuntary gestures.

Using positive physical gestures require conscious effort and practice but it will definitely be worth it. Positive and appropriate gestures can make us better oral com­municators. The following suggestions may help us this regard:

• Gestures should be natural.
• Avoid using gestures to express negative feelings. Such feeling should be expressed verbally. For example, if we have to say 'no', we should not use fingers or shake our heads to express it. Such negative gestures could be very annoying for some people.
• Avoid confusing gestures or body movements (biting nails or scratching head.
• Use positive gestures.
• Do not reflect nervous mannerisms.
• Do not use fingers too often.
• Use hands and arms very carefully and effectively.
• While using gestures, be sure that they are consistent with the verbal message and there is no contradiction.
• Learn the cultural patterns of physical gestures to avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings.