Title: Understanding Body Language
Organizational Patter: Topical
General Purpose: To Inform
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three uncommon types of body language and how each is affected by culture.
Central Idea: The three kinds of body language that are uncommon are paralanguage, haptics, and communication by artifacts, and they are all affected by culture.
Introduction:
Actions speak louder than words. We’ve all heard it, but do we really know what it means? Well, it basically means that what we do communicates our message more than what we say. Anthropologist and director of the Center of Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Washington, David Givens, says body language is “all communication apart from words. Your facial expressions, gestures, posture- are all nonverbal cues that send messages about how we feel and relate to others.” (Sparling). When I asked the class about body language, 100% said they use it to express themselves, and when I asked what it meant, 52% said it’s in the eyes and facial expressions, 28% said hands, 12% said mouth or voice, and 8% said posture. Most of us believe body language centers around these things, but today I am going to discuss with you some more uncommon ways we use body language through paralanguage, heptics, and communication through artifacts and also how each of these are affected by culture.
Body:
The first type of body language is paralanguage or “your voice without words.” (Learning).
The tone of your voice differs depending on how you are trying to express yourself.
Tone includes pitch, which is the high or low frequency.
Tone includes stress or emphasis placed on particular words.
Tone includes volume or loudness.
Loud tones are used to get attention or make a point, but they may come off as angry or threatening.
Quiet tones make people feel relaxed and calm, but they may come off as a signal of weakness. (Pinet)
The cultural differences in paralanguage make a large impact on...