Observing Body Language

Subgroup Size

Entire group

Duration

1 hour

External Cost

No

Source

CultureWise (n.d.). Observing body language. In Intercultural Training Exercise Pack (pp. 33-34). https://www.culturewise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Cultural-awareness-training-exercise-pack.pdf

Facilitators will need to address the aspects of the handout that are biased toward western European and American views of non-verbal communication. Qualifiers such as "good," "neutral," "formal," "informal," etc have culturally specific meanings. This needs to be a part of the discussion to help learners recognize that their interpretation of non-verbals is a biased one that may result in misinterpretation and miscommunication.