the use of body language in inaugural addresses made by the us presidents = việc sử dụng ngôn ngữ cơ thể trong các bài phát biểu nhậm chức của các tổng thống mỹ

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ DỊU


THE USE OF BODY LANGUAGE IN INAUGURAL
ADDRESSES MADE BY THE US PRESIDENTS
VIỆC SỬ DỤNG NGÔN NGỮ CƠ THỂ TRONG CÁC BÀI
PHÁT BIỂU NHẬM CHỨC CỦA CÁC TỔNG THỐNG MỸ

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60.220.201



HANOI – 2014
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ DỊU


THE USE OF BODY LANGUAGE IN INAUGURAL
ADDRESSES MADE BY THE US PRESIDENTS
VIỆC SỬ DỤNG NGÔN NGỮ CƠ THỂ TRONG CÁC BÀI
PHÁT BIỂU NHẬM CHỨC CỦA CÁC TỔNG THỐNG MỸ

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60.220.201
Supervisor: Dương Đức Minh, PhD


HANOI – 2014
i

DECLARATION

I, Nguyễn Thị Dịu, declare that the thesis entitled ―The use of body language in inaugural
addresses made by the US presidents‖ reports the result of the study conducted by myself.
The minor thesis is submitted to Department of Post-graduate studies, ULIS, Hanoi for the
Degree of Master of Arts. It has not been published anywhere.

Student’s name

Nguyễn Thị Dịu

In my capacity as supervisor of the candidate‘s thesis, I certify that the above statements
are true to the best of my knowledge.

Supervisor



Duong Duc Minh, PhD

Date: Hanoi, April 22, 2014
ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Duong Duc Minh, PhD for his
patient guidance, and careful correction in my thesis.
I am indebted to my teacher, Nguyen Thi Hang for her useful materials advices.
My special thanks are to my boyfriend, Nguyen Van Tien who have encouraged and
helped me a lot during this study.
Finally, my heart- felt gratitude goes to my family members, especially, my mother for
their assistance and encouragement in my training course.














iii

ABSTRACT
To date, there have been a lot of researches to build the suggestion that nonverbal communication,

especially the body language has the important role in the second language communicative
competence of the communicators. The most common sense is that the body language can convey
equal, or even more meanings in the communication processes. A supposition is that if the
communicators can have the gist of all the body languages used in communicating situations, the
processes of communicating can have the best results. This study has the aim to make
investigations of the body language used by the US Presidents in their inaugural addresses, which
can provide the readers with the clear and specific examples of body languages used in official
situations. The findings of this research can also enlighten the possible applications of body
languages into social communication of English language, especially for education. The further
applications of body languages into communication will also be included in the latter part of this
research. From such expectations of the findings, the author will use the methods of translating the
speeches made in the inaugural addresses of the Presidents Bush and Obama for elaborated
analysis, so that all dimensions of the body languages used by the two presidents will be
enlightened. The main findings of this study include the two significant aspects of body languages
used by the Presidents in their important events: they have more tendencies to use hand gestures
than smiles to build attraction of the audiences, and more importantly, they have the stable uses of
dominant hands in associations with describing the good things with positive valances, and the
non-dominant hands in describing the bad things with negative valances. In the this study, the
author made summary of the main findings of this research, as well as the emphasis of the different
roles of hands and smiles used in communication, the uses of the left and right hand gestures with
positive and negative valences, and the implication of the uses of body languages in cross-cultural
communication for better effectiveness. Finally, the author also made suggestions for the possible
further studies in the same research field of body language in communication.



iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: The Illustrator used in communication 7
Figure 2:Transition signals used in interpersonal communication 7
Figure 3. Emblems used in communication 8
Figure 4: Affect Display of personal emotion 8
Figure 5. Various Facial Expressions of the communicators 11
Figure 6. Four distance zones in interpersonal communication 21
Figure 7. Comparisons of the uses of left and right hands of the two Presidents 27


















v

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1. Spoken clauses used by the two presidents in the analysis 25

Table 2.2. Number of right and left-hand gestures during clauses with positive and
negative emotional valence 28
Table 2.3. Test of understanding level of the respodents 29
Table 2.4. Test of rate of remembering 30
Table 2.5. Test of correlation between the uses of body movements and the understanding
of the audiences 30

















vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
Abstract iii

List of figures iv
List of tables v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
PART A: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale for the Study 1
2. Aims of the Study 3
3. Significance of the Study 3
4. Scope of the Study 4
5. Organization of the Study 4
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
1.1. Introduction to Body Language or Nonverbal Communication 6
1.1.1Definition of body language or nonverbal communication 6
1.1.2. Elements of nonverbal communication 6
1.1.2.1.Gestures 6
1.1.2.2.Facial Expression 8
1.1.2.3. Eye behaviors 11
1.2. Theories, Structures and Significance of Nonverbal Communication 12
1.2.1. Theories of Nonverbal Communication 12
1.2.1.1. Ray Birdwhistell's Theory on Kinesics (1970) 12
1.2.1.2. Edward Hall‘s Theory on Proxemics 12
1.2.1.3. Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen‘s Theory on Kinesics (1969) 13
1.2.2 Functions of Nonverbal Communication 14
1.2.3. Structure and Properties of Nonverbal Communication 15
1.3. Significance, Benefits and Limitations of Nonverbal Communication 17
1.3.1. Relationships between verbal and nonverbal communication 17
1.3.2. Studying fields of nonverbal communication 18
1.3.3. Significance of nonverbal communication in social activities 19
vii

1.3.4. Applications of body gestures in nonverbal communication 19
CHAPTER 2: DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF NONVERBAL
COMMUNICAION OF THE US PRESIDENTS 21
2.1. The uses of Hands and Smiles of the Presidents in Inaugural Addresses 21
2.2. The Uses of Left and Right Hands of the Presidents for Positive and Negative Valences 23
2.2.1. Data collection 24
2.2.2. Procedure 24
2.2.3. Results 26
2.2.4. Discussions 27
PART C: CONCLUSION 32
1. Conclusion Remarks 32
2. Implications for The Use of Nonverbal Behavior in Cross-cultural Communication 33
3. Suggestions for Further Studies 34
REFERENCES 35
APPENDIXES I
Appendix 1: President Bush‘s 2001 Inaugural Address Transcript I
Appendix 2: President Obama‘s 2009 Inaugural Address Transcript V
1

PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the Study
Throughout the history of the world, languages used to be the main tools for the
communities to cooperate, survive and develop. Such tools may vary from this type of
creature to the others. For instance, the oceanic creatures such as the dolphins and seals
have their sounds to make lingual connections with the others in their communities; for
mammal animals such as the lions and the dogs, they may bark or grind as the signals of
communicating. In another example of the birds, they may sing to call for help or dating of
their kind. Each type of create has its own specific type of language, and the world may
have thousands of languages to be recognized.
However, the most significant and supreme one is the language systems of the

humans. Since ancient times, the language systems of humans have associated with a
number of crucial elements, such as the movements, gestures, sounds or symbolic items.
To date, there have been a lot of hypotheses of the origin, the spot of time, the methods and
conditions of the appearances of languages in the world, and the first one to be used in the
world is still a great topic for debates.
The origins of languages have been in efforts of scientists to figure out the first
appearing one, and the progress is still very long for the world to continue. There have
been a number of approaches that scientists have used as tools to find out the true. The first
approach is the ―Continuity theories‖. The assumption of this type of theories is that the
languages cannot be the single form as the starting point to the ending ones used in today‘s
context. Our primate ancestors should have generated a lot of pre-linguistic systems as the
foundation for the later developments of lines of languages. Based on the demographic,
ethnic, living and communicating conditions, each language can have their separate
developments from those systems in their evolutions.
In another type of theories, the "Discontinuity theories", which have the
assumption that languages integrated unique characteristics, and that they should have had
their appearances in the long progress of human evolution.
Another important approach is that the languages can be formed in the
combinations of the genetic codes and the social interactions, through appearances,
experiences and modifications (U1bek, 1998). However, the common important agreement
2

of those theories is that language is the multifunctional tool, which can critically help the
developments of human communications. It can serve humans with countless cultural,
communal, and societal functions.
Firstly, with the cultural functions of languages, it can help the particular society to
preserve and transfer the cultural elements from this generation to the others. For instance,
the Vietnamese people have the customs to teach the children the traditional values such as
patriotism, respect, and worshipping the ancestors; the American kids can learn the
traditional values by themselves to individualism and freedom in social activities.

Secondly, by the main tools o shared identities, languages can help individuals in the
society to build linkages to the others. Each individual should have their own perception of
the significance of contribution and donation to the values of the communities. Last but not
least, as for the social functions of languages, it has been recognized as the primary tools
for human interactions at all times.
In any language, conversation should be recognized as the most important tool for
mankind to exchange information. This element has the role as the fundamental form of
communications in social interactions. For each ethnic group, the traits and methods of
interactions may vary. As an example, the body, signal and behavioral languages of the
Western people may have specific differences from the ones of the Vietnamese people.
A comprehensive, effective and applicable investigation of all aspects of languages
uses and traits may have great contributions to the understanding of the learners of specific
language, such as English. More particularly, the implications and findings of this study
have been expected to help the English learners to identify and get rid of the potential
cultural shock and failures in social communications.
Nonverbal communication, another main tool in making interactions of human
social courses, has the important role in the second language communicative competence.
However, there has been little attention made as efforts to identify and apply the possible
techniques for the English teachers and learners to this essential element in language uses
(Gregersen, 2007). Such indispensable role of the nonverbal communication in the human
communicative process will be identified and exampled in this study.
The findings of this study will aim at all elements of nonverbal communication
process, such as the gestures, facial expressions, and gaze behaviors used officially used by
the US Presidents in their inaugural addresses. They will have the common outcome of
3

constitute the interplay of body language, so that the English learners can avoid the
possible obstacles and deploy the potential conditions to facilitate their long progress to
approach the world wide uses of English language.
2. Aims of the Study

The main aims of this study will be elaborated as to:
- The different roles of hand gestures and facial expressions in their uses in official
events of the US Presidents.
- The differences in the uses of dominant and non-dominant hands of the US
presidents in relation with their valances to the good or bad things.
The findings in this study will be exploited to test the validity of the hypotheses:
- The Presidents have the tendency to use more body movements as elements of
body languages than facial expressions.
- Different uses of dominant and non-dominant hands of the presidents, according to
the nature of the object in the speeches and the valences.
3. Significance of the Study
In our time of globalization of the business and social environment, cross-cultural
interactions have been the important elements to be identified and deployed. Culture has
been recognized to be very important in the international context of interactions (Hofstede,
2001). However, there have been little reaches into the roles of nonverbal interactions in
the course of cross-cultural communications. Culture matters, as well as the methods and
time of their effects, should be identified and discussed due to their increasingly important
role in international communications (Leung, Bhagat, Buchan, Erez, and Gibson, 2005;
Kirkman, Lowe, and Gibson, 2006).
Derived from such situations, nonverbal interaction should be placed into the
higher level of significances. The findings in this study will be expected to identify and
discuss the relationships between the differences in cultural applications of the nonverbal
interactions in social affairs, as well as the effects they may provide the communicators in
different contexts. With the official Western uses of nonverbal communicating elements
identified and analyzed in this study, the roles, applications and effectiveness of those
4

elements can have significant enhancements for the learners and communicators of English
in international contexts.
4. Scope of the Study

- This study will mainly focus on the nonverbal elements used by the U.S. Presidents
in the official events in the history, so that they can constitute the possible
applications of nonverbal interactions.
- Besides, the degrees of possible differences between the applications of nonverbal
interactions into social affairs in Western.
- Another important expected field of the findings in this study is the portion of
content of the interactions to be conveyed by the uses of nonverbal elements in
Western.
5. Organization of the Study
Part A – Introduction will give us the background and rationale of the study, the
scope, aims, significance and design of the study.
Part B – Development will make various insights into the theoretical background and
data analysis process, with a number of subsequent chapters as below:
 Chapter 1 will make initiative presentation of the uses and effectiveness of
nonverbal interactions in social affairs, the theories and traits of the nonverbal
interactions, as well as their effects to the communicators. This part will provide
the readers with the possible strategies to deploy nonverbal interactions into social
affairs, as well as the benefits and limitations of them.
 Chapter 2 will present the detailed data collection, analysis and discussions of the
role of nonverbal interactions in social affairs with the official examples derived
from the gestures used as nonverbal communication of the US Presidents.
Part C – Conclusions will summarize the main findings of this study, the possible
limitations and suggestions for the later researches in the same and related fields of
languages.

5

PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
Body language has the role to help us to possess another way of giving and

receiving information through the moves of our body. Body languages can appear in the
two specific ways. The open body language and close body language.
According to many theorists, the body language should be considered as the very
old method of transferring information, onto which we can date back to the time of our
ancestors. Within the gestures and movements, body languages can convey the meanings
to the receiver, even when sounds have no other roles in communication. For instance, the
open language can show the receiver that the communicator has no weapons concealed;
contrarily, with close body language, the receiver may understand that the communicator is
hiding something, which can be threatening to them. All the above subconscious behaviors
will be understood by the receiver through body langue or nonverbal communication.
In this part of the study, we have a progress to examine all possible aspects of
nonverbal communication, or body languages. We will even bring in many examples of
body language used by many US Presidents in the history. In the first chapter of this part,
we will make the initiative demonstration of the uses and affection of the body languages
to the communicators, as well as the communicating effects that this type of language
transferring may bring to the communicator. In the second chapter, we can have more
theoretical insights into the traits and effects of the nonverbal communication in social
affairs.
Coming next in the progress to chapter 3 of this part of the study, we will provide
the readers with a number of possible strategies to deploy this method of communication
into social and communal affairs. Besides, we can also list and analyze the possible
limitations and advantages of nonverbal communication for social communication.
In chapter 4, the last chapter in this part, we will make the real approaches to the
body language used by the US Presidents through data collection and analysis, so that such
official uses of body language of the Presidents can help us to determine the possible
applications of this type of communication for the English leaner and communicators.
6

1.1. Introduction to Body Language or Nonverbal Communication
1.1.1 . Definition of body language or nonverbal communication

In the simplest form, the language of body can be stated as the ―all communication other
than language‖ (Andersen, 1999, p. 2). The core meaning of this statement is that the body
language contains other efforts of the communicators to convey more meanings to the receiver,
through symbols or movements of the body. As described by Hsiao and Rashvand (2011), body
language conveys the messages that the communicators wish to send and expect to get responses.
Being derived from such definition, the language can be translated into symbols, so that it
can be used internationally. As an example, when a man raises his arm over the head, together with
stretching his muscle, this means that he is trying to relieve his muscles from boredom. However,
for this type of movement in the classroom, this means that he has the intention to get answered a
question, as using body language to express his intention. This part of the definition implies that not
all the body behaviors can be seen as the nonverbal communication. In the second part of the
meaning of body language, or called ―other than words‖, there have been the codes created by the
body of the communicator, such as the facial expression, vocal changes, touches, space, physical
appearance, and the environment in which the communication happened. This definition also limits
the body language or nonverbal communication into the scale that it will only involve into
communication between people, to indirectly limit the transferring of information of animals or
intrapersonal communication.
1.1.2. Elements of nonverbal communication
1.1.2.1. Gestures
In nonverbal communication, there are four types of gestures to be used: the illustrators,
regulators, emblems, and affect displays (Kelly, Manning and Rodak, 2008).
 Illustrators: contains the behaviors which can complement or accentuate the verbal
messages used in the communication. Generally, this contains the parts of the body
such as the natural hand and the body gestures used by the communicator that can
help to describe the content of the speech, such as smiling, gesturing, smiling, or
pointing. They have the same meaning to the verbal content, and even enhance
them for better effects. The Illustrator would be very helpful for the learners of
English, since it can describe more the meaning which the speaker is trying to
transfer. In another example, when asking for a direction, the speaker uses to point
to the appropriate direction which is showed in figure 1 bellow:

7


Figure 1: The Illustrator used in communication (Gregersen, 2007)
 Regulators: is another type of gesture as in figure 2 used in inter-personal
communication to point out the personal turn or procedure in communication. In
social communication, turn-taking has its important role in determining the
interaction pattern of the communication, so that each participant can have his or
her meaning of the meaning and intention of the speaker. In most social affair, this
used to be done unconsciously and smoothly, as it can covey the intention of both
the listener and the speaker for the coming session of the communication (Duncan,
1972, 1974). Most of the time, turn-taking in conversation is conducted by
transition signals. It is important that the participants should understand the use of
the transition signal, otherwise the conversation may be interrupted and the
meaning of the conversation can be limited.

Figure 2:Transition signals used in interpersonal communication (Gregersen,2007)
 Emblems: are the nonverbal behaviors used by the participants that can be
translated into an underlying message. They can be substitute for words, and the
verity can change from this culture to another one. For the good understanding of
8

the meaning of those elements in nonverbal communication, the learners of every
language should learn all the possible meaning of those emblems. And in figure 3 is
an example:

Figure 3. Emblems used in communication (Gregersen, 2007)
 Affect Display: As can be seen in figure 4 is another type of expression of the body
that can be used by the communicators to express the personal emotion at the very
time. Most of the time, this type of expressions can be communication through the

movements of the facial expression such as smiling, laughing or crying. However,
the norm of expressing emotion can change from this culture to another.

Figure 4: Affect Display of personal emotion (Gregersen, 2007)
1.1.2.2. Facial Expression
Another tool used in nonverbal communication is the facial expressions, which can
further help the communicator with conveying more meaning of the communication.
Knapp and Hall (2006, p. 260) provided us with the meaning of facial expression that ―The
face is rich in communicative potential. It is the primary site for communication of
emotional states, it reflects interpersonal attitudes; it provides nonverbal feedback on the
9

comments of others; and some scholars say it is the primary source of information next to
human speech. For these reasons, and because of the face’s visibility, we pay a great deal
of attention to the messages we receive from the faces of others.”
The face can be used as the primary tool in interaction to manage the progress of
the communication, to complement the responses, or to replace a possible speech. The
process of communication can be continued or closed with the facial expression. Besides,
the movements of the face can imply the thoughts of the communicator to qualify the
messages or to complement them.
Depending on the specific cultural aspects, there have been the ―display rules‖ to be
followed by the communicators to be considered socially and situational appropriate. For
each specific culture, there are the norms to define the level of emotion to be express in
communication through intensification, simulation, de-intensification, neutralization, and
masking (Ruch, Hofmann and Platt, 2013).
The applications and integration of the above elements of facial expression of each
culture can vary from this one to another, so that the communicator can have the most
effective manner in social or interpersonal communication. In figure 5, we can have better
demonstrations of the possible forms of facial expressions used in communication to imply
more meanings:

Signals readiness Smiles and flashes used in greeting
10

Smiles temper a negative message Conspiratorial wink
Eyebrows meet to communicate confusion Happiness

Anger Disgust
Sadness Fear
11

Surprised Face simulates emotion
Face intensifies emotion Face neutralizes emotion
Figure 5. Various Facial Expressions of the communicators (Source: Gregersen, 2007)
1.1.2.3. Eye behaviors
The eyes used to be called ―the window to the soul‖. Thus, in interpersonal
communication, the eyes used to be focused more than the other parts of the body. This is
due to the unconscious perception of the highly expressive nature, which can very
helpfully to send and receive the communicating messages in face to face communication.
By the fact that the eye has higher probability of being noticed in communication, it has
more prominent interaction signal to convey meanings.
Richmond and McCroskey (2000) describe the uses of the eyes to help us to control
interactions, elicit the attention of others, and show an interest of the specific piece of
information being transferred. There are two types of eye behaviors to be identified and
deployed into social affairs, including eye contact and eye gazing. Eye contact occurs in
communication when people participating into the communication looks into the eyes of
the others, while gazing can occur anytime a person look at another (Andersen, 1999).
According to Knapp and Hall (2006), gazing itself has five functions in
communication, such as Regulating the flow of conversation, monitoring feedback,
12

reflecting cognitive activity, expressing emotion, and communicating the nature of
interpersonal relationship. All the above elements of gazing have their specific roles in
contextualizing the verbal message and to complement the understanding of the piece of
information being exchanged.
1.2. Theories, Structures and Significance of Nonverbal Communication
1.2.1. Theories of Nonverbal Communication
1.2.1.1. Ray Birdwhistell's Theory on Kinesics (1970)
In this theory of Nonverbal Communication, the author highly focus on the
potential skills of the person to create meanings to the bodily movements that h might
make in social affairs. This theory will put insights and analyze the patterns and repetition
of systems body movements, so that they can be viewed as parts of the social
communication.
This theory introduced the readers with Kinetics, which contains the ways that
people act, to describe the personal moods and expressions in our life. Those elements of
personal movements may change in the courses of communication. In this theory, the
visual part of communication in our life can have affections to the others. With the
integration of nonverbal movements into communication, the communicator can express
more of the meanings that he would like to convey to the receiver.
1.2.1.2. Edward Hall‘s Theory on Proxemics
This theory of nonverbal communication of Hall (1966), the author focused on the
multichannel affections of nonverbal communications and the effects that distance can
create to the communicators. Besides, distance can be considered as the affecting element
in conveying the meanings to the receiver. Proxemics is the core of this theory. The
meaning of Proxemics is that distance can make space between individuals in many
activities.
In this theory, it studied the way people behave and react to the space and distance
used in the interaction with the others. This theory also embraces the possible ways for
space and distance to be used in social communication. Those ways can also change in
communication, according to the culture that the communication happened. In Proxemics,
13

there are many typos of spaces and distances that may create various effects for the
communicator:
 Types of Space
o Fixed Feature Space: this includes the unmovable objects involve in the
communication, such as the rooms and walls.
o Semifixed Feature Space: embraces the movables objects in the
communication to have better results.
o Informal Space: personal environment in which the communication created,
which may vary in different cultures.
 Types of Distance
o Intimate (0-18 inches): to be used in communications of closely related
persons, such as family, friends and love ones.
o Personal (1 ½ to 4 feet): to be used in some more formal communications,
such as the interviews or discussions.
o Social (4 to 12 feet): most commonly used in casual communication in daily
communication.
o Public (over 12 feet): mostly used in formal conferences a meeting, with
large number of people involved.
In this theory of Edward Hall, distance has an important role in communication to
provide the participants with the indications to the relations with the others, the way to
perceive the particular subject, the way to interact with others, and the way cultures can
have effects to the uses of distance in communication. Besides, the author also provided
the readers with the factors that the participants can use to affect the others in certain
conditions.
1.2.1.3. Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen‘s Theory on Kinesics (1969)
In this work, their theory mainly concern with the movements of hands and the
face. The outcomes of this theory can help the readers with more understanding of the
mood, personality, mood and actions of individuals in communication. The combination of
the different movements of the face and hands can help the participants to understand more

14

of the meaning of the communication. In their theory, there are 3 ways to analyze the
meaning of the nonverbal behaviors of the communicators:
1. Origin - source of the act (innate, species-constant, or variant).
2. Coding - the act-meaning relationship (arbitrary, iconic, intrinsic).
3. Usage – a degree of non-verbal communication to what does the behavior do,
how does it convey information (communicative act, interactive act).
Also according to Ekman and Friesen (1969), there are five types to embraces all the
nonverbal behaviors of the communication:
 Emblems: the movements of the body with the effects to convey the meaning to the
participants of the communication without saying.
 Illustrators: with 8 different types, these nonverbal behaviors can help to depict the
verbal messages.
o Baton: the movements to emphasize the content of the communication
o Ideograph to describe more of the thoughts direction
o Deictic movement to point out the content of the communication
o Spatial movement to identify the space
o Rhythmic movement to describe motion
o Kinetograph to describe physical action of the communicator
o Pictograph to make a picture
o Emblematic movement to illustrate a verbal movement
 Adapters: the behaviors to facilitate the release of body intention. Those behaviors
can also be used to help the individuals to adapt to the new environment.
 Regulators: the behaviors to control or coordinate the interaction. The participants
can base on those behaviors to take turns to act or communicate in the environment.
 Affect displays: are the presentations of the feelings or emotions of the
communicators. Those behaviors can also describe the tendency of the individuals
to react in a particular environment.
1.2.2 Functions of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal itself can serve a lot of functions in the curse of communication
(Harrison, 1973). Nonverbal communication can define the communications by offer the
background for the communication to be established. For instance, the context made by the
15

participants in the room can indicate the content of the communication to be transferred. It
can also be the behaviors or the ways people dress to join the communication. Nonverbal
communication can also regulate the verbal communication of people.
Most of the verbal communication includes the nonverbal behaviors of the
participants, which people may realize and redirect the content t of the communication. For
instance, the movements of nod or smile in the communication may indicate that the
communicator is listening and understanding the content being transferred. For the
speakers, he may slow down or lower the voice at the end of the communication. Or if he
would like to continue the communication, the speaker would add the signals of pause into
the communication, which can help the listener to keep listening and focus on the progress
of the communication. Those subtle signals are the back channel of the communication.
They have the function at the peripheral side of the communication, and not in the main
concentration of the communication.
Nonverbal communication can also be the message itself. For instance, a smile can
indicate the joy of the speaker, a frown indicates happiness, and a wrinkled nose
associating with the saying ―I love you‖ may indicate deception. A series of hand
movements may indicate the saying ―Goodbye‖ of the communicator. There are no words
needed to convey those messages. Most of their meanings are culturally determined, and
they can change from this culture to another.
1.2.3. Structure and Properties of Nonverbal Communication
According to the suggestions of many scholars, nonverbal communication has the
same properties to the ones of verbal communication. Those properties are structured rules,
intentionality, awareness, the rate of overt, control, and how to be conducted publicly.
However, those properties may be slightly different from the ones of the verbal
communication (Andersen, 1999; Burgoon, Buller, & Woodal, 1996). In order to be able to

convey meanings in communication, the nonverbal massages should be rule bound, much
like speech. All nonverbal communication has the similar properties, and the rules of
violation can change the meanings of them.
As a result, all the spoken communication are intentional, which means that we can
choose the words to be used in the conversations. Similarly, nonverbal communication is
also intentional. However, scientists have argued that a greater portion of the nonverbal
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communication is unintentional (Ruch, Hofmann and Platt, 2013). For instance, some
people may intend to communicate calmness and maturity with the deaths of their pets, but
sadness still remains in their faces, which is unintentionally.
Similarly, people also have less airiness of the nonverbal communication than the
verbal ones. Most of the times, people can hear what they speak, which they address to be
more meaningful of the content of the communication. Although people can aware of
many of their nonverbal communication, such as the ways they dress, the gestures used,
and the expressions they showed, not all the times they can use those movements for better
effects. Despite the beliefs of the liars, they used to be unaware of they are expressing the
clear signs of fear in their face, their postures, and speeches (Hurley & Frank, 2011).
While the verbal communication is more overt, nonverbal communication is more
covert. In fact, most people are formally trained for their verbal behavior in school. As for
nonverbal communication, it is less obvious, and people are not typically trained for those
behaviors. For example, children used not to be trained on how close to stand to
communicate with the others, or how to express the feeling of anger on their face.
According to many studies of the blind and sighted people, their spontaneous expressions
are quite similar, but the deliberately posed expressions are much easier to be told part
(Matsumoto & Willingham, 2009).
Besides, nonverbal communication is also less controllable than verb alone. While
the verbal communication is easier to be suppressed or expressed, and people can choose
the words to be used in the communication, nonverbal communication is much likely to
have different quality to the communication. It can be the smile that creeps onto the face of

the person if he or she knows that laughing is not allowed in the situation (Frank, 2003), or
the smiling person in the situation where sliming is not allowed, despite his or her efforts
to control (Hurley & Frank, 2011).
Finally, verbal communication is more public than nonverbal communication. For
public speaking, the visible or audible messages should be available for large number of
people to hear or see, not just for the intended person to understand the meaning. To be
used in public context, the content of the communication used to be structured, while the
verbal communication tends to be foddered for private conversation. In the past, when
politician speak in front of a large number of people, their gestures and clothes are not the
objects to be discussed. However, this trend has been changed so far.