What are Gestures?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Gestures are simply <\/span>movements of the body that communicate a certain message<\/b>. The most obvious gestures are made by the hands and arms, but gestures made by other body parts are also meaningful. For example, you can already notice a lot based on a person\u2019s facial expression or posture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although people can make gestures on purpose, these are often unconscious and automatic. (Try recording yourself on video\u2013you\u2019ll be surprised at all of the gestures that you\u2019re making!) This is why they\u2019re often an effective way to tell how other people are genuinely feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n Gestures are part of<\/span> nonverbal communication<\/b><\/a>. Psychologist<\/span> Albert Mehrabian<\/span><\/a> concluded that communication consists of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n Body language and gestures make up more than 50% of your communication. Your gestures might actually be speaking louder than your words!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Gestures can be different for each language<\/b> too. <\/b>English has its own unique gestures that might come off as strange when you use them with another language. For example, the English thumbs-up gesture is so widespread that it\u2019s already been turned into an emoji. But while it\u2019s generally taken as a positive gesture in English, it can be interpreted as being rude in other cultures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re using English in the workplace, then learning about English gestures is a must. Here\u2019s why:<\/span><\/p>\n On top of these, <\/span>communication skills are highly sought after <\/b>at work. Whatever industry or job position you\u2019re in, both employers and clients appreciate<\/span> strong communication skills<\/span><\/a>. Since most communication is nonverbal, being sensitive to English gestures is definitely part of that.<\/span><\/p>\n What if you could also master English gestures along with vocabulary? Then you\u2019ll be really persuasive, with top-notch communication all around. Aside from getting your points across assertively, you\u2019ll perform even better at work because you\u2019ll find it easier to connect with others\u2013whether in an office or at a video call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are possibly hundreds of English gestures out there, but we\u2019ve handpicked the English gestures that you\u2019ll encounter the most often at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this gesture, the hands are generally stretched out, with the palms facing up. You\u2019ll often notice this when people are moving their hands while talking. On the other hand, you might also be sitting down with someone at a table and they\u2019re resting their hands in this way. This signifies <\/span>openness and honesty.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Tip: <\/b>When you\u2019re asking someone about their concerns or honest feedback, consider it a good sign if their palms are open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If a person\u2019s arms are crossed, it\u2019s considered as closed body language, which implies <\/span>defensiveness<\/b> or a refusal to connect. However, it isn\u2019t always black-and-white. Crossed arms can imply that the person might be feeling tense, afraid, or uncomfortable, but it\u2019s also connected to <\/span>problem-solving and perseverance<\/b>. The person might just simply be trying to think their way through a problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tip:<\/b> Since other people can interpret this as defensiveness, avoid crossing your arms when you\u2019re in an important discussion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably seen people tapping their fingers or feet repeatedly beforemaybe while listening to a presentation or sitting at a prolonged meeting. Here\u2019s what this gesture is saying: <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m feeling impatient.\u201d <\/b>People tend to do this because of either <\/span>boredom or anxiety.<\/b><\/p>\n Tip: <\/b>Next time that you\u2019re speaking to a group, try to be observant of these cues\u2013and adjust your presentation to make it more engaging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When someone\u2019s trying to explain their ideas to you, you can make them more comfortable by nodding along when they pause and saying, \u201cYeah,\u201d \u201cGo on,\u201d or \u201cMm-hm.\u201d Nodding means that <\/span>you agree with what the other person is saying<\/b>. You might also nod while making verbal statements of agreement such as \u201cI see your point\u201d or \u201cThat\u2019s true\u201d for emphasis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tip:<\/b> Although this might seem like a universal gesture, it actually isn\u2019t. Double-check before using it in a foreign culture\u2013some Eastern European countries interpret nodding as a \u201cno\u201d!<\/span><\/p>\n In the English-speaking world, smiling is usually seen as polite, and it <\/span>helps make other people feel at ease.<\/b> Whether you\u2019re saying hello to a coworker or holding a meeting with a sponsor, smiling every now and then can break the ice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tip: <\/b>One of the most natural times to smile would be when you\u2019re thanking someone. For example, you\u2019ll sound more sincere if you smile while saying, \u201cThank you for taking the time to meet about this.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shrugging is when someone raises their shoulders slightly then brings them back down again. It\u2019s a very casual gesture. You might not catch it at formal meetings, but if you\u2019re with coworkers that you\u2019re comfortable enough to be joking around with, shrugging tends to be more common.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What it communicates is <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d<\/b> with the implication that <\/span>they don\u2019t really care too much about it<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Tip:<\/b> Shrugging is fine with friends, but avoid shrugging when you\u2019re in a serious business setting.<\/span><\/p>\n In the English-speaking world, the thumbs up gesture appears more often on chat messages as an emoji. Another common scenario is during group video meetings, when one person\u2019s asking if everyone else agrees with a proposal or if everyone\u2019s free during a certain time. Since it\u2019s hard to talk all at once during video meetings, people simply use the thumbs up gesture to show that <\/span>they\u2019re okay with it.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Tip:<\/b> The thumbs up gesture can be offensive in certain countries such as Iraq and Russia. If you\u2019re communicating in English with someone who isn\u2019t a native speaker as well, make sure that it\u2019s a regular gesture in their culture of origin too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Native English speakers often <\/span>maintain eye contact while talking\u2013<\/b>in other words, they look directly at the other person. Avoiding eye contact can make it seem as if you\u2019re hiding something or you\u2019re feeling intimidated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tip: <\/b>During business meetings, hold eye contact every now and then with whoever you\u2019re talking to. This builds a sense of connectedness, and conversation will flow more easily. However, don\u2019t overdo it\u2013too much eye contact without any breaks might make you seem way too aggressive instead!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A high five can be a greeting as well as a <\/span>congratulatory English gesture<\/b>. For example, you can shout out \u201cHigh five!\u201d to a friend while raising your open palm. Your friend then slaps their palm against yours. A more casual version of this would be the fist bump, where people touch their clenched fists together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tip: <\/b>When someone from your team does a great job, you can congratulate them by giving them a high five. Since this is a casual gesture, it\u2019s more appropriate to do it with coworkers that you\u2019re on friendly terms with.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Putting your index finger to your lips is a widespread English gesture that means, <\/span>\u201cPlease be quiet\u201d or \u201cTone your voice down.\u201d<\/b> At work, a colleague might use this gesture when they\u2019re on a video call and can hear your voice in the background or when there are people having a meeting nearby. A stronger, more blunt version of this would be drawing your thumb and forefinger across your lips, like a zipper across your mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Why Non-Verbal Communication Matters<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Essential English Gestures That You Should Know About<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Open Palms<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nArms Crossed<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFingers or Foot Tapping<\/b><\/h4>\n
Nodding<\/b><\/h4>\n
Smiling<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nShrugging<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThumbs Up\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nEye Contact\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-5.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHigh Five\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/High-Five.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIndex Finger to Lips<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/englash-gestures.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/english-gestures-6.jpg\")
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