Nonverbal Communication in England

 

Another important aspect of standard communication is nonverbal communication. These are all the things we consciously (or subconsciously) do while talking to others. The amount of eye contact, gestures, and expressions you make all communicate a response to the people around you. A student slouching in their seat in the classroom might be seen as tired or bored. A person rolling their eyes is depicting they think what you are saying is ridiculous. Every little thing we do sends a message whether we want it to or not.

As someone who studied American Sign Language for three years, I developed quite the understanding of non-verbal communications in different cultures. In Deaf culture it is common for people to make large dramatic gestures, or sign responses as the other individual is signing. I had to spend a lot of time making my everyday gestures and facial expressions more dramatic to properly sign and interact with those in the Deaf community. In many signs dramatic facial expressions are necessary to determine what the sign is, therefore, if your expression is not absolutely clear, you could be saying something entirely different. Another major part of Deaf culture is the importance of eye contact. If you are looking away from the signer you are essentially covering your ears and singing at the top of your lungs while the other person is trying to speak. It took me a lot of work to successfully have the intense eye contact expected when signing with deaf individuals, but learning these non-verbal differences allowed me to see the value of understanding the nonverbal language in a culture. 

When it comes to interacting in England, the differences were not quite as dramatic. In fact, in many ways interacting with people felt very similar to interacting with the average American. One of the most significant differences I noticed is with facial expressions, specifically, most people walking down the street would not smile at you. While this is not a hugely dramatic thing, it was surprising to look at people and give the standard American smile and nod, and get nothing but a blank stare in return. I had learned from my pre-trip research that visible emotional expression is usually more toned-down in the United Kingdom, so thankfully I was able to understand that this was a cultural norm, instead of an action that would have been perceived as rude in America. 

Another thing that stood out to me was that many people had good posture. It was especially apparent at the historical sites, with employees who would be on their feet answering questions about the castles and cathedrals. I found people carried themselves in a way that communicated an enjoyment for their work and an energy that made interactions more enjoyable. I think this posture was a key part of demonstrating the well known British polite-ness. I felt like in many of the conversations I had the people wanted to be there and interact with me. They would stand up straight and make eye contact which made me feel as if they wanted me to learn and they enjoyed answering my questions.

That being said, I have many American mannerisms I brought with me to England. Things like smiling at people on the street and slouching while sitting in chairs. I can assume all these American non-verbal cues made it clear I was a tourist, however, I tried my best to follow along with others. I attempted to mirror those from Britain that I talked to and I worked hard to have good posture during any interactions. I hope that while my mannerisms were American, those who saw me felt as if their culture was respected. And I truly appreciated getting the opportunity to explore another culture’s nonverbal communication styles.