S.Y.

2020-2021
MODULES WEEK 5:
November 09-13, 2020

EXPLAINING NONVERBAL Prepared by; Mr. Rilven L. Salamana

1ST SEMESTER
Holy Trinity School of Obando, Inc.
Bilog Rd., Lawa, Obando, Bulacan
@[email protected]
SY 2020-2021

CHAPTER ONE: Explaining Nonverbal and Verbal Miscommunication

As explained in the previous lesson, majority of misunderstanding come from the first-
Dimension pair: Nonverbal Communication contradicting Verbal Communication—mainly
because of tradition, habitual practice, culture, and gender attitudes.
So, let us from what Nonverbal Communication encompasses:
a. PARALANGUAGE- the “how” of saying something;
b. LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS- the use of flowers based on the meaning of each type of
flower;
c. LANGUAGE OF COLORS- the use of colors based on the meaning of each color;
d. LANGUAGE OF TIMEE (Chronemics) – the use of time based on position or power;
e. LANGUAGE OF SPACE (Proxemics) – the use of space to show importance;
f. LANGUAGE OF TOUCH (Haptics) – the use of touch to express what cannot be said;
g. LANGUAGE OF GESTURES
1. Emphasizing – “YES” (first pounding the table)
2. Regulating- “sshh” (forefinger in front of lips)
3. Illustrating – “this large” (hands set apart)
4. Emblems – clenched fist upraised
h. FACIAL EXPRESSION- the configuration of eyes, eyebrows, lips, cheeks, nose, and
forehead to show how the person feels; and
i. POSTURE AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE- the way one carries and dresses
oneself.
All of the above types of Nonverbal Communication are ways to deliver a Message and to
convey meanings, intended or not. A speaker mat think he/she is being clear about the Message,
but he/she may not realize that his/her nonverbal signals are saying something else.
The most influential factor, as we learned in the discussion of the Dimensions of
Communication, is that of culture. Many of our customs and traditions about everything from
raising children to getting married, from plating and harvesting to cooking and serving food, are
governed by culture.
One of the mist customs that still exist in Philippines society is the tradition of “mano po”,
which involves touching the hand of an elder to one’s forehead to show respect. “Mano po” is
now seldom practiced, which has led some elders to think that the young folks are rude and they
wonder why their parents no longer teach their children good manners. Another example is the
way we ask permission to pass through two or more people who are conversing. We signal with
our hand while saying “pasintabi po,” as we duck our head and shoulders. Many no longer
practice this because they do not know this conduct. “Pasintabi po” has been replaced by
“Excuse me” or by saying nothing at all when passing between two people talking to each
other, which can leave hurt feelings and person being thought of as rude.
If we compare our culture with other societies, we find that in Arab countries, especially
among the nomads, everyone eats, while seated on the ground or floor which is covered by a
carpet, from one big plate, sing only the right hand to pick up the food, as the left hand is
considered dirty because it is used for bodily functions.
On the other hand, cheek kissing and mere shaking of hands between men and women are
not practiced in certain countries due to religious restrictions. Other than culture, gender is a
factor that also governs communication. Please take note of the definitions: “Sex” refers to the
biological and physiological characteristics that differentiate men and women. According to the
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment od women, “gender” refers to
what society considers appropriate for men and women in terms of actions and behaviors.
“Male” and “female” are sex categories, while “masculine” and “feminine” are gender
categories.
Gender comes into communication when we categorize certain ways of speaking or using
words as being masculine or feminine. Or when we react to such communication precisely
because we think they are masculine or feminine. We expect a male speaker to have a low-
pitched voice, while we expect a female speaker to have a high-pitched voice. In certain
settings, some employees find it difficult to take orders from a female boss, believing that a
male executive, simply by being male, is a born leader and can direct his staff. The idea that
men should not engage in certain activities classified as “women’s work” used to be a sign of
machismo. Unfortunately, this can still be observed in rural areas and even in some urban areas.
However, with an increasing number of Filipino women working abroad as Overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs), the men are left to care for the children and the home, doing “women’s
work.”
a. Paralanguage is about “how” something is said, not what is said. Saying “I
love you” with an angry tone is a contradictory message. Words of protest may
lose their fire when said in a meek and soft voice. Tones or voices must watch
the content of the Message if the Message is to be understood at all. It must
also reinforce the Message: a Message with strong points to deliver must be
emphasized with strong paralanguage. Asians are thought of as being
accommodating and conciliatory because of their paralanguage. This is merely
a stereotype as we have read of the exact opposite in newspaper articles both
here and abroad of Filipinos who have acted in a manner that goes against the
stereotype.
b. Flowers say for many of us what we cannot say ourselves. These meanings are
also influenced by culture and gender. Supposedly, only Filipino men send
flowers, women do not. Red roses are to be sent only to a female sweetheart or
a wife, no one else, and only on valentine’s Day and birthdays. But now, with
flower shops pushing the idea that it is okay to send flowers on any occasion,
men and women can send any kind of flower to anyone, whether there is an
occasion or not. Nonverbal communication using flowers can become
problematic when we move outside of Philippine Culture.
Hawaii’s State flower is the plumeria otherwise known as “kalachuchi”
in the Philippines. Many Filipinos may not feel welcomed in Hawaii at all by a
lei made of plumerias because “kalachuchi” has a disagreeable smell to
Filipinos. Italians send chrysanthemums foe special occasions, but Filipinos
generally see them in funeral arrangements.

c. Colors have certain meanings based on the dictates of culture and gender.
Hospitals (and parents) prepare everything in blue for baby boys and pink for
baby girls. Since babies can wear any color, why limit them to one? Some
colors supposedly make us happy or sad or angry. In fact, disturbed or violent
people with mental problems are confined in rooms painted with a tinge of
pink, a color which is said to calm them. In Thailand, only the King can wear
yellow. Tourists who dare to wear the royal color are punished
d. Chronemics shows how time is viewed differently in various countries.
Filipinos tend to see time as being elastic. “Filipino time’ means that an
appointment is scheduled “between” 1:00 and 2:00 pm. A meeting starts at
“around” 8:30 am. Time in the west is always exact and to the point. An
appointment is “at” 1:00pm, while a meeting starts “exactly” at 8:00am. Time
is most often used in the Philippines to convey how powerful a person is. Here,
someone in authority may show that his/her time is more important than that of
the visitor by making them wait. In the West, an appointment, even with the
president of a big company, means being brought into the office right away, no
matter who the visitor may be. When Europeans have to meet someone (for
personal or business reasons), they will wait only 5 minutes beyond the
appointed time. Filipinos will wait for someone to arrive for as long as an hour
(sometimes even longer).
e. Proxemics or the use of space provides us with ideas about how close or how
far people are from the center of power or where a person is in the social
ladder. This type of Nonverbal Communication is similarly used a sin
Chronemics by people who want to show who they are, especially in business.
The biggest office in a company building is reserved for the president of the
chief executive officer (CEO) and is usually situated on the top floor or
penthouse of the building. When employees are promoted, they are given a
bigger table and a larger space. Their new office may be situated nearer office
windows or a higher floor closer to the president’s office. They might even be
given access to coffee and snacks or to the executive’s restroom. Houses of
millionaires are usually huge and would include a landscaped garden, a big
garage for more than one car, and, most likely, a giant swimming pool. A
middle-class house will have enough space according to the budget of the
couple, balanced by their needs. It will at least have a small garden and a
garage for a car (in the future). In Hong Kong and Singapore, living spaces are
usually in high-rise buildings and condominiums. Very few actually own
houses with a garden.
f. Haptics or the use of touch is one of the most powerful of the types of
Nonverbal Communication. Like the language of flowers and colors, it can say
what cannot be said verbally by the Speaker. What differentiates this from
among other types of Nonverbal Communication is the fact that there is contact
between the Sender and the Receiver of the Message. Touch can comfort, it can
aggravate, it can encourage, or it can dissuade. Filipinos, like many Latin
nationals, are always touching but without embarrassment. We are not afraid to
touch someone, even strangers. We touch babies and children, those we know
and those we do not. However, in Indonesia, no one pats the top of a child’s
head. They believed that this is where the spirit of the child resides. Filipinos
also like to touch friends, relatives, and loved ones who touch us back. Of
course, there are few exceptions, particularly
g. Gestures are the most often use type of Nonverbal Communication. Speech, to
be understandable and interesting to a listener, must be accompanied by
different gestures. Emphasizing gestures that punctuate what we want to
highlight are examples of this type. Hitting the lectern or the table is a gesture
that interjects force, helping emphasize a point being made. But for Thais, such
an action is considered rude. Regulating gestures are sued to control the flow of
communication such as nodding one’s head so that someone will continue
talking. This gesture might also mean understanding or a way of “yes”. In the
Middle East, however, nodding means “no” while shaking the head means
“yes”. Illustrating gestures are used to show size, height, distance, or similar
qualities like using one hand to mimic a certain height or two hands to show
distance or size. Emblems are gestures associated with specific meanings. Here
again, cultural differences in the meaning of gestures make for problems in
communication. A clenched fist is associated with activism and protest, but this
is an insult in some parts of Europe. Pointing a finger to one’s head can be read
as either being smart or being crazy, which may be very confusing depending
on one’s culture. Greeks and other Europeans do not wave goodbye with the
palm of the hand facing forward. See how the Queen of England makes a half
wave, known as the royal wave.
h. Facial Expression is the type of Nonverbal Communication that assists the
Listener in understanding the Message better. It is important to the
Communication Process that the Listener monitors any and all the facial
expressions of the Speaker. This will be the Listener’s gauge as to whether the
Speaker is sincere and serious and whether the Speaker treats the Listener with
affection or with contempt. Eye contact is number one. Looking at the Listener
crucial for connecting with the Listener, especially when there is more than one
Listener. Facial Expression, however, is not just the sue of the eyes. A frown
on the forehead of a Listener may mean that what was said was confusing or
not understandable. Raised eyebrows might mean either surprise or incredulity.
A wrinkled nose could be dislike for what was said. Scrunched cheeks and
pursed lips are signs of displeasure for Filipinos. When Filipinos greet each
other, they usually kiss only one cheek of the other person; people in Latin
countries kiss both cheeks (which Filipinos sometimes do nowadays). The
Dutch and Swedes kiss the cheeks of the person they are greeting three times
(right cheek-left cheek-right cheek), while the Moroccans and Croatians kiss
the cheeks four times.
i. Posture and Personal Appearance are the last type of Nonverbal
Communication. How one stands or sits in Communicative Situations tells the
people around how one sees oneself as a Speaker, one’s attitude toward the
Message, and how on looks at the Listener. When one carries oneself well and
with confidence, people will want to listen. Listeners pay attention because
they are made to feel important. Personal Appearance also says a lot about the
Speaker and the Message. Especially in Formal Communicative Situations,
being appropriately dressed shows the Speaker’s readiness and ability to
deliver the message. Being dressed well also adds to one’s self-confidence.
All of the above types of Nonverbal Communication assist a Speaker in imparting the
Message to the Listener. Seldom does communication take place without being accompanied or
substituted by one or more of these types of Nonverbal Communication. What must be
remembered is that all of these are culture-bound or specific to some cultures but not in others.
Miscommunication occurs when these cultural concepts clash or simply do not meet.
Remember Schramm’s model where communication takes place if and only if there is an
overlap of the fields of experience? In summary, miscommunication may occur in all the
Dimensions of Communication, especially in the Nonverbal Dimension due to our unfamiliarity
with gender practices in other cultures and their societies’ customs and traditions.
ACTIVITY 1
Compare 2 countries in terms of culture, practices and traditions corresponding the types of
nonverbal communication. Write your answer on the table. The first number is done for you.

NON-VERBAL COUNTRY 1 COUNTRY 2

ACTIVITY 2
Watch a TELENOVELA from another country with the sound turned off (so that the dubbing in Filipino
will not be heard). Note the Types of Nonverbal Communication used by the actors in the scenes and write what
those could possibly mean. See if the story could be understood just by watching the Nonverbal Communication
in the drama.
TITLE OF THE TELENOVELA:
COUNTRY (saan galling ang telenovela) :
ACTORS:
DUBBED (English or Tagalog):
TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION:
WRITE WHAT THOSE COULD POSSIBLY MEAN:
DID YOU UNDERSTAND THE STORY WOHTOUT THE SOUNDS SAND JUST BY BASING THE
NONVERBAL COMMUNCIATION?
IN WHAT WAY? WHAT MAKES YOU UNDERSTAND THE STORY?
You can send this to me either on Messenger or to my Gmail Account:

[email protected]
When sending the activities please indicate your NAME, GRADE LEVEL, AND MODULE 5.

GOD BLESS AND KEEP SAFE!