Centuries ago, people only communicated with body language. The wide use of gestures and body signals in the past has contributed to the fact that animals and babies are excellent communicators when it comes to using strictly body language —in fact, body language is often their main form of communication. A baby can tell its parents the exact thing it needs without being able to say a single word. Once the processof talking and using words occurs, it is easy to forget about the significance of body language. You, like most people, probably think that everyone can understand the language you speak and the context you are using. But this is not always true. In that situation, the simplest thing for you to do would have been to write down the name of the freeway you need to get to with a question mark and see if the clerk can draw you a map to where it is. If that does not work, then body language is your key advantage in this predicament. You can ask to use the phone by just holding your hand to your ear, giving a universal symbol for phone, with your thumb pointing straight up and your pinky at your mouth. Before you do this, purchase something so you know your exact location —the addressto the establishment you are in will most likely be printed on the top of the receipt. If this works, you can get back on track and head to your destination. Sometimes, all it takes to break down communication barriers is a few symbols or gestures everyone understands. Knowing what symbols mean what in every culture can be a big help in breaking down the communication walls .In America, if we give the thumbs up signal, it means everything is OK, or that something was done well, but in other countries, it can mean something completely different. In Europe, it means the number “one” in Australia, it means “sit on this;” in Greece, it means “shove it;” in Japan it means “man,” or the number five. The shoulder shrug, however, is universal to every country as the “I don’t know” symbol. The symbol for “OK” is seen differently than it is in the U.S., but is becoming more well-known around the world, partly thanks to American television being broadcast internationally. If you place you thumb and forefinger together in a circle with the remainder of your fingers extended, then you have the symbol for “OK.” Within the Mediterranean region, as well as Russia, Brazil, and Turkey, the “OK” symbol is understood as a “sexual insult;” in Tunisia, France, and Belgium it symbolizes “zero” or that something is “worthless;” and in Japan it means “money” or “coins.” The “V” we create with two fingers is seen as the number two. If it is created using both arms outstretched, with the palms facing outward, it means “victory” in the U.S., as used by Richard Nixon when he won his presidential election. This same arm posture is seen as offensive to the British. Another example is that here, we have two ways of waving to greet people. The first one is the entire hand moving back and forth, which in other countries can be misconstrued as something offensive. The second way is with the arm and hand stationary while our fingers wiggle up and down, which too, can be misconstrued as something offensive in other parts of the world. Cultural differences will be discussedmore later on in this book. Facial expressions are basically interpreted the same worldwide. The only difference in the meaning of facial expressions is in Japan, where a look that expressesfear in most countries is the look of surprise. Every culture seemsto behave the same when greeting a friend, by raising their eyebrows and smiling.
Universal body language cues and facial expressions are the key to breaking down any language barrier, but before you travel for businessmake sure that you study up on the culture so that you will be sure not to offend your businessacquaintance.