Let’s talk about gestures and body language

Discussion Topics

Body language

1. To what extent do you think body language is important? What are some examples of positive and negative body language you can think of?
2. How much do you personally use body language to communicate? How does body language help you to communicate? How conscious are you of your own body language?
3. How much do you notice other people’s body language? Are you good at interpreting body language? Have you ever misinterpreted another person’s body language?
4. In your opinion, is eye contact important? How do you feel when someone is talking to you without looking at you?
5. Do you think that cultures ‘speak’ the same body language? Can you think of examples of how your culture’s body language is different?

Gestures

1. Why do some people gesticulate when talking? Why do you think people use gestures to communicate if they can communicate it in words?
2. How much do people in your country use their hands when they talk? Do you use your hands a lot? Is it on purpose or not?
3. Are hand gestures distracting? Do you think that hand gestures help or hurt you in public speaking?
4. Do you have your ‘favourite’ gesture? Have you ever tried to stop yourself from ‘talking’ with your hands;=)? Was it easy?
5. How do you feel when somebody touches you when they are speaking?

Remember to check out the rules and instruction page before joining your first speaking club session.