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Mastering the art of speaking two languages – Body and English
Just as animals communicate through tails, ears, and posture, humans rely heavily on body language — an estimated 93% of communication happens non-verbally. This piece breaks down how to read facial expressions, eye contact, and gestures in others, and how to consciously manage your own body language to build trust rather than undermine it. It's a practical primer for anyone who wants their non-verbal signals to match their intended message.
Key Takeaways
- An estimated 93% of communication happens through body language, with only 7% through words.
- Genuine smiles extend to the eyes, while false smiles stay restricted to the mouth.
- Eye contact levels signal different things — too little suggests shyness, too much can come across as rude or intimidating.
- Hand gestures matter — overly large gestures distract, while no gestures at all can seem disengaged.
- Being aware of your own body language signals can shape your relationships and outcomes, for better or worse.
Mastering the art of speaking two languages –Body and English
We all know, animals do not talk. Or do they? Yet they express themselves effectively with their energy and body language. Most of them communicate through their eye contact, ear position and tail. For example; when a cat wags it’s tail, it is likely in an attacking position. When a squirrel wiggles its tail, it indicates that it is uneasy and suspicious. Likewise, a dog’s tail probably, is the most expressive part of his body. A dog might wag his tail or bark excitedly when expecting food or wants to be walked, it could lower his head or crouch down in fear when guilty about robbing some sausages.
All these emotional signalling’s that animals use is also present in humans in a more advanced form. A man does not have to depend on such indirect signals because of the language capability they possess to express themselves clearly. Also, body language is more highly developed in human beings to the extent that 93% of our communication is through our body language and only 7% through words. This also proves that what we often think of as our second language is more important than our first language.
We also know that animals can draw a great deal from our tone of voice, behaviour and body language towards them. Similarly, humans are more intelligent than animals to draw an inference from the eyes, facial expressions, posture and gestures of the people they meet. Of course, faces are hard to read at times simply because humans have learnt to supress the display of emotions due to various reasons. Still, a false smile can be detected because it is restricted to the mouth region and does not extend to the eyes. And, eyes are the “windows of the soul.” If the eye contact is little, we can make out a person is shy and if it is too much, we find them rude or intimidating.
Similarly gestures increase our ability to communicate especially our hands. Overly large gestures can be distracting and if we don’t use our hands at all, people may perceive we don’t care about what they are talking about.
We can hide our true emotions with the use of right words, it is very difficult to mask our body language. Remember, our bodies say a lot about us and how we are feeling. By being aware of the signals we send through our body language, we could define our relationships and success in life – for better or worse. And, therefore, it is wise to master the body language to put our best face, and body, forward.
FAQ
How much of communication is really body language versus words?
Research suggests roughly 93% of communication comes through body language and tone, with only about 7% through the actual words spoken.
How can you tell a genuine smile from a fake one?
A genuine smile extends to the eyes, while a false smile stays restricted to the mouth region.
What does too much or too little eye contact signal?
Too little eye contact can suggest shyness, while too much can come across as rude or intimidating.