The Importance of Body Language in Tutoring
The Importance of Body Language in Tutoring
“Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words.” (Deborah Bull)
Body language plays, in my opinion, an important role in tutoring and it is especially important with ESL student who often use observation to understand better and to compensate some deficit in oral communication. According to Wikipedia’s definition Body language is: “a term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communication. It forms part of the category of paralanguage, which describes all forms of human communication that are not verbal language. This includes the most subtle of movements that many people are not aware of, including winking and slight movement of the eyebrows. In addition body language can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
During a tutoring session, body language can be used as an important tool to achieve a productive tutoring session, or it can as well expose a tutor who is not really interested in the tutee’s issue. Attention and coherence between body language and verbal expression is important in order to build a good relationship of trust with each tutee.
According to Albert Meharabian’s studies, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, there are three elements in any interpersonal communication: words, tone of voice and body-language. Besides, he stresses that non-verbal expression is peculiar for communicating feelings and attitude, and if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language. Meharabian explains that the “3 Vs” (verbal, vocal & visual) account differently for our liking for the person who delivers [puts forward] the message: words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55% of the liking (known
“Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words.” (Deborah Bull)
Body language plays, in my opinion, an important role in tutoring and it is especially important with ESL student who often use observation to understand better and to compensate some deficit in oral communication. According to Wikipedia’s definition Body language is: “a term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communication. It forms part of the category of paralanguage, which describes all forms of human communication that are not verbal language. This includes the most subtle of movements that many people are not aware of, including winking and slight movement of the eyebrows. In addition body language can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.
During a tutoring session, body language can be used as an important tool to achieve a productive tutoring session, or it can as well expose a tutor who is not really interested in the tutee’s issue. Attention and coherence between body language and verbal expression is important in order to build a good relationship of trust with each tutee.
According to Albert Meharabian’s studies, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, there are three elements in any interpersonal communication: words, tone of voice and body-language. Besides, he stresses that non-verbal expression is peculiar for communicating feelings and attitude, and if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language. Meharabian explains that the “3 Vs” (verbal, vocal & visual) account differently for our liking for the person who delivers [puts forward] the message: words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55% of the liking (known