By Dalat TESOL
A long-form conversational article for graduate students in Applied Linguistics and TESOL
🧠 Why Nonverbal Communication Deserves Your Attention
You’ve probably heard the saying: “Actions speak louder than words.”
In intercultural communication, this couldn’t be truer.
Language learners are often trained to master vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. But what about eye contact? Personal space? A nod, a smile, a pause?
These are not just background signals — they’re essential parts of communication. In fact, researchers estimate that up to 60–70% of meaning in face-to-face interactions is conveyed nonverbally (Mehrabian, 1972). That percentage may vary, but the point stands: when we focus only on words, we miss the bigger picture.
🧩 What Counts as Nonverbal Communication?
Nonverbal communication includes all the ways we convey messages without using words. This includes:
- Facial expressions 😄😐😠
- Gestures ✋👍👎
- Posture and body movement 🧍♂️🪑
- Eye contact 👀
- Touch 🤝
- Use of space (proxemics) ↔️
- Silence 🤫
- Paralinguistic features (tone, pitch, pauses) 🎙️
While some expressions (like smiling or frowning) may be recognized across cultures, their interpretations and usage vary dramatically.
🔍 Vietnam vs. Western Cultures: Key Nonverbal Differences
Let’s explore a few Vietnamese–Anglophone comparisons, particularly relevant to TESOL students and intercultural educators.
1. Eye Contact
- In Vietnam: Direct eye contact with authority figures (teachers, elders) can feel disrespectful or confrontational. Many learners are taught to look slightly downward or avert their gaze.
- In the US/UK: Direct eye contact is expected in conversation, especially when listening. Avoiding eye contact may be read as dishonesty, disinterest, or nervousness.
👉 Result: Western teachers may misread respectful Vietnamese students as disengaged. Vietnamese students may perceive direct Western eye contact as intimidating.
2. Silence
- In Vietnam: Silence often signals respect, careful thinking, or deference to group norms. “Không dám nói” (not daring to speak) is sometimes viewed as humility.
- In Western classrooms: Silence is often treated as a problem. Teachers may assume the student is confused, unprepared, or lacks opinion.
👉 Result: Teachers might push for immediate responses, making learners uncomfortable. Students might avoid participation to “be polite,” ironically creating awkwardness.
3. Gestures
- In Vietnam: Certain hand gestures (e.g., pointing with one finger, beckoning with the palm up) are considered rude or overly casual.
- In Western cultures: Gestures like thumbs-up or “OK” are generally positive but may carry offensive meanings in other cultures.
👉 Example: A Vietnamese student gives the “OK” sign in class. A Western classmate sees it as encouragement. In other cultures (e.g., Brazil or Turkey), it might be offensive.
4. Proxemics (Use of Space)
- In Vietnam: Physical closeness is common, especially among friends or classmates. Group work often involves crowding around a table or device.
- In Western settings: More personal space is expected. Standing too close may feel intrusive.
👉 Result: Vietnamese learners abroad may feel isolated when peers keep physical distance. Western teachers may feel uncomfortable when students lean in too close.
🎓 Classroom Application: Observation and Analysis Task
Let’s bring this into your future teaching practice.
Activity: Cross-Cultural Nonverbal Analysis
- Watch two video clips of classroom interactions:
- One from a Vietnamese EFL class
- One from a Western academic seminar
- Use this observation table:
| Feature | Vietnamese Context | Western Context |
|---|---|---|
| Eye contact | Downward, infrequent | Steady, expected |
| Silence after Qs | Normal, seen as respectful | Seen as hesitation or confusion |
| Gestures | Minimal, often subtle | More expansive, illustrative |
| Teacher proximity | Close, walks among students | More formal distance maintained |
- Reflect:
- How do students show engagement in each setting?
- What potential misinterpretations could occur?
- How can you teach nonverbal cues explicitly?
🤝 Teaching Tip: Acknowledge, Don’t Overcorrect
Avoid framing Vietnamese students’ nonverbal norms as wrong or deficient.
Instead of:
“You need to speak up more and make eye contact.”
Try:
“In this setting, people may expect eye contact as a sign of confidence. How do we balance that with your own comfort and style?”
This promotes intercultural awareness and linguistic flexibility, not assimilation.
🧠 Deeper Insight: Nonverbal Pragmatics and ELF
In English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) settings, where speakers from diverse backgrounds communicate in English, nonverbal negotiation becomes even more important.
Imagine a Japanese learner pausing for reflection — but a Venezuelan peer jumps in, interpreting the silence as a turn-ending signal. Or a Vietnamese teacher interprets a smile as understanding — but the learner simply smiles to hide confusion.
Understanding contextualization cues (Gumperz, 1982) helps us interpret such mismatches. As teachers, we can train learners to both read and manage these signals.
🪞 Self-Reflection: How Do You “Speak” Without Words?
Try this mini-journal:
- How do you use eye contact in your daily communication?
- Have you ever felt misunderstood due to a nonverbal habit (gesture, silence, tone)?
- How would you help a student become aware of culturally different expectations for nonverbal behavior?