When you learn a foreign language y

When you learn a foreign language you must learn more than just the vocabulary and the grammar.To communicate successfully in speech,you must also learn the nonverbal language,or “body language” of that culture.“Body language” is a term used to describe facial expressions,gestures,and other movements of the body that send messages.This means of communication is so important that we may actually say more with our movements than we do with words.Speaking a foreign language is sometimes difficult because we may not understand the nonverbal signals of another culture,or they may mean something very different from what they mean in our own culture.For example,nodding the head up and down is a gesture that conveys a different message in different parts of the world.In North America,it means “I agree.” In the Middle East,nodding the head down means “I agree” and up means “I disagree.” In a conversation among Japanese,it often simply means “I am listening.” One Japanese student in the United States learned the difference the hard way.While speaking with a salesman,the student nodded his head politely to show that he was paying attention.The text day the salesman brought a new washing machine to the student’s apartment.Although we spend many years learning how to speak a foreign language,misunderstandings can occur unless we also know the nonverbal language and the correct behavior of that culture.We are not really prepared to communicate in a foreign language unless we know whether to shake hands or bow,when to sit and stand,and how to behave in unfamiliar situations.Perhaps a fifth skill ought to be added to the four traditional communications skills of reading,writing,speaking,and listening:cultural awareness.