ASUN CUESTA
English Teacher
Session Body Language
Task 1

DID YOU KNOW that to NOD implies a vertical movement of your head and means «yes ».
On the contrary, to SHAKE ONE'S HEAD conjures up a horizontal movement from left to right and means « no».
Your head may, sometimes, replace words, and so many other parts of your bodies: if you shrug, you may either express your ignorance, but your indifference too, which is very rude. Therefore, do try to avoid this gesture or if you can't refrain, say a few words to make the gesture more explicit and less rude.
As we're going to see in the following presentation, our arms and hands express many varied reactions and feelings or may replace or accompany many different words and shouts.
Thanks to all those gestures, and to all those words, you may communicate better, which is the aim of a language.
Let´s see some and in pairs: one student says the gesture, e.g. nod your head, and the partner mimes or acts it out. You take turns.
Task 2

READING: Body Language
Everybody wants to make a good impression when they meet someone for the first time, but did you know that 80 % of the impression you give comes not from the words you say but from your body language? Following these tips will help you to feel more confident and able to create a positive impact when meeting strangers.
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1 * Make eye contact, but don’t stare. Too much eye contact may seem aggressive or suggest romantic interest. Not enough eye contact, on the other hand, might make you seem unconfident or uninterested. Something in the middle will indicate that you are interested and relaxed. If you are in a group of several people, shift your eye contact between the people you are with since this will show respect for everybody in the group.
2 * Smile, but not too much. A smile can make you look more warm, friendly and confident even when you’re feeling nervous.
Smile when you are introduced to someone, but
don’t keep a smile on your face permanently or
you’ll seem insincere. If smiling feels unnatural to you, just relax your facial muscles, but it will also help you to feel it. Laugh when someone makes a joke, but avoid laughing at your own jokes, otherwise you’ll seem nervous.
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3 * Use your hands more confidently. Instead of fidgeting with your hands, use them to add emphasis to what you are saying. Exaggerated hand movements, however, might make you seem nervous or uncontrolled.
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Remember that improving your body language will not only increase your attractiveness, but it will also make you feel more positive. However, it needs to be taken one step at a time. Attempting to change all your habits at once might feel overwhelming.
Exercise 1: Find at least 4 contrast connectors in the text above.
Exercise 2: Find at least 4 body expressions or gestures, eg: shifts eyes
Exercise 3: Find at least 4 movements verbs.
Exercise 4: Look for sentences written in present simple, past simple, future simple, and present continuous (one of each)
Exercise 5: Answer the following questions
* If you are with several people, why is it a good idea to make eye contact with everyone?
* What can you do if smiling seems false to you?
Exercise 6: Find a word/phrase in the text which has a similar meaning to the following (can be more than one):
1. when you aren´t excited and not interested in something.
2. play with your hands
3. one after another.
4. to bend forward
5. not relaxed because you are worried about something.
Task 3

Each student has to choose four of the verbs and write a sentence for each (two in past simple and two in present perfect). You can´t repeat the verb.
Compare with the rest of the group. (Turning paper)
Then, do the following exercises.(Finish at home, as homework)
