Non-Verbal Communication

Photo c/o discovery.uk.com

In my Supported Learning class today, we started with my favorite topic, Non-Verbal Communication module. It's going to be a fun session in the next couple of weeks.  And since we're a skills-based institution, I'm so looking forward to this.  I only have nine students, which is a good number, giving me enough time to really concentrate and focus on each student.

We've started with silent exercises, using gestures, body language, signs and symbols to communicate. They also did a bit of research on the web on how different ethnic groups communicate non-verbally. They were equally amused when I showed them how Pinoys point or give directions using our nguso.  My demo brought the house down so to speak!

I also shared with them how I felt really offended the first few days I started my teaching fellowship at the university, when my colleagues would use their index finger to signal me to come to them.  That it was later on that I found out that it's the Kiwi way of calling someone to come.  I told my class, we do it differently in the Philippines, palms open, motioning towards us.  Then one of my students was able to research how the Japanese signal people to come to them.  I won't explain it.  You'll have to do a bit of research for that.

Overall this seems to be an interesting topic and my students are quite engaged and involved.  Already, I'm thinking of coming up with an original short play, which is non-verbal (this will address their difficulty in memorizing lines because of their learning disability), as a culminating activity in November, before they graduate.  I've just found out a really good article on a comedy-horror stage play done by students.  We could possibly do that with just actions, gestures, body language, signs and symbols.  Ah, the simple joy of academic freedom!