Body language in interviews
I spend a lot of time interviewing people, and watching their body language is part of my job.
First impressions are important. As people say, "You only get one chance to make a first impression."1hands firmly(坚定地) is important—people don't like it if your hand2like a cold fish. Eye contact is also important—you should look at the interviewer in his or her eyes,3don't make him or her feel strange.
Remember to use good body language4you sit down too. Interviewers like people5look interested and sit up straight. If you sit6a lazy way, you will give the interviewer a very7impression. You should show respect and interest by smiling and nodding your head when the interviewer speaks. Also, try not to hold your arms across8chest. It will make you look bored and nervous.
Make sure your face and body are turned towards the interviewer. If you turn away, the interviewer9think you are ready to run out of the door.
Finally, don't touch your face too much. Studies show that when people10, they often touch their faces, especially their noses. If you use good body language and the right gestures, you will appear confident, friendly and honest.
People usually communicate by speaking or writing. However, people in some jobs depend on gestures for1.
Railway workers on the ground have to communicate with engineers on the trains.2this, they use flags. To tell the train to "go", for example, a railway worker3the flag above his head and moves it up and down.
Soldiers in war often cannot hear each other, so they use gestures to send4to each other. When a leader wants other soldiers to follow him, he points towards them, and then he uses his arm to point in the direction they should go. Soldiers from different countries use similar gestures to communicate with each other when they do not speak the same5.
Gestures are used in6as well. For example, when a classical concert takes7, musicians follow the directions of the conductor. He will lead the musicians through his8. These gestures tell the musicians when to play, and when to stop. They also tell when the music should be loud or soft, and fast or slow. Of course, the musicians must understand the9of these gestures to play well together.
Many other jobs use gestures, but you may not always10them. Next time you are out on the street, have a look around. You might be surprised by how many gestures you see in use.
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Knowing the eye contact ◆If a person doesn't want to make eye contact, there may be something he doesn't want you to know. ◆People who are looking for a piece of memory often look up. People who make up (编造) something often look down. |
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Knowing the looks on their faces ◆A person with a true smile smiles with his or her mouth and eyes. ◆A person with an untrue smile does not smile with the eyes. |
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Knowing body language about hands and feet ◆Hands in pockets may mean the person is keeping his distance. ◆Feet pointing towards the door of the house may mean the person really wants to leave. |
Every day we communicate with others—often with symbols or gestures. Here are some of the most common gestures.
Shaking Hands
Shaking hands has been done since at least the second century BC. It's a symbol of trust. Nowadays we usually shake the right hands. But in the old times, people also shook left hands. The world record for handshakes is held by a man from New Jersey, who shook 11, 000 hands in a single day.
Thumbs Up
The thumbs up sign is thought to come from contests in Rome. There people decided whether the fighter would live or die by thumbs up or thumbs down. In fact it came from an old English saying "Here's my thumb on it", which was used to seal a bargain(达成交易). Businessmen held their thumbs up and extended them, until the two touched each other.
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Rochambeau, or rock, paper, scissors, is played all over the world to solve some difficult disagreements. A judge in Florida ordered people in a case to use this game to solve it. In Indonesia, it is earwig(蜈蚣), human, and elephant. The earwig drives the elephant mad. The human kills the earwig, and the elephant kills the human. If you know why it is called Rochambeau, please let me know. It's still a mystery.
OK
The real history of this sign is lost. Some people think it refers to American president Martin Van Buren. He was often called "Old Kinderhook". Others say it is the bad handwriting which made OR—standing for "order received" into OK.
Do you use hand gestures when you talk? Do you open your mouth and eyes wide when you are surprised? These are all examples of body language. How important can it be? Follow these and have a look.
Body language does not use words. It uses the movement or position of your body to show certain meanings. According to American scientist Edward T. Hall, in a conversation between two people, 65 percent of communication is body language. In some cases you even express yourself without words. For example, if your friend asks you to join him on a picnic, you will give him an "OK" gesture to say"Yes, sounds great！" Sometimes, your words say one thing, but your body language says another. You may do things unconsciously(无意识地) like touching your face while telling a lie.
In different cultures, the same body language means different things. In the US, making eye contact(眼神交流) with someone means you are interested in what the person is saying. But in some Asian countries, it is rude to look into a person's eyes during a conversation.
Sometimes, different body language expresses the same meaning. Take "hello" for example. French people kiss cheeks (脸颊) to say hello. Japanese people bow(鞠躬). Maoris in New Zealand, however, touch noses in greeting.
What are you trying to say?
Body language is important to teenagers. Understanding this language helps you to communicate better with others.
Different gestures mean different things in different countries. Sometimes a gesture that is polite in one country is not polite in another and should not be used. A gesture that many people do not understand is one that uses the thumb. Most Westerners will sometimes show that they like something by holding out a closed hand with the thumb lifting in the air. Often, only one thumb is used, so it should be "the thumb up".
The usual explanation for the origin of this gesture is not really correct. When people were pleased with the way a gladiator (角斗士) had fought, they showed their thumbs up. When they were not pleased, they gave the thumbs down. When a gladiator was given the thumbs up, the emperor allowed him to live.
If people wanted to save the gladiator, they held out their hands and hid their thumbs in their hands. If they wanted the gladiator to die, they pointed their thumbs straight at him.
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A. When a gladiator was given the thumbs down, the emperor ordered him to be killed. B. This is called giving someone or something "the thumbsup". C. Using the palm as a gesture has different meanings in different cultures. D. Different meanings of gestures can also cause problems in understanding what another person is trying to say. E. It is said that this gesture could date back to ancient Roman times. F. The truth is, however, it was translated into a wrong meaning by mistake. G. As we know, different people from different countries can understand their own gestures. |
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interest, look, use, matter, as, lie, if, how, mean, such |
Body language makes up (构成) 50% of a conversation, whether we mean to or not. Since people don't always say what they mean at work, Robert Phipps, a British body language expert, tells you to understand it.
If someone has the same idea yours, he'll often have the same posture (姿势) as yours. But if a person's body and feet are turned away from you even though (即便) he is at you, it means he would rather be moving the way his feet are pointing.
Most people cross their arms they have different ideas. So even though they say they agree with you, if they then cross their arms, they really don't. So try to find out what's the with them or draw it out by giving them something to look at or asking them to do something, as writing something down.
If you're training some people, it's to know how their mind works. If their eyes move up and to the left while you're talking to them, they think of information actively. If the eyes only move to the left, they think of sounds. But eyes' moving to the right and down may show they learn through their feelings. When people are , they don't often use their hands naturally but make a lot of handtoface gestures. Covering the mouth with hands or fingers means what they are saying is not true. Tilting (倾斜) the head to the side shows an in what's being said. When people shake their heads, they are showing they don't agree with you. Using a hand to support your head you're feeling tired.
Yesterday, Officer Mark Black gave a lecture at City Hall on how you should protect yourself through the use of body language.
"The most important thing," he said, "is to be confident. Wherever you go, stand up straight and hold your head up. Don't look nervous or afraid. "
Besides general advice, Officer Black also had some special advice for some people.
For example, he said, "If you are a shop assistant, you should always give a greeting to each person as they enter the shop. You may not be able to say ‘Hi', but you should at least look them in the eye and nod your head. A criminal(罪犯) usually does not like to look you in the eye, so if someone enters your shop and does not look at you, you need to watch him. "
And he also gave some advice for tourists worried by pickpockets(扒手). "The best advice," he said, "is not to look like a tourist. Tourists often wear clothes such as Tshirts and shorts because they are on holiday. Dress yourself like local people, and you will get less trouble. Walk confidently and quickly, and pay attention to(注意)the people around you. This will all make a big difference. "
It's about how to protect yourself by using .
I should stand up straight and hold .
I should look them in the eye and .
He advised them to be dressed like .
We should look instead of nervous or afraid.
A: Hi, Rose. Do you like travelling around the world?
B: Yes, I do. I like travelling to different places. I was on vacation last month.
A: ?
B: I went to Beijing on vacation. It is one of the most famous cities that I have ever known.
A: Yeah, Beijing is the capital of China. Did you go anywhere special there?
B: . I went to the Great Wall with some Chinese friends.
A: ?
B: It is wonderful. As far as I know, there are no other manmade objects as big as this. It is the longest wall in the world.
A: Wow, that's amazing! ?
B: Everything tasted really good! There was lots of delicious food in Beijing. And I bought some Beijing duck for my parents.
A: That sounds great! ?
B: I have been there for ten days.
A: Did everyone have a good time?
B: Yes. Everything was excellent.
