NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION-Worksheet 2

NAME: ____________________________________________ DATE: _____________________________

DIRECTIONS: There are THREE passages below. Read each passage TWICE before answering each
question. Answer using complete sentences where applicable. Write neatly and complete all activities.

Body language is a form of nonverbal communication in which physical motions and gestures provide
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signals. 2 A good illustration is the “preening behavior” that accompanies courtship – women stroking their hair
and checking their makeup and men adjusting their hair and tugging at their ties are examples. 3Another system
of nonverbal communication is paralanguage: Voice pitch, volume, pacing of speech, silent pauses, and sighs
provide a rich source of information. 4Proxemics – the way we employ personal social space – also contains
nonverbal messages. 5 For instance, students who sit in the front rows of a classroom tend to be more interested.
We also convey nonverbal messages through touch- stroking, hitting, holding, shaking hands, and so on.
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Finally, we employ certain objects or artifacts – clothing, make up, perfume, etc.- to communicate our gender,
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rank, status, and attitude.

1. In your own words explain what is meant by each of the following:

a. ‘physical motions and gestures provide signals’
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Body language communicates unintentional messages.
______________________________________________________________________________1m

b. Nonverbal communication:
____________________________________________________________________________________
Non verbal communication is communication that involves using gestures and body language.
to convey a message without the use of words.
_________________________________________________________________________________1m
c. ‘preening behaviours’
Preening behaviours are non verbal mannerisms that go hand in hand with courtship
__________________________________________________________________________________________
for example. Where women and men may pay more attention to their appearances.
__________________________________________________________________________1m
d. Proxemics
Proxemics refers to the manner in which people implement personal social space.
________________________________________________________________________________1m
e. Paralanguage
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Paralanguage refers to the sound aspect of communicating a message such as pitch, pauses
__________________________________________________________________________1m
and expressive sounds.

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In the book He Says, She Says, Lillian Glass shows that, in general, men and women communicate differently.
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They differ in their body language, facial expressions, delayed emotions, language, and favoured topics of
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conversation. 3While men gesture away from their body and often sit with outstretched limbs, women gesture
toward their bodies and usually sit with their arms and legs held close. 4Men lean back when listening, _____
women lean forward. 5While listening, women tend to smile and nod. ______________, men tend to frown and
squint. Women laugh and cry more than men. 6______________________, men shout and curse more than
women. 7Less polite than women, men are more inclined to mumble and interrupt. 8Women offer more
compliments and apologies. 9Women’s speech is more formal and correct than men’s, containing less slang and
less faulty grammar. 10Men especially like to joke, talk about their activities, and discuss sports. 11Women,
however, prefer to talk about their feelings and discuss relationships.

1. In one sentence, say what the main idea in this paragraph is.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The main idea is that men and women have different means of communicating and there are
______________________________________________________________________________2m
differences in their behaviour that underscore this.
2. The main idea is expressed in sentence
a. 1 2. 3. 11.

3. The main structure of this paragraph is

a. cause and effects b. compare and contrast c. problem and solution

4. The primary purpose of this passage is to

a. inform b. persuade c. entertain

Complete each sentence below by selecting the correct word

5. 4Men lean back when listening, _____________________ women lean forward.
a. and b. so c. but d. since

6. Women laugh and cry more than men. 6______________________, men shout and curse more than
women.
a. so b. moreover c. however d. on the other hand

7. 5While listening, women tend to smile and nod. ___________________, men tend to frown and squint.
a. In contrast, b. similarly c. likewise d. in comparison

13 marks

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8. Chart the differences between men and women using nonverbal communication. Complete the
table below using information from both passages: 5 marks

Men Women
a.
Men lean back while listening. Women lean forward when listening.

b.
Men tend to frown and squint when listening. Women tend to smile and nod when listening.

c.

Men shout and curse more than women. Women laugh and cry more than men.

d.
Men’s speech is less formal and correct than Women’s speech is more formal and
women’s speech and contains more slang correct than men’s speech and contains
and faulty grammar. less slang and faulty grammar.

e
Men like to joke and talk about their activities. Women prefer to talk about their feelings
and discuss relationships.

9. Suggest TWO contexts (situations) in which you would use both passages. 2m
a. _________________________________________________________________________________
I would use both passages in a magazine.
_________________________________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________________________________
I would also use both passages in a speech.
_________________________________________________________________________________

10. For which of the following audiences are the two passages suitable/relevant?
a. The general public
b. Men only
c. Women only
d. Psychologists

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Based on what you have learnt from both passages about the differences in nonverbal communication between
men and women, what three ways/differences are evident in the picture above? The topic sentence for your
short paragraph is given below.

The picture shows three ways in which nonverbal communication differs between men and women.
Firstly, the man is leaning back whereas the woman is leaning forward. Secondly, the
________________________________________________________________________________________
man appears to be frowning while the woman is smiling. Lastly, the man is gesturing
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
away from his body with outstretched limbs. However, the woman is gesturing towards her body and
keeping her limbs close.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________ 5 marks