Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

akeefe's picture

Air Quotes and Eye Contact

A Ten Minute Transcript in Body Language

 

Audra: sways back and forth, points to the screen.

Anne: a slight leaning of the ring finger, then looks down, touching new fingers with quick strikes. Her hand sweeps to the chest then cascades palms outwards. Rubs her fingers.

Allison: hands come up. Makes minute strokes with her pen.

Anne: pulls hand down past her head, thrusts hands back and forth. (repeated several times.)

Olivia: makes small taps.

Audra: a soft gesture, striking gestures, air quotes and eye contact.

Corey: touches her eyes, then the page. Her head makes slight turns.

Olivia: (hands grasp cheeks)

Corey: small nods with narrow eye brows

Meredith: vigorous head nods.

Anne: Vigorous pulls, light touches forwards, upon the page. Circular motion.

Meredith: touches her heart, touches her fingertips, leans on hand.

Madi: Jazz hands. Transforming into claws and finally a clasp.

Olivia: hands towards herself then touching, rubbing table. Hands strike (a karate chop) open palm.

Corey: thumb across lip, page, a head tilt, a hand grasp.

Ali and Olivia: head nods

Ali: shifts, rubs arm.

Audra: Ringing fist.

 

I cannot know if anyone else is intrigued by the ability to still “follow the conversation” in an sense. I have been having several conversations about body language recently, including its evolution in Csem. What I am struck by is how our body language has been developing. In the beginning, we hardly moved at all. Then last week I was told by someone, “I catch myself doing this (makes gesture) all of the time because you do it so much.” We are beginning to create a vocabulary of motion, something like learning to dance, or speaking sign language, or holding the attention of a room.

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
1 + 3 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.