Facial Expression
The most important zone to “read” for emotions is the face. Facial expressions are perhaps the most important nonverbal way in which emotions are manifested. They communicate a mood, attitude, opinion, feeling, or other message by contracting the muscles of the face . We can express feelings of hate, fear, enjoyment, sadness and other primary human feelings to other people, without having to learn it. The understanding of emotions that are expressed via body language is probably also hereditary.
We have 80 muscles in our face that can create more than 7,000 facial expressions. The first major scientific study of facial communication was published by Charles Darwin in 1872. Darwin concluded that many expressions and their meanings are universal. There are around six main types of facial expressions that are found in all cultures:
happiness - round eyes, smiles, raised cheeks;
disgust - wrinkled nose, lowered eyelids and eyebrow, raised upper lip;
fear - around eyes, open mouth;
anger - lowered eyebrow and an intense stare;
surprise - raised eyebrow, wide open eyes, open mouth;
sadness - area around mouth and eyes
Among many facial gestures, the smile, the worldwide sign of friendliness and approval , seems to deserve a special attention. It is the simplest and most obvious language of the body. A smile shows affection and conveys politeness. It transmits happiness, warmth, liking and affiliation. It is particularly important to those who work with people to be conscious of the body language and remember to smile once in a while. This is especially true for teachers, because nonverbal messages are essential for a successful communication in the teaching process. According to studies, persuasive communicators exhibit more animated facial expressions and more gestures to emphasize their points.
On the whole , if teachers smile frequently, they will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and students will react favorably and learn more.
|
