浅谈非言语交际及其在交际中的影响

[Abstract] Since language has been come into being, it plays a commanding role as a means of communication, but not the only means of it. Nonverbal communication takes place with verbal one at the same time in the communication. However, verbal communication conveys the message in a convenient and direct way which makes people depend more on such communicative means while neglect the nonverbal one. So it is not surprising that traditionally language studies have emphasized verbal and written forms, but recently nonverbal communication has received more and more attention and become a young science which is related to many other subjects.  
After briefly reviewing achievements made in the study of nonverbal communication, this thesis introduces the definition, classification, function, and cultural differences on cross-cultural nonverbal communication. Aiming to point the significance of nonverbal communication, it focuses on the influence of nonverbal communicative approach in communication, especially in teaching with the implication to it. In reality, nonverbal communication has been widely used in many fields, so it is necessary to learn something about it in order to improve our communicative quality.
[Key Words] nonverbal communication; cultural difference; function; influence; teaching

【摘 要】 自从语言产生以来，言语交际便在人类交际中扮演最主要的角色，但并非是交际的唯一手段。在传播过程中，非言语交际与言语交际是同时进行的，然而言语交际较为快捷地传递信息，因此人们较多依赖于此种交际手段而忽视非言语表达。难怪对于语言的研究，传统上较重视口语及书面语这两种言语交际形式，而很少顾及非言语交际形式；然而近年来，非言语交际手段越来越受到语言学家们的关注，成为一门跨学科的新兴。本文简述了非言语交际的研究成果，从定义、基本分类、功能、跨文化非言语交际的文化差异这几方面对其作了简要介绍。为了指出非言语交际的重要性，着重论述非言语交际在交际中的影响尤其对教学产生的影响，从而得出对教学的启示。在现实生活，非言语交际被广泛应用于许多领域，因此为提高交际质量有必要对非言语交际作一些了解。
【关键词】 非言语交际；文化差异；功能；影响；教学
Introduction
Since language has been come into being, it becomes the most important communicative tool for human being, but not the only one. When we are involved in communicating, we need to mobilize our facial expression, body movement, intonation, temperature, color, smell, clothing and body decoration, time, space and many other ways to communicate with each other, besides using language to transmit information. These means for communication without words are so-called nonverbal communication. Traditionally Language studies have emphasized verbal and written forms, and recently nonverbal communication has received more and more attention. In my paper I’ll present some basic conceptions, functions, cultural difference，and influence on teaching especially.

1. A brief review of nonverbal communication studies
The earliest study of nonverbal communication could be traced back to that of various schools of thinkers in pre-Qin Dynasty and Greek philosopher Aristotle. Confucius paid more attention to appearance and posture in different occasions and Aristotle analyzed expressive ways of behaviors in his works. [1](P10) The scientific study of nonverbal communication primarily started after World War II. One of the most influential pre-twentieth century works was Darwin’s Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals in1872. This work spawned the modern study of facial expression, and many of his observations and ideas have been validated by other researchers. In the first half of the twentieth century, the study of nonverbal communication still remained unsystematic for there were only isolated studies of voice, physical appearance, dress and facial expressions. The three influential works during this period were Kretschmer’s book Physique and Character in1925, Sheldon’s book The Variations of Human Physique in1940, and Efron’s book Gesture and Environment in 1941. In 1950s, there was a significant increase in the number of nonverbal research efforts. Birdwhistell’s Introduction to Kinesics in1952 and Hall’s Silent Language in 1959 were two milestones of this decade. In 1956, Ruesch and Kees produced a book entitled Nonverbal Communication: Notes on the Visual Perception of Human Relations. This was the first book to use the term nonverbal communication in its title. 1960s produced a “nuclear explosion” of nonverbal studies. During this time, the classic theoretical piece was Ekman’s and Friesen’s article on the origins, usage, and coding of nonverbal behavior. The 1970s proved to be a time of summarizing and synthesizing on nonverbal studies. It began with Julius Fast’s Body Language in 1970. This book was the best-selling volume at that time and it has now been translated into several Chinese versions. The1980s were a time of further development of nonverbal communication studies. Some nonverbal researches of this decade focused on identifying the ways a variety of nonverbal signals work together to accomplish common communicative goals. The research on nonverbal behavior in our country began from 1980s. Scholars such as Hu Wenzhong, Bi Jiwan, Deng Yianchang and Liu Runqing have done some research work. [2](P40-41)
Why we began the research on nonverbal communication later than western countries, so far as I know, there’re some reasons for it. Since Joseph Stalin had criticized the “gesture” of Mar in 1950, the scholars in our country who studied linguistic theory considered it as guiding principle to confirm the function of language communication absolutely without considering the position and function of nonverbal communication in communication. As a result, the range of study is only limited to language and communicative tool based on language. [1](P1) And during 1960s-1970s Cultural Revolution happened in our country bringing a disaster to the study of this field.

2. Definition and classification of nonverbal communication
    There are various definitions for nonverbal communication among different scholars. According to Knapp [2](P41) the phrase nonverbal communication refers to communication effect by means other than words (assuming words are the verbal element). When defining nonverbal communication, Samovar and Porter propose that “nonverbal communication involves all those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the source and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver”. In this definition, the role of the environment, the message value of nonverbal stimuli and the communication setting are emphasized as three important factors in nonverbal communication. [2](P41) In short, nonverbal means for communication, which is considered as “silent language”, expresses meanings or feelings without using words.
    As different linguists describe nonverbal communication in different dimensions, there is no general agreement in classification as yet. Here we only propose some of the common topics most communication theorists address themselves to:
“Nonverbal communication consists of all signaling systems that do not use words.”[3](P181)
1) body modes of nonverbal communication(kinesics): posture, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, appearance, smell, shifts in skin color, uses of clothing and body decoration, body orientation, any other movement of any other part of the body;
2) space language(body distance or proxemics): body touch and body distance;
3) paralanguage(voice modulation): speed, pitch, volume, pause, intonation, etc;
4) time language: time orientation (past, present, and future), monochromic (M-time) and polychromic (P-time);
5) environmental communication (interrelationship between people and their environments): architecture, object, color, lighting, odors etc; 
6) communication of genetic characteristics, which are considered by some scholars as nonverbal communication;
7) various art forms and media such as painting, architecture, music, film, ballet, and mime

3. Functions of nonverbal behavior in communication
    In some types of communication people express more nonverbally than verbally. “One study done in the United States showed that in the communication of attitudes, 93% of the message was transmitted by the tone of the voice and by facial expressions, whereas only 7% of the speaker’s attitude was transmitted by words.”[4](P122) Nonverbal communication is significant in human interaction because it is usually responsible for first impression. Think for a moment for how often your first judgments are based on the color of a person’s skin or the manner in which he or she is dressed. More important, those initial messages usually influence the perception of everything else that follows.
    Nonverbal behaviors and verbal communication interact in communication process. For simplicity, nonverbal communication serves to repeat, complement, reinforce, substitute, regulate or even contradict our verbal behavior. [4](P137-139)
3.1Repeating
    Nonverbal communication can simply repeat what was said verbally. For instance, verbal statements of agreement or disagreement are often accompanied by a nod or shake of the head to convey positive or negative feelings. We might hold up our hand in the gesture that signifies a person to stop at the same time we actually use the word “stop”. Or we might point in a certain direction after we have just said  (when tell a person the way to the railway station, you generally add a little information by pointing in the proper direction.). These could be considered repetition because they indicate the same meaning as the verbal messages.
3.2Complementing
Closely related to repeating is complementing. Although messages that repeat can stand alone, complementing generally adds more information to messages. Nonverbal signals can modify or elaborate on verbal messages. The actors or actresses of comedy or skit or short crosstalk are good at performing body language to make their performance lively and more easily attract the attention of audiences. If you tell your friend that you have no money to lend him, you may turn out your pockets to show your sincere regret. You can tell someone that you are pleased with his or her performance, but this message takes on extra meaning if you pat the person on the shoulder at the same time. These important actions help us to complement, complete our verbal behavior. You can see how an apology becomes more forceful if your face, as well as your words, is saying, “I’m sorry.”
This function of nonverbal communication indicates that nonverbal communication is supplementary to verbal behavior in communication. If it separates from verbal language, the message conveyed by nonverbal symbols will fail to be understood which results in failure of performing normal human communication. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stressed the art of speech. Once in his speech, he said, “The level of our life now has exceeded any time in history, for we eat so much.” To this point, he stopped on purpose looking at the audiences for a while. Then he continued with the finger pointing to his huge stomach, “this is powerful evidence.” Churchill used nonverbal approach twice to assist verbal language. At first, he intentionally used pause to attract the attention of the mass; then he skillfully used the body language----pointing his beer belly to receive vivid effect. [5](P17) So only when linguistic communication system mixes with nonverbal communication can it form a complete communicative system. If it breaks away from the cooperation and assistance of nonverbal behavior, it is hard to attain effective goal of communication.
3.3Reinforcing
    Nonverbal signals may be used to emphasize a portion of the verbal message. People frequently use movements of the head and hands such as nods, blinks, squints, and shrugs, to help accent or punctuate the verbal message. If you say “I love you” to someone you care about, a hug or kiss is usually followed. Reinforcing can also be achieved by changing the pitch or stress on a word or group of words. Our entire meaning relies more heavily on words that are accented. For instance:
(1) I want to talk with him. (The sentence meaning lays emphasis on the person who wants to talk.)
(2) I want to talk with him. (The sentence meaning relies on the action that the person wants to perform.)
(3) I want to talk with him. (The sentence meaning puts stress on the conversational partner with whom the person wants to communicate.)
3.4Substituting
    We use substitution in nonverbal communication when we perform some action instead of speaking. Quite a few nonverbal messages are commonly use to take the place of words. If you see a very special friend, you are apt to enlarge the size of your smile and throw open your arms to greet him or her, which is a substitute for all the words it would take to convey the same feeling. If a group of people is boisterous, you might place your index finger to your lips as an alternative to saying, “Please calm down so that I can speak.” Sometimes, when we are too sad or excited to say anything, we just keep silent. Our silence may replace any verbal messages. In some situation verbal words are unnecessary for silence at the moment surpasses words. [6](P12) Before Iraq was intruded by the US, Iraqi ex-president Saddam Hussein fired toward the sky in the presence of the mass to show the anger and the decision of fighting against the US. (from TV report) The action the president showed would be more powerful than words that called on the Iraqi people to counterattack American troops. For deaf-mutes, born to be unable to communicate verbally like normal people, the sign language or gesture provides opportunity for them to communicate with others in the silent world. In this case, nonverbal communication replaces the function of verbal one.
    For nonverbal communication to act as substitution, it must be interpreted in specific culture. Here are some examples: If we try to use our culture’s nonverbal substitutes in another culture, misunderstandings may occur. Arab men often greet by kissing on both cheeks. In Buddhism countries of Southeast Asia like Thailand, people greet with both hands closed in front of chest. In Japan, men greet by bowing, and in the United States, people shake hands. Americans who say “I” by pointing to their chests would not be understood in Japan, where “I” is symbolized by pointing to one’s nose.
3.5Regulating
    We often regulate and manage communication by using some form of nonverbal behavior: we nod our head in agreement to indicate to our communication partner that we agree and that he or she should continue talking; or we remain silent for a moment and let the silence send the message that we are ready to begin our speech. Nonverbal behaviors usually represent the most efficient and least offensive means of regulating interaction. To say, “Shut up, Tom” may trigger a hostile and defensive reaction; to present the same message by eye contact or gesture is a more desirable way. Nodding and eye contact are two typical nonverbal hints that mean “I want to talk” and “It’s your turn to talk”. When we want to indicate we have finished speaking and the other person can start in a conversation, we may increase our eye contact with the other person. Conversely, if we want to keep the other from speaking, we may decrease eye contact and perhaps raise the volume. When we do not want to take a speaking turn, we might reinforce our head nods and maintain attentive eye contact. Rapid nods may signal the speaker to hurry up and finish while slow and silent nods usually indicate the speaker’s talking will continue.
3.6Contradicting
    The term contradicting includes a variety of ways verbal and nonverbal signals are not in agreement with each other. A young woman told her psychological doctor that she was deeply in love with her boy friend with shaking her head at the same time that unconsciously disapproved what she said. [7](P3) “He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret.”(Sigmund Freud[3](P181)) That is to say, our nonverbal actions would tell the truths that are tried to cover by verbal messages. You tell someone you are relaxed and at ease, yet your voice quavers and your hands shake.
    The contradictory message occurs because people do not want to tell the truth and they do not want to lie. In most cases, we don’t like to contradict others, hurt their feeling or let them lose face. When a friend gave a terrible presentation, we may say “You did it quite well.” but our voice, face and body may not support the words. On other occasions, people even use contradictory messages to communicate sarcasm or irony, saying one thing with words but meaning the opposite with vocal tone or facial expressions.
Because people rely mostly on nonverbal messages when they receive conflicting data, we need to be aware of the dangers inherent in sending opposing messages.

4.Some nonverbal behaviors in different cultures
    Much of our difficulty with people in other countries stems from the fact that so little is known about nonverbal communication. Formal training in the language, history, government, and customs of another nation is only the first step in a comprehensive program. Of equal importance is an introduction to the nonverbal language which exists in every country of the world and among the various groups within each country.
    Culture is all-persuasive, multidimensional, and boundless; it is everywhere and in everything. The same is also true of nonverbal behavior. Our clothes and jewelry, the countless expressions we can reflect with our face, the hundreds of movements we can make with our bodies, where and how we touch people, our gaze and eye contact, vocal behaviors such as laughter, and our use of time, space, and silence are just some of the behaviors in which we engage that serve as message.
4.1General appearance and dress  
    In intercultural communication, appearance and objects are important because the standards we apply and the judgments we make are subject to cultural interpretations. In the United States, people tend to value the appearance of tall, slender women. In Japan, diminutive females are deemed the most attractive.
    Clothing---how much, how little, and what kind---is also a reflection of a culture’s value orientation. For example, modesty is highly valued among Arabs. Muslim girls usually wear scarves to cover their heads, and in most instances, girls are not allowed to participate in swimming classes because of the prohibitions against exposing their bodies.
4.2Gestures
Gestures refer to specific body movements that carry meaning. Hands can form shapes that convey many meanings that may differ among cultures. What is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. One culture may determine that snapping fingers to call waiter is appropriate; another may consider this gesture rude. For instance, the “OK” gesture in the American culture is a symbol for money in Japan. The same gesture is obscene in some Latin American countries; while for Chinese or people in the South of France is zero or nothing. [6](P13)
The same movement with different meaning in cross-cultural communication will lead to misunderstanding in minor degree otherwise to court disaster. The gesture for applauding over the head in America usually means arrogance to defeat the counterpart, while in Russia it is a symbol of friendship. When the Soviet Premier Khrushchev visited America, he performed such gesture to indicate friendship, but this made many Americans feel uncomfortable. [6](P13)

5. The influence of nonverbal communicative approach in communication
Ray Birdwhistell of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the pioneer prime movers in contemporary American studies of nonverbal communication, has estimated that perhaps 30 to 35 percent of human communication occurs through words, the rest through nonverbal modes. [3](P182) Obviously, the majority of communicative messages are conveyed by nonverbal modes that play an important role in communication.
Nonverbal communicative approach has some characteristics to give strong influence on communication. Firstly, nonverbal symbol has a quality of distinctiveness. We can often see some clearly marked symbols that can be understood at first sight at the airport or on the roadside of railway or highway to send various instructions to conduct transportation. When we meet joyous occasion or funeral arrangements, we dress in bright red to express congratulations while in black to express heartfelt condolences and consolation to the family of the deceased. [5](P16) This kind of nonverbal symbol of dress can express human’s mood more simply, directly and distinctively, which can be easily accepted. On the other hand, sometimes nonverbal communication is faintly visible and indistinctive. It is appropriate to use the indistinctive nonverbal communicative approach in some special occasion. Imagine that when your girl friend or boy friend want to expose your embarrassed experience to your friends, but you are unwilling to let it happen, so you try to stop it. If you shout, “Shut up!” it may result in a tense atmosphere and hurting the feeling of your honey; while with angry stare, such indistinctive signal, both of you can avoid involving in the embarrassment.[9](P15)
5.1The influence of nonverbal communicative approach in the mass media
    It is well known to us that an attractive actor or actress can gain the acknowledgement of the audience like the famous comedy actor Chaplin due to performing more nonverbally than verbally. Chaplin’s excellent performance in silent film gave us deep impression because of his proper application of nonverbal communicative approach to express his ideas and send message to the audiences. Zhao Benshan , a famous skit actor with local color in our country, is good at using his body language to amuse the audiences. There’s Nor Play in Japan (a kind of Japanese traditional play---non ge ki in Japanese) that actors wear masks which are totally lack of expression on performance. In order to express more profound joyous or sorrowful feeling, they often perform with the back towards the audiences. Although there is no expression on their backs, they can stimulate the imagination of the audiences on the contrary, for the audiences can discode various signals sent from the flat back of actor. [10](P158) Writers also make good use of nonverbal communicative approach to serve their works, especially to novelists. Sherlock Holmes shaped by Arthur Conan Doyle is a successful hero which is contributed to the fact that Holms know how to make good use of majority of nonverbal communication and gain the message in a maximum from observation. [11](P36)
    Different types of TV programmes reflect different types of communication. Recreational programmes focus on relaxing and amusing topic, so the anchors always pay attention to nonverbal communication besides their words; while some news programmes often focus on serious topic in formal circumstance, the nonverbal communicative application of the anchors is not so obvious as that of anchors to host entertainment programmes. One of famous variety show in Taiwan Kang Xi Lai le also called Come Near to Famous Stars is a good example. The characteristics of the anchors are the use of exaggerative body language and talk with no restrictions which give us a sense of humor and relaxing atmosphere. Above the rich emotion of the anchors, the scenes of studio well-matched with the theme give us a relaxed feeling.  
5.2 The influence of nonverbal communicative approach in the teaching and the implication to teaching.
Teaching is not only imparting knowledge to students, but also is communication between teachers and students. In the communication between teachers and students, nonverbal communication is more important than verbal one. The body language of both teachers and students plays active role in teaching. Teachers need to work hard to captivate and sustain the attention of students in order to vitally engage students. Teachers need to be aware that power in captivating and influencing students is often in the nonverbal aspects of teaching and communication. Students are often more attentive to what teachers do than to what they say. Teachers need to concern themselves with visual issues and body language in communication and teaching.
In general speaking, nonverbal symbol communicate two-way emotion of both teacher and students to send the teaching message successfully; nonverbal symbol can attract attention of students which is beneficial to organize and optimize teaching; nonverbal symbol conveys more rich and vivid message of knowledge to increase density of message and degree of students’ acceptance of useful message. [5](P17-18)
    Teachers can benefit a lot from body language: Firstly, the teachers can penetrate into students’ inner thought and get a proper way to communicate with the students by correctly identifying their body language; secondly, body language can be used effectively by teachers to show their rich emotions. To be a good teacher, it is very important to set yourself as a good example. Good communicative techniques in both verbal and nonverbal ways can help you to be an attractive communicator. Here, we mainly focus on body language to show how it plays its role in teaching.
    Effective teachers know instinctively how to use effective body languages to gain and hold students’ interest. They are also aware of the impact that body languages have upon students and are always looking for opportunities to incorporate these into their lessons.
5.2.1Physical appearance
    Physical attractiveness is an advantage in interpersonal communication. Physical appearance is especially important during first impressions. This rule also works between teachers and students. Generally speaking, the students have formed a conception that the fat teacher is kind and easygoing, but the thin one is serious and incommunicative. A beautiful or handsome teacher is more easily attractive than the common one. A beautiful voice can absorb the student, but young teacher with strong body and butch haircut can frighten the students.
5.2.2Use of eyes
    “Eyes are windows of the soul.” Eyes, an important part on our faces, can convey the subtlest emotion. Eye contact plays an important role in the communication between teachers and students. A good teacher always knows how to use eye contact. Teachers often have a face to face communication with the students, so eye contact can be described in the following kinds: seriousness, attention, warmth, and negative eye expression.
5.2.3Facial expression
    A smile gives positive feedback and impacts the affective domain by communicating pleasure, trust, friendliness, interest, excitement, or surprise; a deadpan expression communicates distrust, low energy, and disinterest. Friendly and sincere smile of teachers can make the communication relax which can remove the barrier of students caused by nervousness and shyness. At the same time smile can show the confidence of the teachers as well as enhance the reliance of students to the teachers. When the teacher is ing to the reply of students, the signals sent by the smile are “I’m listening to you carefully”, “what you said are wonderful” etc. Sometimes it can help to encourage students to express their ideas freely. According to my experience, foreign teachers are good at using facial expression to attract students. Take my oral teacher, a Canadian, for example. He is a lovely old man with rich emotions and has some techniques to express himself naturally. His rich facial expressions make us absorb his lessons and never have opportunity to distract.
5.2.4To catch the cooperative information in time 
    The situation must go well if the student is willing to cooperate with the teacher. The teacher can try to give him some practical advice. Therefore, in the mutual communication, the teacher should concentrate on observing the student’s body language and catch the right information immediately.
    If the student is sitting; we can observe his sitting posture. Sitting forward and looking into the teacher enthusiastically are the signals for cooperation. Some researchers show that if there are ten people at meeting, five of them sitting with crossed legs, the others touching the faces with hands; sitting with the legs crossed indicates nervousness and guardedness. So normally the latter five are more willing to cooperate with the meeting organizer. Hence, if a student sits toward the teacher, it shows his cooperative readiness. Especially when talking about an interesting topic, the students would move nearer and nearer to the teacher and talk in loud voice at the same time. It is also found that if the student doesn’t give you any definite verbal promise, you should observe some of his petty actions: loose wrist, no fist; palm spreading on the table; taking away the barriers on the table; hand supporting the chin. The above actions indicate that your work has achieved a positive effect, you should further your communication with the student. But the student’s body gestures are not dependable. Whether their verbal languages accord with the body languages; individual body languages accord with the whole should be considered. The messages conveyed by body languages can be different in different places, people, time and cultural background. Some are purely individual habits. Due to the traditional relationship between teacher and student, the students are not likely to take some obvious negative actions.
5.2.5How to judge the degree of thinking
    Whether the teacher’s information can stimulate the students to think is a very important premise to ensure an effective communication. Therefore, the teacher should keep observing the students’ response. Supporting the face with hands is a typical posture to show people’s meditation, interest and attention. When you talk with the student, he supports his head with one or both hands, leans forward, and sometimes even blinks his eyes slightly. It means he is interested in what you say and accepts your idea. But sometimes the student may put one hand on the face, it means he holds opposite attitude to your view. Head leaning to one side and fingers grasping the chin after listening a while with respective attitude, means “I can take it into consideration.” Many good students often adopt this posture when making a decision. Provided that the student sucks the thumb, tears nails, or rotates the pen or pencil when thinking, it indicates he is in an anxious conflict and needs to be supported and encouraged. So if the teacher acts correctly, he can make quick decisions.
5.2.6How to see through the lie of students
    Sometimes the students don’t like to tell the truth, which becomes a barrier in mutual communication. If a teacher wants to know the real thought of the students, he can always get the right information by tracing down students’ body language.
    Some behaviors are characteristic of individuals when they are lying:
    More speech errors.
    Less smiling or more fake smiling.
    More speech hesitations.
    Shorter answers, often reply in “yes” or “no”.
    Vague answers with less specific or concrete information.
    It is essential for a teacher to have an overall understanding of a student, which is an effective way to break the lie. When facing the parents, the child feels difficult to lie successfully. As soon as the child was born, the child began to communicate with the parents. The parents know every expression in their child’s eyes, a subtle action, even the way of going up and down the stairs. Undoubtedly, parents are the very persons who know their children. Unlike the parents, the teacher cannot know every side of the students. But it does not mean it is impossible for the teachers to see through the students’ lie. If the teacher gives a careful observation of the students, it’s not so difficult to find their secret.
    Firstly, when a student is telling a lie, the teacher can observe many subtle movements of the students, such as touching lips, nose and eyelids. Although some persons also act like that when thinking or out of the individual habit, these actions are different, with the aim to conceal the real signal possibly revealed by the mouth and eyes. However, as the child grows up, he will slightly modify them on purpose, so these hand movements would be transformed into touching mouth, nose, ears and eyes with fingertips. Secondly, when a student is telling a lie, usually he cannot speak in a fluent way, but stumbles with some special physical symptoms. When a teacher meets such situation, he should carefully identify the student’s body language and take some proper measures.
5.2.7To create a favorable environment for teaching
    Whether the environment is suitable for teaching also influence the quality of teaching. It concerns the size of the classroom, the furniture of the classroom and the distance between the teacher and students, etc. 
    Firstly, I will stress the influence of space to teaching. If the classroom is too big for a small group of students, students will sit so sparsely that will be not convenient to communicate with each other. And in a big classroom the distance between the teacher and students will be farther, as a result, the teacher’s voice will be not well spread so it is not easy for students sitting in the behind to hear clearly that will due to reduce students’ interest to the lesson. If students lose the interest to the lesson, they will not pay attention to the teacher so the cooperation between the teacher and students will fail. In such circumstance, the quality of teaching will strongly affect. I have such experience in the university. It was a selected lesson, which was few students to choose, but it was arranged to have lessons in a big classroom that will have capacity of more than eighty students and it is too big for only thirty students. In such a big room students can sit freely that some students choose to sit in the behind or in the corner on purpose where the teacher will not pay more attention to easily, thus they can do their things. Though I insisted on listening to the teacher carefully at first for I thought the lesson would have been interesting, I lost the interest at last for the teacher couldn’t activate the atmosphere of the class and attract the attention of students. Secondly, to remove the barrier between teacher and students is beneficial to create a favorite environment for teaching. In western countries teacher and students always sit together in a circle which will reduce the distance between teacher and students so as to make close relationship between each other thus among them will be more chances to interact. My oral English teacher, a foreigner, paid attention to remove the mental defense of students, so he always removed the desk in the front of the classroom which is considered to be a barrier of communication between teacher and students or he made us sit in a circle to make us feel closer. He thought that an unbarricaded teacher would be willing to encourage the development of different viewpoints of students and give individual attention to students who need it. So I think this is the reason for why his lesson was so popular among students in our department.
So a favorite environment is a key factor to engage students in the lesson. 
 
Conclusion
In the past decades, many linguists, sociologists, language teachers and communication specialists have done a lot of researches concerning nonverbal communication. But nonverbal communication is still a young science which needs to be studied further. This paper gives a general introduction of nonverbal communication and stresses its influence in communication, specially pointing the important role in teaching and implication to teaching. Successful communication among people concerns verbal behavior as well as nonverbal one. So in order to improve the quality of our communication, it is helpful to learn something about this important form of human communication.