Body language online - 6 Minute English

Summary

In this episode of BBC's 6 Minute English, hosts Neil and Sam discuss the evolution of body language in the digital age, particularly during online video meetings. They explore how the lack of face-to-face interaction affects communication and introduce Erica Dhawan, author of 'Digital Body Language', who offers tips for clear digital communication. Dhawan suggests strategies like slowing down and creating 'water cooler moments' to mimic in-person interactions and enhance online engagement.

Takeaways

• 😀 Body language is a crucial aspect of communication that is affected by the shift to online video meetings.
• 📱 Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype became prevalent during the Covid pandemic and are likely to remain a part of our communication landscape.
• 🤔 Erica Dhawan, author of 'Digital Body Language', suggests strategies to improve communication in the digital age, such as slowing down and allowing time for others to process information.
• 👀 Making eye contact is challenging in online meetings, which can lead to a 'distancing' effect compared to in-person interactions.
• ⏰ Dhawan recommends practicing a 'five-second rule' to allow time for others to respond, especially considering potential technology or accessibility issues.
• 😄 Smiling and laughing are less frequent in video meetings due to screen delays and self-consciousness about one's on-screen appearance.
• 💡 Creating 'intentional moments' for informal conversation, or the 'water cooler effect', can help foster a more natural and relaxed atmosphere in online meetings.
• 🗣️ Erica Dhawan overcame her shyness by copying the body language of her more confident peers, highlighting the importance of observation and adaptation in communication skills.
• 🧠 Processing information in online settings requires deliberate effort, as the lack of immediate non-verbal cues can make it harder to gauge others' reactions and thoughts.
• 🌐 The concept of 'in unison' is less common in digital communication, affecting group dynamics like laughter and collective responses.

Q & A

What is 'body language' as discussed in the transcript?

Body language refers to non-verbal ways of communicating using gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact, which is crucial in face-to-face communication.

How did Covid-19 affect body language in communication?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, meetings moved online, making it harder to use body language effectively. Eye contact and gestures became difficult to interpret through web cameras, creating a 'distancing' effect.

What was the main question posed in the program?

The main question was how body language has changed in the world of online video meetings.

Who is Erica Dhawan, and what is her expertise?

Erica Dhawan is a communication expert and the author of 'Digital Body Language,' a book that provides insights into clear communication in the digital age.

What advice does Erica Dhawan give to improve communication in online meetings?

Erica Dhawan suggests slowing down during online meetings and using a five-second rule to give people time to process ideas. This is important due to possible technology or accessibility issues.

Why is it difficult to make eye contact in online meetings?

Eye contact is hard to achieve in online meetings because web cameras are often positioned differently from the screen, preventing people from looking directly into each other's eyes.

What is the 'water cooler effect' mentioned in the program?

The 'water cooler effect' refers to informal, casual conversations between coworkers, typically in an office setting, such as around a water cooler, in the kitchen, or in the elevator.

How does Erica suggest overcoming the lack of laughter and smiles in online meetings?

She suggests creating intentional moments for informal conversations, like the water cooler effect, to help people connect and feel more at ease, which can naturally lead to more laughter and smiles.

How did Erica Dhawan overcome her shyness in school?

Erica Dhawan overcame her shyness by copying the body language of her 'cool' teenage classmates, such as rolling her eyes or slouching.

What is the importance of slowing down during online meetings according to Erica?

Slowing down gives people time to process information carefully and think through ideas, especially important when there may be technical or accessibility barriers.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Digital Body Language

The paragraph introduces the topic of body language in the context of online video meetings, a change brought about by the Covid pandemic. It mentions the shift from face-to-face interactions to virtual meetings using platforms like Zoom and Skype. The conversation is between hosts Neil and Sam, who discuss the challenges of body language in a digital setting. They introduce Erica Dhawan, an author of 'Digital Body Language,' and pose a question about her past, hinting at her transformation from a shy schoolgirl to a confident communicator. The paragraph also touches on the difficulty of making eye contact in online meetings and the 'distancing' effect it can create, with Erica Dhawan offering advice to counteract this.

05:01

🧠 Recap and Conclusion on Online Communication

This paragraph concludes the discussion on digital body language by revealing the answer to the quiz question about Erica Dhawan's past, which was that she overcame her shyness by copying the body language of her cool teenage classmates. It then recaps key vocabulary related to online body language, such as 'eye contact,' 'brainstorming,' 'processing information,' 'in unison,' and 'the water cooler effect.' The latter refers to informal workplace conversations that Erica suggests are important for maintaining a sense of connection and camaraderie, even in a virtual environment. The paragraph ends with a reminder that the six minutes of the program have passed, signaling the end of the discussion.

Keywords

💡Body Language

Body language refers to the non-verbal cues and signals we communicate through our bodies, such as facial expressions, gestures, and posture. In the context of the video, body language is crucial for effective communication, especially in the shift to online video meetings during the Covid pandemic. The video discusses how body language has changed in digital communication and how to adapt it for clarity.

💡Eye Contact

Eye contact is the mutual gaze between two people during a conversation, which is a significant aspect of in-person communication. The video points out the challenges of maintaining eye contact in online meetings due to the limitations of web cameras, which can create a 'distancing' effect. It suggests strategies to overcome this, emphasizing the importance of eye contact for connection and understanding.

💡Digital Body Language

Digital body language is the adaptation of non-verbal communication for the digital medium, such as video conferencing. The video introduces Erica Dhawan's book 'Digital Body Language,' which provides guidelines for clear communication in the digital age. It's about translating the subtleties of in-person body language to the online environment to ensure effective interaction.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, or feelings through speech, signals, writing, or behavior. The video focuses on how communication has evolved with the advent of online video meetings and the importance of adapting body language to this new medium to ensure messages are conveyed effectively.

💡Video Meetings

Video meetings, facilitated by software like Zoom and Skype, have become the norm for professional and personal interactions, especially during the Covid pandemic. The video discusses the impact of these meetings on body language and communication, highlighting the need for new strategies to maintain engagement and understanding.

💡Informal Conversations

Informal conversations refer to casual, non-structured dialogues that occur outside of formal settings. The video mentions the 'water cooler effect,' which describes the spontaneous and relaxed interactions that happen in office environments. These conversations are important for building rapport and are suggested to be replicated in online settings to foster a sense of community.

💡Processing Information

Processing information involves the mental activity of understanding, analyzing, and interpreting data received. The video suggests that online communication requires us to slow down and give ourselves and others time to process information, especially in the context of potential technological delays or accessibility issues.

💡In Unison

'In unison' means to act or occur simultaneously. The video discusses how laughter and smiling are less likely on camera due to the lack of immediate, shared experience. It contrasts this with in-person interactions where laughter often happens in unison, feeding off each other's energy.

💡Water Cooler Effect

The 'water cooler effect' is an American expression that originally referred to informal gatherings around a water fountain in an office setting. In the video, Erica Dhawan uses this term to advocate for creating spaces in online meetings for non-work-related conversations, which can help to build relationships and a sense of camaraderie among participants.

💡Confident Communicator

A confident communicator is someone who can express themselves clearly and effectively, even in challenging situations. The video shares the story of Erica Dhawan, who overcame her shyness to become an expert in communication. Her journey illustrates the importance of adapting and growing one's communication skills to suit different environments, including the digital space.

💡Slowing Down

Slowing down in communication refers to the practice of taking extra time to think, respond, or process information. The video emphasizes the importance of this in online meetings, where there might be technical delays or the need for clarity in understanding. It suggests practicing a 'five-second rule' to allow for this, which can improve the quality of interactions.

Highlights

Body language plays a key role in face-to-face communication, including facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact.

During the Covid pandemic, video meetings using software like Zoom and Skype became the new normal for communication.

Body language has evolved in the digital age, with changes in how we interpret gestures and expressions during online meetings.

Erica Dhawan, author of 'Digital Body Language,' explores how communication has adapted to digital platforms.

Dhawan suggests using techniques like the five-second rule in online meetings to ensure clear communication.

Slowing down communication during online meetings helps participants process information more effectively.

Eye contact is difficult to achieve in online meetings, often causing a 'distancing' effect between participants.

Laughing and smiling are less common in video calls due to delays and distractions from seeing ourselves on camera.

Dhawan emphasizes the importance of creating intentional moments for informal conversations during online meetings, referencing the 'water cooler effect.'

The 'water cooler effect' refers to informal conversations in the workplace that can strengthen team connections.

Online meetings lack the spontaneous energy of face-to-face interactions, making it harder for people to connect emotionally.

Dhawan shares her personal journey of overcoming shyness by copying the body language of her classmates.

The five-second rule suggests waiting five seconds before responding in online meetings to allow participants time to process information.

Brainstorming in online meetings can be challenging, but slowing down and allowing pauses can improve the flow of ideas.

Erica Dhawan believes that with practice, people can improve their digital body language and communication skills in virtual environments.

Transcripts

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from

BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Sam. When Neil and I record

6 Minute English face-to-face in

the BBC Learning English studio,

which, I am happy to say, we are

doing right now, we look at each

other as we speak. We smile and

use hand gestures and facial

expressions in a type of

communication called

body language.

But during the Covid pandemic,

everyday meetings with work

colleagues, teachers and

friends, and 6 Minute English

recording - all moved online.

Video meetings using software

like Zoom and Skype became

the normal way to communicate

with family and friends.

And whatever happens with

Covid in the future, it

seems they're here to stay.

In this programme, we'll

be asking: how has body

language changed in the

world of online video meetings?

We'll meet the person who wrote

the rulebook for clear

communication in the digital

age - Erica Dhawan, author of

a new book, 'Digital Body Language'.

But before that, I have a

question for you, Sam, and

it's about Erica Dhawan. She

may be a communications expert now,

but growing up in Pennsylvania

she was a shy and quiet

schoolgirl. So how did Erica

beat her shyness and become

the confident communicator

she is today? Did she:

a) attend public speaking classes?,

b) copy the body language of

the cool kids at school? or,

c) raised her hand to answer

the teacher s questions, even

if she didn't know the answer?

I'll guess that c - she raised

her hand to answer the

teacher's questions.

OK, Sam. We'll reveal the

correct answer later

in the programme.

In face-to-face meetings, we

immediately see someone's reaction

to what we've said through

eye contact, where two

people look into each

other's eyes as they talk.

Unfortunately, using a web

camera to make eye contact

is almost impossible in

online meetings and this

often creates a kind

of 'distancing' effect.

Erica Dhawan makes several

suggestions to help with this.

See if you can hear the final

suggestion she makes to Michael

Rosen as part of BBC

Radio 4's Word of Mouth.

And last but not least,

slow down. Remember when it

was completely normal to

have a one-minute pause in

a room with one another

because we knew when we're

thinking and brainstorming.

If we don't hear someone

speak on video, we ask them

if they're on mute. Practise

what I call the five-second

rule - wait five seconds

before speaking to make sure

that individuals have time

to process the ideas,

especially if there may

be technology or

accessibility issues.

Did you hear Erica's last

piece of advice, Neil?

Yes, she recommends slowing

down, something we do naturally

face-to-face when we're

thinking or brainstorming - that's

discussing suggestions with

a group of people to come up with

new ideas or to solve problems.

Slowing down gives us time to

process new information - to

understand it by thinking

carefully and reflecting on it.

Erica compares online body

language to learning a new

language - it takes practice,

especially when it comes to

smiling and laughing, something

Michael Rosen finds hard to

do in video meetings.

Listen to him discussing this

problem with Erica Dhawan for

BBC Radio 4's, Word of Mouth.

Do you think it's killing off

people laughing and smiling

in the way we do when we're

altogether in the

live situation?

I would say that it is much

less likely that we laugh

and smile on camera for a

few reasons. Number one,

laughing is often done in

unison where we can quickly

pick up the energy of someone

smiling or laughing and

feed off of that and laugh

ourselves. When it comes

to screen delays, the fact

that it's not natural to

see our own camera - being

distracted by that - we

are much less likely to

laugh and smile. One of

the ways we can overcome

this is by creating

intentional moments in

our meetings for the

water cooler effect.

Erica points out that

laughing often happens in

unison - together and

at the same time.

Yes, if someone starts

laughing it makes me

laugh too.

She also thinks it's important

to make time for employees

to chat informally about

things unrelated to

work - their weekend

plans or last night's TV show.

And she uses the expression,

the water cooler effect which

comes from the United States

where office workers

sometimes meet at the

water fountain to chat.

So, the water cooler effect

refers to informal conversations

that people have in their office

or workplace, maybe in the lift,

the office kitchen or, if

there is one, by an

actual water cooler.

Erica Dhawan seems very

comfortable communicating online,

but she's had lots of time to

practice since her schooldays.

Ah yes, Neil, in your quiz

question you asked how Erica

conquered her shyness at school.

I guessed that she raised her

hand to answer the

teacher's questions.

It was a good guess, Sam,

but the correct answer is

b - she copied the body

language of her cool teenage

classmates, so probably

lots of rolled eyes

and slouching!

OK, let's recap the vocabulary

from this programme about

online body language - non-verbal

ways of communicating

using the body.

Eye contact is when two

people look at each other's

eyes at the same time.

Brainstorming involves a

group discussion to generate

new ideas or solutions.

When we process information,

we think about it carefully

in order to understand it.

'In unison' means happening

together and at the same time.

And finally, the water cooler

effect is an American expression

to describe informal conversations

between people at work.

Neil is looking at his watch,

which is body language that

tells me our six minutes are up!

Goodbye for now!

Goodbye!