Body language online - 6 Minute English
Summary
TLDRIn 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
- π Body language is a crucial aspect of communication that is affected by the shift to online video meetings.
- π± Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype became prevalent during the Covid pandemic and are likely to remain a part of our communication landscape.
- π€ 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.
- π Making eye contact is challenging in online meetings, which can lead to a 'distancing' effect compared to in-person interactions.
- β° Dhawan recommends practicing a 'five-second rule' to allow time for others to respond, especially considering potential technology or accessibility issues.
- π Smiling and laughing are less frequent in video meetings due to screen delays and self-consciousness about one's on-screen appearance.
- π‘ Creating 'intentional moments' for informal conversation, or the 'water cooler effect', can help foster a more natural and relaxed atmosphere in online meetings.
- π£οΈ 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.
- π§ 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.
- π 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
π 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.
π§ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Body Language
π‘Eye Contact
π‘Digital Body Language
π‘Communication
π‘Video Meetings
π‘Informal Conversations
π‘Processing Information
π‘In Unison
π‘Water Cooler Effect
π‘Confident Communicator
π‘Slowing Down
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!
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