[originaltext] If anyone asked you what were the main means of communicatio

If anyone asked you what were the main means of communication between people, what would you say? That isn’t a catchy question. The answer is simple and obvious. It would almost certainly refer to means of communication that involve the use of words: speakers and listeners--oral communication; writers and readers--written communication. And you’d be quite right. There is, however, another form of communication which we all use most of the time, usually without knowing it. This is sometimes called body language. It does not involve the use of words. Its more technical name is non-verbal communication, "NVC" for short.
     When someone is saying something with which he agrees, the average European will smile and nod approval. On the other hand, if you disagree with what they are saying, you may frown and shake your head. In this way you signal your reactions, and communicate them to the speaker without saying a word. Incidentally, I referred a moment ago to "the average European", because body language is very much tied to culture, and in order not to misunderstand, or not to be misunderstood, you must appreciate this. A smiling Chinese, for instance, may not be approving but acutely embarrassed.
     Quite a lot of work is now being done on the subject of NVC, which is obviously important, for instance, to managers who have to deal every day with their staff, and have to understand what other people are feeling if they are to create good working conditions. Body language, or NVC signals, is sometimes categorized into five kinds: (1) body and facial gestures; (2) eye contact; (3) body contact or proximity; (4) clothing and physical appearance; and (5) the quality of speech. I expect you understand all those, except perhaps "proximity" This simply means "closeness". In some cultures--and I am sure this is a cultural feature and not an individual one--it is quite normal for people to stand close together, or to more or less thrust their faces into yours when they are talking to you. In other cultures this is disliked; Americans, for instance, talk about invasion of their space.