Weusebothwordsandbodylanguagetoexpressourthoughtsandopinionsinourinteractionswithotherpeople.Wecanlearnalotaboutwhatpeoplearethinkingbywatchingtheirbodylanguage.Wordsareimportant,butthewaypeoplestand,holdtheirarms,andmovetheirhandscanalsogiveusinformationabouttheirfeelings.ListeningtoHowBodiesTalkJustlikespokenlanguage,bodylanguagevariesfromculturetoculture.Thecrucialthingisusingbodylanguageinawaythatisappropriatetothecultureyouarein.Forexample,makingeyecontact—lookingintosomeone'seyes—insomecountriesisawaytodisplayinterest.Inothercountries,bycontrast,eyecontactisnotalwaysapprovedof.Forexample,inmanyMiddleEasterncountries,menandwomenarenotsociallypermittedtomakeeyecontact.InJapan,itmaydemonstraterespecttolookdownwhentalkingtoanolderperson.Thegesturefor''OK''hasdifferentmeaningsindifferentcultures.InJapan,someonewhowitnessesanotherpersonemployingthegesturemightthinkitmeansmoney.InFrance,apersonencounteringanidenticalgesturemayinterpretitasmeaningzero.However,youshouldavoidmakingthisgestureinBrazilandGermany,asitisnotconsideredpolite.Eventhegesturesweusefor''yes''and''no''differaroundtheworld.Inmanycountries,shakingone'sheadmeans''no'',andnoddingmeans''yes''.Bycomparison,inBulgariaandsouthernAlbania,thegestureshavetheoppositemeaning.Therearealsodifferencesinhowwetoucheachother,howclosewestandtosomeonewearetalkingto,andhowweactwhenwemeetorpart.IncountrieslikeFranceandRussia,peoplemaykisstheirfriendsonthecheekwhentheymeet.Elsewhere,peoplefavourshakinghands,bowingfromthewaist,ornoddingtheheadwhentheymeetsomeoneelse.Somegesturesseemtohavethesamemeaningeverywhere.Placingyourhandstogetherandrestingthemonthesideofyourheadwhileclosingyoureyesmeans''sleep''.Agoodwayofsaying''Iamfull''ismovingyourhandincirclesoveryourstomachafterameal.Somebodylanguagehasmanydifferentuses.Perhapsthebestexampleissmiling.Asmilecanhelpusgetthroughdifficultsituationsandfindfriendsinaworldofstrangers.Asmilecanbreakdownbarriers.Wecanuseasmiletoapologise,togreetsomeone,toaskforhelp,ortostartaconversation.Expertssuggestsmilingatyourselfinthemirrortomakeyourselffeel