Communication in its true sense goes beyond grammar, vocabulary, and speaking with a clear accent . How you tilt your head, move your hands, and the facial expressions you make are forms of nonverbal communication, and they're essential components of successful communication.
Body language and gestures are non-verbal signals that complement speaking as a form of communication and enhance speech fluidity. They can reinforce what we say and even convey messages without the need to utter a word.
If you want to speak the American English language and converse fluently like a native speaker, you must fully understand American nonverbal communication. Join use as we explore 15 common American gestures and body language cues, what they mean, and how you can use them appropriately.
1. Thumbs Up or Down The thumbs up is a common hand gesture of approval and agreement, or to convey that everything is going well. It’s appropriate in casual scenarios like when congratulating someone, indicating a job well done, or showing that you’re okay with a plan.
Thumbs down, on the other hand, is used to show disapproval, disagreement, or that something is not satisfactory. It’s a clear and direct way to indicate a negative response or rejection.
To achieve the thumbs up signal, the thumb is extended upward while the other fingers are curled into a fist. For the thumbs-down signal, extend your thumb downward, pointing it toward the ground.
2. Nodding Like the thumbs up, nodding is a simple gesture that is easily understood to mean affirmation or agreement. It involves tilting your chin slightly toward your neck, then switching directions and tilting your nose slightly toward the sky. You can nod once, or you can repeat the movement a couple of times.
This motion can signal a range of meanings, including showing understanding or politely encouraging someone to continue speaking. It’s appropriate in both casual and formal settings.
For example, you may nod your head to show that you are listening and interested in a friend’s story, encouraging them to continue. Similarly, when you run into a neighbor and they wave hello, you can nod to acknowledge their greeting and perhaps begin a casual conversation .
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3. So-So Gesture The so-so gesture is an informal or casual hand gesture that indicates something is mediocre, average, or just okay. Assuming you’re reviewing a virtual presentation or project with a friend, you may use the so-so gesture to indicate that while some aspects were good, others could use improvement.
Hold your hand out in front of you, palm facing down. Tilt your hand back and forth horizontally, pivoting at the wrist. The motion should be smooth and continuous, resembling a see-saw.
Here's an example:
4. Shaking the Head Nodding and shaking the head are American non verbal gestures that are like two sides of a coin. While the former involves upward to downward movement, as previously mentioned, the latter involves twisting the head from side to side. Note that the top of the head stays level - the neck doesn't bend, it only twists. It's as if you're looking left and right to check for oncoming traffic before crossing the street.
Shaking the head is used to indicate disagreement or refusal and it’s appropriate in any context where you want to convey a negative response.
While this gesture and its meaning might appear to be a simple rule of thumb in America, they can convey entirely different meanings in other cultural settings. In Indian culture, for example, shaking the head could mean agreement, attentiveness, or politeness.
5. Crossing Arms This posture is an American body language gesture that indicates an array of sentiments including defensiveness, discomfort, or being closed off.
It’s often used unconsciously in situations where a person feels uneasy or wants to protect themselves. In some other contexts, it could also mean confidence and authority, suggesting that the person is in control and confident in their position.
Crossing arms involves placing one arm over the other across your chest. First, bring one arm across your chest, then place the other arm over it.
6. High Five The high five is one of the American gestures that indicates a celebration. It involves two people slapping their open palms together.
High fives are used in casual settings to celebrate a success or to show camaraderie and they're common in informal gatherings. Simply raise your hand, palms open, and face the other person, then slap your palms together with a bit of force.
This is a great way to congratulate someone on a job well done, say after scoring a goal in a sports game, or following a successful presentation.
7. Waving Waving is a widely recognized and common gesture in America. You can wave to say hello and goodbye, to catch a person's attention, or when taking a picture.
This gesture involves raising your hand, with your palm facing the other person, and moving it from side to side. It's a friendly gesture used often in daily American life.
8. Eye Contact Eye contact involves looking directly into another person’s eyes when two parties communicate. In the U.S., maintaining eye contact is crucial in conveying interest, confidence, and attentiveness. It’s appropriate in almost all interactions, even when having virtual Zoom conversations or in professional meetings, like interviews .
In confrontational situations, however, eye contact may represent defiance and aggression and can be interpreted as a challenge or an attempt to intimidate. Assuming two individuals have a minor traffic accident and get out of their cars to confront each other, engaging in a stare-down could aggravate the conflict.
Because of the sensitivity of this nonverbal gesture, it is important to know when and how to use it right. With that being said, eye contact is generally a welcome gesture in the vast majority of contexts in America.
9. Shrugging Ever found yourself in a position where you’re simply indifferent about a situation and just can't find the right words to express your feelings? In those cases, a shrug could come in handy. Shrugging is an element of body language in American culture that expresses uncertainty or lack of interest in a conversation.
Shrugging involves raising both shoulders simultaneously and letting them drop back down immediately. You might also choose to raise your hands slightly with your palms facing upwards as you complete the shrug motion, to further exaggerate the motion.
Assuming your friend asks you the details of an upcoming event you know nothing about, you could respond by shrugging and saying, "I have no idea. I haven’t heard anything about it."
10. Peace Sign The peace sign is a well-known American nonverbal communication gesture and it is made by raising the index and middle fingers in a V shape, while the rest of the fingers remain in a fist. This gesture is used to signify peace, victory, or goodwill.
This gesture can be made with the palm facing inward or outward, and the meaning remains the same. In America, this sign is appropriate to be used in casual conversations and even as a common pose in photographs.
11. Facepalming When Americans are frustrated with a situation, they often do a facepalm. This is simply raising your hand and covering your face with your palm, usually with a slight pressure.
Facepalming is one of the common gestures that expresses frustration, embarrassment, or disbelief. It’s appropriate in informal settings when reacting to something surprising or annoying.
12. The OK Sign The OK sign is a hand gesture used to indicate that something is approved, okay, or satisfactory. It’s common in casual conversations and can also be used to communicate silently in situations where speaking is not possible.
Assuming you’re a call center professional and you need to give your colleague the go-ahead for something while on a call with a client, you can simply do the ok sign.
To do the ok sign, touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger, forming a circle, and extend your remaining fingers.
13. Snapping Fingers Americans snap their fingers when they want to get someone’s attention, express approval, or keep rhythm in music. While this gesture is appropriate in casual settings, it can be considered rude if used to interrupt or command attention in formal contexts.
Snapping your fingers involves producing a sharp sound by creating pressure between the thumb and middle finger, until the middle finger snaps away from the thumb and hits the palm of the hand. It's this contact that creates the snapping sound.
14. Hand Over the Heart Raise your hand and place it flat over the left side of your chest with your fingers tight together. This gesture may seem simple and insignificant, but it carries a much deeper meaning in American culture.
The hand over the heart conveys sincerity, patriotism, or deep emotion. It’s appropriate in formal settings, such as during the national anthem or when making a sincere statement like an oath. For example, health care professionals and people in the military use this gesture to express their patriotism and commitment to their cause, and it's used when people are being sworn into a court of law .
15. Air Quotes A quotation mark in English typically looks like this: “ ”. In written English, they are used to indicate a direct quote from another text or source.
In spoken English, however, these quotation marks are expressed as hand gestures and they typically convey a different meaning. Although they can sometimes indicate a direct quote, air quotes often used to indicate that a word or phrase is being used ironically or with skepticism. In this context, it’s only appropriate in informal conversations or when making a sarcastic remark.
To make this gesture, raise your hands next to your head and make peace signs with your palms facing outward. Curl the index and middle fingers twice.
How to Master American Gestures Watch Others One way to master different American gestures is to watch how Americans hold themselves and interact nonverbally.
Observe them in various settings such as parks, cafes, and social gatherings, and notice how they use gestures and body language in different contexts.
You can also watch movies, TV shows, and news broadcasts to pay attention to how actors and presenters use body language to convey emotions and messages.
Mirror Exercises and Video Recordings Mimic gestures and body language cues in front of a mirror or make video recordings to see how you embody these movements. This helps in practicing what you have observed, making adjustments, and becoming more comfortable with the motions.
Role-Playing Engage in role-playing exercises with friends or colleagues to practice using gestures in different scenarios. This is a fun, low-stakes opportunity to practice your American body language and hand gestures without the stress of real-life interactions.
Seek Feedback Work with a communication coach or mentor who can provide personalized feedback and guidance. You can also ask friends, family, or colleagues to observe your body language and let you know how to tweak your motions.
Use the feedback to make conscious adjustments to your gestures and body language until the motions feel natural and effortless.
Enhance Communication with BoldVoice Using American gestures and body language makes your communication more natural, lively, and relatable. While these gestures may exist globally, some of their interpretations may be unique to American culture. Mastering the nuances of these multiple gestures can be a lot of work, but with the right resources and guidance, you’ll be well on your way to perfection.
To truly master American communication, perfecting your accent is as crucial as understanding nonverbal cues. The BoldVoice app offers personalized lessons to help you refine your accent and speak English fluently. Download BoldVoice today to elevate your communication skills and express yourself with confidence.
