The Power of Body Language

Preparation

• This activity can be conducted with groups of women and group of men; however, it should be led in single-sex groups except when facilitators feel otherwise. The facilitators should also be the same sex as the participants in the group (i.e. women facilitators should facilitate activities among groups of women), especially for any sensitive discussions. The activity may be conducted with adolescents and youth, but considerations should be given toward conducting activities with individuals grouped by similar ages. It should be emphasized throughout the curriculum that violence should never be tolerated or accepted.

• Divide participants into pairs.

Introduction

Tell participants, “In this activity, we will do role-plays to learn about how people use body language to communicate. Body language is how our bodies communicate without words. Body language includes expressions we make on our face and gestures we make with our hands. Often our body language can tell a person how we feel.”

Implementation: Role Play

• Ask each pair to think about a conversation with a person that can be shown only using body language. For example, the conversation can be telling a story, having an argument, or buying food at the market. For this conversation, participants cannot use words, but can only use their facial expressions, hands and body to communicate.
• Give the pairs five minutes to think about a conversation or scenario and then practice.
• Pick a pair (or ask for a volunteer pair) to show their scene to the rest of the group.
• Ask the rest of the group, “What is happening here? What emotions are they feeling?”
• Ask participants, “What can body language tell us?” Take some responses.
• Summarize the discussion by sharing with participants, “Body language can tell us a lot about communication even if we don’t hear the words.”
• Ask another pair to show their play. Ask the rest of the group to assess what is happening by reading their body language.

Discussion

• Ask participants, “What kind of emotions can our bodies communicate through body language?” (examples: happiness, anger, sadness, fear, belief, disbelief, power, and weakness).
• For each of the emotions, ask participants how people use facial expressions and body language to express the emotion.

Closing

Ask participants to think about how they use body language to express emotions over the next few days and weeks. Ask participants to reflect on whether changing their body language can improve communication with the people around them.