Human beings are able to communicate in a variety of ways besides the use of words. This type of communication is referred to as non-verbal communication. For example, Samuel Morse, inventor of the first electric telegraph, invented a special alphabet of dots and dashes called the Morse Code that is still used today. 

While the Morse Code was used to communicate words quickly over distances, other codes have been developed to conceal the meaning of messages. Such codes have played a significant role in a variety of military battles and are still used in contemporary times to secure important information that travels across the Internet.

Perhaps the most prevalent form of non-verbal communication, however, is body language. Among humans, body language accounts for a large part of meaningful communication. The way we sit, stand, gesture, or orient ourselves in a group often helps others make accurate judgments about our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Mannerisms such as a clenched jaw, narrowed eyes, or slumped posture can be interpreted as conveying anger, distrust, or disinterest. On the other hand, steady eye contact, a tilted head, and a reassuring smile can demonstrate interest and empathy. 

As we develop a greater sensitivity to body language and its implications, we can be more in tune with the thoughts and feelings of others. We can also become more certain that the messages we are communicating are the ones we intended to convey.

Places To Go

The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs, & Body Language Cues
Items in this dictionary have been researched by anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, linguists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others who have studied nonverbal communication. Simply click on the various entries that range from
"Adam's-Apple-Jump" to "Zygomatic Smile" to learn more about the implications of that particular type of body language.

Codes and Ciphers
There were (and are) many ways to conceal writing. There are actually two separate methods generally used for messages: codes, which use symbols or groups of letters to represent words or phrases, and ciphers, where one letter is replaced with another by a either simple or a complex scheme. These pages are intended to enhance your understanding of codes and ciphers.

Secret Code Breaker
These pages contain small excerpts from the Secret Code Breaker series of publications. This series of crytography publications for young readers provide detailed instructions explaining how to "crack" secret codes and ciphers for beginning cryptanalysts. Included are computer programs for code breaking and a series of coded secret messages actually sent by secret agents, spies and military commanders beginning with the Revolutionary War to the present including messages from the CIA "mole" Aldrich Ames to the KGB. 

Decoding Nazi Secrets
This companion site to PBS's two-hour special entitled "Decoding Nazi Secrets" chronicles how the Allies succeeded in cracking the infamous German message-coding machine, the Enigma. The site offers an opportunity for you to send and crack codes, learn more about code breakers and their tools, and discover the ways that encryption affects us all.

National Cryptologic Museum
The National Cryptologic Museum is one of the few places where the curtain of cryptology is parted. Here visitors can glimpse some of the dramatic moments in the history of American cryptology. Learn also about the people who devoted their lives to cryptology and national defense, the machines they built, the techniques they used, and the places where they worked.  

William F. Friedman
Learn about William F. Friedman, the man who was a master at cryptanalysis during the two World Wars and who is referred to as the father of American cryptography. 

Navajo Code Talkers: World War II Fact Sheet
Lacking secure battlefield voice communications during the Great War, the Army employed American Indians to encrypt voice communications, using their native language, itself encoded. In campaigns against the enemy on many fronts, the Native American Codetalkers never made a mistake in transmission nor were their codes ever broken.

Windtalkers: The Story Behind the Movie
Veteran Navajo Code Talkers tell their story in the movie Windtalkers. In an effort to provide educators, students and the general public with accurate information about the code, the Navajo people and the battle of Saipan, this web site was created. It is a detailed "story behind the movie."  

Marcel Marceau
Meet Marcel Marceau. He was a famous mime who communicated with his face and body without speaking a word.

Charlie Chaplin
Get to know Charlie Chaplin. He was king of the silent movies and, therefore, a master at communicating without words.

The World of Leo Buscaglia
Meet Leo Buscaglia. He was the educator and motivational speaker known as Dr. Hug. He encouraged people to treasure human relationships and emphasized the positive value of human touch such as hugs in communication.

PBS : Sound and Fury
Meet members of the deaf community. They are the ultimate consumers of nonverbal communication.

Things To Do

Exploring Nonverbal Communication
This web site gives you a chance to learn more about nonverbal communication. You can even test your own ability to "read" samples of real nonverbal communication.

Morse Code Converter
Use this online tool to translate a word or phrase into Morse Code.

Pioneer Online Library
Check out CultureGrams from UEN’s Pioneer Online Library. CultureGrams allows you to explore 182 countries of the world and provides information about the history and people of each country. The information about each country also contains a Customs and Courtesies section that provides tips about nonverbal communication in that country. For example, did you realize that in India , people point with their chins and they grab their ears to express sincerity. In Japan , shaking one hand from side to side with the palm forward means “no.” In Brazil , pulling down the lower eyelid with an index finger signifies disbelief or caution, and tapping the fingers horizontally under the chin means that someone is clueless. CultureGrams is a great resource to help you understand what raising your eyebrows in the Philippines means.

Phone Messaging: Latest Wireless Trend Growing In Popularity
Answer.com : Short Message Service
Figure out text messaging. This form of communication is spreading in popularity, especially among teenagers. In England along, 38 million text messages are sent each day. “By mid-2004 texts were being sent at a rate of 500 billion messages per annum. At an average cost of 10¢ per message, this generates revenues in excess of 50 billion for mobile telephone operators and represents close to 100 text messages for every person in the world.” The leading users of text messaging are found in southeast Asia because many messages can be sent free of charge. Europe is next in users of text messaging. The United States uses text messaging much less than the rest of the world because it is more expensive in the U.S.

Symbol Signs
Explore the universal symbols that should be recognizable and understandable by everyone in all countries and cultures. We all know what the universal signs are for men’s and women’s bathrooms and for smoking and no smoking. But what are the symbols for currency exchange and taxi?

High Tech Dictionary: Emoticons
Brush up on your email skills. Emoticons are much more than just smileys. Emoticons can express a wide variety of feelings with just a few keystrokes. Did you know that :-\'| means “I’ve got the sniffles” and d :-o means “Hats off to you!”

The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs, and Body Language Cues
Be careful if someone exhibits the Adam’s-Apple-Jump when they’re talking to you. The Adam's-Apple-Jump is an unconscious sign of emotional anxiety, embarrassment, or stress.

Gender Differences in Nonverbal Communication
In conversation, figure out why women make more eye contact than men and smile more than men.

American Sign Language Browser
Watch many short video clips of individuals using American Sign Language. Click on the words from the menu on the right to see how specific words are expressed in ASL.

How Stuff Works: Lie Detectors
Figure out how lie detectors work. These instruments use the nonverbal bodily clues that we give off to sense if we’re telling the truth. The sensors record a person’s breathing rate, pulse, blood pressure, and perspiration.

The Human Animal
Using this lesson plan, students will learn how human body language, including gestures and facial expressions, is used to communicate in countless subtle and complex ways.

Life Skills for Vocational Success
This lesson illustrates the importance of body language in communication situations.

Body Language
Students become more aware of body language and its implications with this journaling exercise.

Body Language Activities
These exercises are designed to help students tune in to the subtleties of body language and what they might mean about interpersonal behavior.

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