ABSTRACT
In this chapter we look at the types of signal covered by the term ‘non-verbal communication’; the following chapters cover how they can be applied in particular circumstances. Non-verbal communication can be defined in a range of ways, but in this book we are concerned with non-verbal signals used in face-to-face interaction mainly actual behaviour, but also signals such as dress and room arrangement which you or the children may ‘set up’ before you meet each other. These ‘set up’ signals allow you, more or less consciously, to plan ahead and alter what happens when you actually meet. We are excluding aspects such as the design and paint-scheme of your classroom, which are included as non-verbal communication by some authors, but over which you usually will have little influence.
