- What time is it around the world?
|
|
What are you saying when you aren't really
talking?
 Who
says you speak only one language? Anyone who has ever tried to
slip a teeny, tiny lie past their mother (and c'mon, who among us
hasn't tried that?) knows that no matter what was coming out of your
mouth at that critical point in time, the language your body was
speaking likely landed you grounded in your room. Of all the
ways we humans can actively communicate, it's the passive, non-verbal
language that often says more than we ever do orally.
Body language is as old as human communication
itself, and today learning how to understand and use it to one's
advantage is a booming industry indeed. There are entire
seminars and books devoted to the study of body language and what all
the little nuances mean. Of course, nothing is set in stone and
it all depends on the situation, but suffice it to say that one can get
better at picking up cues and understanding body language with some
training and a little practice.
Some studies state that up to and even more than
half of our communication is made non-verbally with our bodies.
Our hand gestures, postures, even our facial expressions can all say
things that we may or may not mean to express.
Body language is a two-way street. There is
the body language that you are trying to read from the other person
with whom you are conversing and then there is your own body language
that you are communicating back to them. Learning to control and
manipulate your own body language can be just as important as learning
to read the body language of others.
Of course, every situation is unique and the
following tips should be taken as general guidelines only, but some
things to look for the next time you care to pay more attention to
another's and your own body language:
- Eye contact
When a person looks you (and vice-versa) in
the eye, they are generally more sincere and engaged in what they
(or you) are saying. Just remember not to stare lest
you want your body language to say, "Hey, I'm a weirdo, look at me!"
;-)
- Hand gestures
Too many of these and people might consider
you nervous (or Italian); there are many varieties of hand gestures,
but a good rule of thumb (pun intended) is that palms displayed up
tend to show openness and ease, while palms down tend to indicate
authority or aggression.
-
Laughing and smiling
Unless you've gone off the deep end, nothing
says that you are relaxed and positive more than a bit of laughter
or a simple smile once in a while (laughing at stupid jokes can mean
you are bored, trying to hard to impress the other person or that
you just don't get out much).
- Fidgeting
When a person fidgets too much, it can only
mean one of two things: they are nervous or they really have to go
to the bathroom. Simply put, don't fidget. It's only a
bother and distraction.
So the next time you are standing there, listening
to someone intently, and really studying their body language, don't be
surprised if they are doing the same with you (we have a big
newsletter mailing list :-) Oh, and one more thing...never lie
to your mother.
April is for fools, and not just
in America
 Did you get pranked, made fun of or otherwise
duped on April 1st? Don't feel bad. The United States
isn't the only place in the world where there is a special day devoted
to people having fun at the expense of others.
Trying to learn the true origin of a day when
nothing really is plausible is no easy task. It's hard to
believe almost anything around the beginning of April (except our
newsletter of course). The beginnings of the traditions we act
out on April 1 each year are murky at best. What is well-known,
however, is that many different countries and cultures, including much
of the Western world, celebrate some sort of day of silliness around
the beginning of April.
Many famous hoaxes have been perpetrated on April
1, but most of the fun is had by the kids in other parts of the world.
For example, in France, the day is referred to as Poisson d'Avril or, literally,
"the fish of April". French schoolchildren try to tape a picture
of a fish to the back of an unsuspecting victim. In Poland, the
day is called prima aprilis (Latin for "First of April") when
jokes are played and all seriousness is thrown out the window.
In many English-speaking countries, pranks are to be played before
noon, according to tradition, and if you play a prank after that time,
you end up being considered the fool.
Wouldn't it be neat if you could...?
 Fill
in the blank...fly to Mars? select the winning lottery numbers
each week? pick up the phone and talk to anyone in the world no
matter what language they speak? Hmm...well, we are still
working on those first two, and don't hold your breath, BUT (trumpets
sound), the third is here baby!
Yes, with modern technology (and a network of some
pretty smart folks), the world (without that pesky language barrier
thing) is at your fingertips! We now have a new service that
allows you to put a call in to one of our friendly operators, 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. Once you have reached the operator, you simply
request the language you would like interpreting for, and presto!
(Italian), voilà! (French),
eureka! (Greek), your communication problems are solved
(parent/teenager conversations excluded).
It's called "telephonic interpretation" or
sometimes "over-the-phone interpreting (OPI)". Whatever the
label, you'll be calling it fabulous! It's quick, easy and
economical. Some situations call for an on site interpreter, but
most of the time telephonic interpretation will do. With an
onsite interpreter, you have to deal with scheduling, travel time,
advance notice and a host of other thorny issues (not to mention it
can get very expensive).
Telephonic interpretation to the rescue. Use
it anytime, day or night, from any phone you choose. You get
connected almost immediately to the right interpreter who can assist you with your
conversation with one or more third parties...and the best part of
all? You pay only for the time you use. There are no
minimums.
Our telephonic interpretation service is great
for:
Call our Pattie Barnes today for more details on how you can take advantage of
this cool new service. Her number is +1.901.596.9530 or you can
email her here. |
