Consider a communication exchange you had recently. What nonverbal cues were present? What type of eye contact, body language, and facial expressions did you observe? Did you have difficulty interpreting the nonverbal cues of your communication partner(s)? Did the nonverbal cues communication anything that was at odds with the spoken message?

DRAFTING THE ESSAY:

Use terminology and apply concepts from chapter six. Inform the reader about the impact of nonverbal communication by analyzing a specific interpersonal communication transaction. You should identify what was said and describe the types of nonverbal communication involved, discussing how the nonverbal impacted the verbal, etc.

** Remember, while the prompt asks you to examine the nonverbal communication in a experience of your own and the challenges you have interpreting nonverbal behaviors, the informative ESSAY must be structured to share information about what nonverbal communication is, the causes of interpersonal challenges relating to nonverbal communication types and functions, and how to be a better “listener” to the nonverbal communication aspects of an interpersonal interaction; use examples and experiences from your own life and consideration of the prompt to support the main ideas you are discussing. (Do not make this a list of responses to the prompt questions; keep to a more formal, academic style — not a personal journal style.)