Is that language? This question was mooted in class the other day after a silent role play. The role play was initiated by two students who were “in the know” and who geared the others, who were not, in the right direction. Everything went perfectly, and the students who were not in the know perfectly understood what they were supposed to do, although not a word was spoken, not a sound was heard (except for the occasional giggling or laughter). So do we want to call this language? Isn’t the term body language used to describe this kind of interaction? The answer to this question is quite simple: It depends on what you understand by language. There are actually good reasons to make a distinction and use the more technically correct term non-verbal communication instead of body language: According to Crystal, The word ‘language’ is not being used here as strictly as in the case of speech, writing, and sign. The range of signals which can be sent using body language is highly limited and unstructured compared with the virtually limitless and complex possibilities of language proper. (Crystal, David: Dictionary of Language and Languages. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1992). This is not to say that body language is simple. We basically have three dimensions: a) facial, b) gestural, c) postural. You can, for example, roll your eyes, raise your brows, grin, b) raise your thumb, shake your head, hold your hands up, c) nudge someone, stand at a distance, bow. In addition, your appearance is also a form a communication. You can, for example, wear a tie, have your tongue pierced, shave your head. Sometimes the term paralanguage is used to refer to this kind of communication, but more strictly paralanguage refers to voice quality (creaky voice, trembling voice, etc.) and may include pitch, volume, speed, rhythm, etc. All these communicate meaning. The range of possibilities is enormous (and includes a range of possibilities for misunderstanding), and it is more limited than verbal language. Just consider how difficult it would be to crack a joke, talk about your childhood or discuss non-verbal language without using words.
