The magic behind the hand gestures we use to talk

The Brazilian sign language, or Libras, is widely used for the literacy of people with deafness who use it to communicate. It derives from the French version of sign language, which in turn originates in the mid-1700s. Therefore, it is very similar to that used in Europe and the US, and is easily understood by people with needs in various corners of the world. world.

However, if you have never needed to communicate in Libras, you may find this language very complex and different. But have you ever wondered how many hand gestures you use in your own way of talking?

Often, you end up looking at two people talking from afar and not listening to them, but you can understand the content of the discussion by watching the gestures. Is everyone like this? Who uses the hands more has a different way of thinking than others?

Sign language helps us express spatial ideas

Who uses gestures thinks differently?

The answer is yes. Several psychologists, linguists, and cognitive scientists study the relationship between spoken and gestured conversation. These researchers understand that the gestural articulation "prepares" the ground for what we will talk about, besides contributing to explain spatial concepts. Many people even find it difficult to formulate coherent sentences and use manual artifice to tell a story.

The current consensus, however, is that people who have a larger lexicon are also those who gesture the most. Thus, the thinking of those who use their hands for communication is directly linked to their ability to communicate verbally. Gestures also replace words.

In the "Friends" series, Ross invented the above gesture as he could not show his middle finger to his sister Monica during childhood.

Universal language, but no mucho

Some gestures, however, have an almost universal language. For example, how do you communicate with someone far away from you? Scream? Most prefer to try mimicry or familiar movements, such as thumbs up or a "hi" greeting.

Psychologist Art Markman explains that most of the gestures we use are quite communicative because of social convention. How do you tell a seller which shirt you choose? Simply pointing at her.

Some people also dictate the pace of their speech or explanations with punctual movements. A good example of this is teachers, who have to impose a coherence of reasoning on their explanations and often resort, even unconsciously, to sign language tied to verbal explanation.

Italians are well known for their peculiar gestures

Watch your gesture

Another great use for gestures is to remember something you forgot as you speak. Sometimes the word is on the tip of your tongue, but a "white" makes you not remember it. What's the solution? Try gesturing until your caller understands what you want to say. This is widely used in places that adopt a language unknown by the speaker or during the process of learning another language.

However, it is good to be careful about the meaning of gestures, which may change from country to country. The thumbs-up sign is interpreted as offending in some countries in the Middle East, Africa and Russia, for example.

Gesture can be interpreted as offense in some parts of the world

A gender issue?

Another interesting study is that gesturing is sometimes more important to the person passing on information than to the person receiving it. Have you ever found yourself gesturing while talking on the phone, for example? The person on the other end of the line is not seeing your movements, but they help you formulate the reasoning to form your sentences.

Other studies try to understand the relationship between male and female in gesture use. Apparently women move their hands more when communicating with others, but the difference seen is too small and needs further study to make a conclusion as to why it exists.

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Do you gesture a lot to talk, dear reader? What gesture does not get out of your hands? Do you have any sign language addiction? Share with us!

* Posted on 1/27/2017