By studying body language in this free online course, understand how posture and gestures convey feelings and attitudes.

Body movements and gestures like scratching the face, stroking one’s hair, flaring nostrils, pacing and shrugging one’s shoulders convey feelings and information that you might not readily express with words. The science of body language attempts to unravel the mystery they present and make it easier to understand the information consciously or unconsciously transmitted by these behaviours. This short course will help you understand the science of body language and expose you to the actual messages conveyed by human behaviour.

You will learn the gestures associated with body parts and their messages, starting with the head. Discover how head adornments can signal a person’s occupation or sports affiliation and how playing with or ventilating the hair are associated with discomfort and stress. Forehead gestures like furrowing and eyebrow gestures like arching are also explored, with explanations of the messages they could convey. We will explore other facial features like the nose and ears and how these can also pass meaningful messages.

Investigate how to interpret the mid and lower body parts like the arms, legs and feet, which can send a host of signals. Having your arms behind your back could make people feel less intimidated. Learn how self-hugging could display assertiveness or resistance. Learn to identify a group’s leader by simply observing their walking pace. Good knowledge of body language helps get a good read on people and better understand their idiosyncrasies. Start today and gain some insight into the messages conveyed by mannerisms.