This week's talking point has to do with gestures. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below (some of which are taken from iteslj) so that ideas flow more easily when you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary difficulties beforehand.
What everyday gestures do you use?
What's the meaning of the following gestures and postures?
a handshake - biting your bottom lip - sitting back in your chair - standing with arms crossed
What common gestures in your country aren't visitors used to?
What gestures have you found surprising in foreigners or when being abroad?
Can you think of some gestures that have different meanings in different countries?
What are some gestures you know that relate to the sporting world?
Have you ever made a social mistake using wrong gestures?
What gesture in your culture do you think is unique from other cultures?
What gestures, in your opinion, are understood by people anywhere in the world?
How much do people in your country move their hands when they talk?
Do you know any gestures you can make with your feet? What do they mean?
Why do you think people express with gestures?
Do you "talk" with your hands?
You can watch a New York Times video about how Italians talk with their hands below and read the accompanying article here.
Why do Italians talk with their hands? For many, it’s something in their blood. Some scholars argue that gestures have been in Italy for centuries. They came with the ancient Greeks that once colonized southern Italy. These gestures survived. They’ve been passed down through generations for centuries, even more than language.
Be careful.
Professor Poggi has identified around 250 hand gestures that Italians use in everyday conversation. It’s a language of its own with its own complex vocabulary.
