Gesture

movement of body that supports, reinforces or indicates meaning

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entire body involved

• Emphatic
• Descriptive
• Transitional
• Locative

4 types of gestures

provides emphasis for spoken word

Examples:

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• fist
• index finger points
• one hand palm up

Emphatic

helps speaker describe something

Example:

use hands to draw a picture in the air to show shape or size

Descriptive

shows moving from one part of speech to another

Examples:

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• uses finger to number points

(sign-post with fingers; danger: know your #ers)

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• place both palms on podium

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• moves hands with palms facing each other

Transitional

directs listener/audience to some place, object, or person

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Example:

use index finger or the entire hand

Locative

• Time is up in a TV or radio station.
• I’m fed up to here!
• I’m going to cut his throat!
• The scar ran across her neck

What does drawing finger across throat mean?

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click here for some other gestures that mean something else in other cultures