Evaluating Delivery: Comparing Oral and Non-Verbal Strategies Across Cultures

Remember from Grade 7

In Grade 7 you analyzed paralanguage (pitch, pace, volume, pauses, tone), gestures and their jobs (describe, emphasize, organize, regulate), posture and movement, and communication on video calls. You also learned that non-verbal signals are learned, can vary across cultures, and that you should check with words before judging someone. In Grade 8 you'll evaluate and compare: Which strategies actually helped the audience understand? Which got in the way? And how might the same strategy work differently in a different setting or culture?

Let's start with two speakers

Ava and Ben both give a one-minute talk about why people should check on elderly neighbours during a cold snap.

Ava stands still, looks around the room, and speaks slowly. Her voice drops and she pauses before "Some people don't have anyone checking on them." She counts her three tips on her fingers.

Ben smiles and bounces on his toes the whole time. He speaks quickly, laughs nervously at the serious part, and keeps clicking his pen.

Ben's words were just as good as Ava's. But his smile and laugh didn't match his serious message, and the pen clicking distracted people. Ava's delivery was congruent: her words, voice and body said the same thing.

Criteria for evaluating delivery

To evaluate, you need criteria. Ask four questions about each strategy:

1. Does it fit the message? (Is it congruent? A serious topic needs a serious tone.)
2. Does it help understanding? (Counting on fingers helps listeners follow a list. A pause before a key point makes it stand out.)
3. Does it suit the audience and setting? (Big gestures work on a stage; small ones on a video call. A ceremony needs a calmer delivery than a pep rally.)
4. Is it distracting? (Pen clicking, swaying, um in every sentence, reading with no eye contact.)

Across cultures and settings

Non-verbal strategies are learned, so their meaning can vary. Some examples:

• Eye contact: in many Canadian classrooms, presenters are taught to look at the audience. For some people and families, including some First Nations, Métis and Inuit families and families from many other cultures, looking down or away when an elder speaks is a sign of respect.
• Silence and wait time: some people pause before answering to show they're thinking carefully. Rushing to fill every silence isn't always the most respectful choice.
• Turn-taking: in a talking circle, a practice that comes from Indigenous traditions and is used in many Canadian classrooms, people usually speak one at a time, often while holding an object, and others listen without interrupting.
• Gestures: a gesture that's friendly in one country (like the thumbs-up or the okay hand sign) can be rude in another.
• Personal space and touch: how close people stand and whether they shake hands, bow or nod can vary.
• Sign languages such as American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) use facial expression as part of the grammar, not just as decoration.

Be careful: these are possibilities, not rules. People are individuals. Never assume what someone means because of their background. When you're unsure, watch, listen and ask kindly.