B. Foundations of Language · Foundations of Language: Listening, Speaking, Words, Fluency and Conventions

Voice, Face and Gesture: Using and Evaluating Oral and Non-Verbal Strategies Across Cultures

B1.4 A3.2About 70 minutes

Learning goals

I can use expression (pace, volume, pitch, pauses and emphasis) on purpose when I speak.
I can use gestures, facial expression and body language that support my message.
I can evaluate how effective a speaker's oral and non-verbal strategies are, using criteria and evidence.
I can compare strategies for in-person and on-camera speaking.
I can explain how the meaning of non-verbal communication can vary across cultures, without stereotyping.

Words to know

expression
How you use your voice to show meaning and feeling: tone, pace, volume, pitch, pauses and emphasis.

non-verbal communication
Meaning sent without words: facial expression, gestures, posture, movement, eye contact and use of space.

gesture
A movement of the hands, arms or head that communicates, such as counting points on your fingers.

congruent
Matching: when your words, voice and body all send the same message.

criteria
The standards you use to judge something, such as "Does this gesture fit the message?"

talking circle
A discussion format, used in many First Nations communities and many Ontario classrooms, in which people sit in a circle and speak one at a time, often while holding an object that is passed around.

non-manual markers
In sign languages such as ASL, facial expressions and head movements that are part of the grammar, for example to show a question.

Remember from Grade 8

In Grade 8 you evaluated delivery with criteria (does a strategy fit the message, the audience, the context?), learned that words, voice and body should be congruent, and saw that non-verbal meanings are learned and can vary between cultures and settings. In Grade 9 you'll use these strategies on purpose in your own talks, compare how well different strategies work, including on camera, and support your judgments with evidence from what you saw and heard.

Let's start with an experiment

Say the sentence "That was a great presentation" four ways:

Smiling, warm voice, looking at the person.
Flat voice, looking at your phone.
Slow, with a long pause before great and raised eyebrows.
Fast and loud, with a thumbs-up.

The words never changed, but the message did. Version 2 sounds bored. Version 3 sounds sarcastic. Researchers and teachers often point out that when words and delivery don't match, listeners tend to believe the delivery. That's why expression and body language are not decoration; they are part of the message.

Your oral toolkit: expression

Pace: slow down for important, serious or complicated ideas; speed up slightly for lively stories or lists.
Volume: loud enough for the back row; soften for a quiet, personal moment (but stay audible).
Pitch: vary it to sound engaged. A monotone (one pitch) makes listeners drift.
Pauses: pause before a key point to build attention and after it to let it sink in. Pauses also replace fillers like um and like.
Emphasis: stress the word that carries the meaning: "We need five volunteers" versus "We need five volunteers."
Tone: the attitude your voice carries: serious, enthusiastic, respectful, urgent.

Imagine each voice strategy as a dial. For a Remembrance Day reading the dials point to a slower pace, steady volume, lower pitch and more pauses. A pep-rally announcement would set them very differently.

Your non-verbal toolkit

Facial expression: should match the content: serious for serious points, a smile for a welcome or a funny story.
Gestures: use them to describe ("about this tall"), count or organize (holding up fingers for points one, two, three) or emphasize (an open hand on a key word). Avoid nervous ones: clicking a pen, touching your hair.
Posture: stand tall with weight on both feet; this looks confident and helps your breathing and volume.
Movement: a step forward for an important point can work; pacing back and forth distracts.
Eye contact: in many Canadian classrooms, looking around the room (not at your notes or one person) shows confidence and includes everyone.

Open body language (left) supports the message: eyes toward the audience, an open-hand gesture, a steady stance. Closed body language (right) can make the speaker seem nervous or uninterested even when the words are good.

In person and on camera

Many Grade 9 assignments are recorded videos or online presentations. The same tools work differently on camera:

Eye contact means looking at the camera lens, not at your own face on the screen.
Gestures should stay inside the frame and be a little smaller.
Facial expression matters more, because the camera is close.
Volume depends on the microphone: speak clearly at a normal level and test the recording first.
Pauses feel longer on video, but they still help viewers follow.

Across cultures

Non-verbal communication is learned, so its meaning can change from one culture, community or family to another. A few examples:

Eye contact: in many Canadian classrooms, steady eye contact signals attention. In some families and cultures, looking down when an older person or someone in authority is speaking is a sign of respect, not of boredom.
Gestures: even common gestures, such as the thumbs-up, do not mean the same thing everywhere.
Silence and turn-taking: in a talking circle, used in many First Nations communities and in many Ontario classrooms, people speak one at a time, often while holding an object passed around the circle, and others listen without interrupting. Long, thoughtful pauses are expected and respected. Protocols differ between nations and communities, so when you take part, follow the guidance of the host or the Elder or Knowledge Keeper leading the circle.
Sign languages: in American Sign Language (ASL), used by many Deaf people in Canada, facial expressions and head movements are part of the grammar. Raised eyebrows, for example, can mark a yes-or-no question.

These are tendencies, not rules. People within any culture differ, so don't assume how a person will communicate because of their background. When you evaluate a speaker, ask "Does this strategy work for this audience and context?" rather than "Is this the way I would do it?"

Worked example

Let's evaluate and compare two speakers

Two students give the same 30-second talk asking classmates to sign up for the winter coat drive.

Speaker 1 reads from a sheet without looking up, speaks quickly in one pitch, and ends with "So, yeah."

Speaker 2 looks around the room, pauses after "Last year, 60 families in our town asked for a winter coat," holds up three fingers while listing "coats, mitts and toques," and ends with "Sign up at the office by Friday."

Compare their effectiveness using criteria and evidence.

Choose criteria. Does each strategy (1) fit the message, (2) fit the audience and context, (3) help listeners understand and remember, (4) match the words (congruent)?
Speaker 1, evidence: no eye contact (reading), fast monotone, weak ending. These do not help listeners understand or remember, and the flat delivery doesn't match an urgent request.
Speaker 2, evidence: eye contact includes the audience; the pause after the statistic gives it weight; the three-finger gesture organizes the list; the ending gives a clear action.
Compare: Speaker 2's strategies support the purpose (persuade) far better. Speaker 1 might improve most by looking up and slowing down.
Write the judgment with evidence.

Speaker 2 is more effective. Her pause after "60 families" makes the number stand out, and holding up three fingers helps listeners remember "coats, mitts and toques." Speaker 1 reads quickly in a monotone without looking up, so the request sounds unimportant, and "So, yeah" gives no clear action.

Evaluate with evidence, not just feelings

"It was good" is an opinion. "Her pause before the statistic made it stand out" is an evaluation: it names a strategy, gives evidence of where it was used, and explains its effect on the audience.

Hands-on activity

Mirror, camera, audience

You need: a mirror or a device that records video, and a short paragraph to read (a paragraph from a news article, or a few lines from a speech you are writing).

Read the paragraph once with no expression or gestures. Record it if you can.
Mark the text: underline two words to stress, draw a slash (/) where you will pause, and write one gesture in the margin.
Read it again using your marks, looking up at the camera or mirror at least three times.
Watch both versions (or ask a family member to compare them). Use the four criteria from the example to write two sentences: one strategy that worked, with evidence, and one to improve.

Just for fun

What did the speaker's hands say to the audience?

Nothing, but they still made their point.

Your turn

Name three expression (voice) strategies.

Where should you pause to make a key point stand out?

Rewrite the stress to change the meaning: "I didn't say you were late." Which word would you stress to mean someone else said it?

Give one example of a gesture that organizes information.

A student says "I'm really excited about this project" in a flat voice while looking at the floor. Which criterion does this fail?

Name two things that change when you present on camera instead of in person.

Why should you avoid assuming a classmate isn't listening because they don't make eye contact?

More practice: warm-up

What is a monotone?

What does congruent mean?

Name one nervous gesture to avoid.

In a talking circle, who speaks?

In ASL, what can raised eyebrows show?

More practice: on your own

Describe the voice settings (pace, volume, pitch, pauses) you'd use to announce a surprise pizza lunch at an assembly.

Turn this opinion into an evaluation with evidence: "His speech was boring."

Explain why the same gesture might work in a small seminar but not on a video call.

A guest speaker who is an Elder speaks slowly with long pauses. A classmate calls it "awkward." How would you respond respectfully?

Plan non-verbal strategies for the line "Imagine walking to school at minus 25 without mittens."

Challenge

Compare the effectiveness of one strategy (for example, pausing) in two different contexts: a Remembrance Day reading and a fast-paced sports announcement.

Write a 3-sentence evaluation of a speaker you have watched (a teacher, a news anchor, a video). Name strategies, give evidence and explain effects.

Explain why evaluating non-verbal communication across cultures needs care. Use the idea of tendencies, not rules.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Pausing just before a key point mainly:

Which shows congruent delivery?

On a recorded video presentation, eye contact means looking at:

Which is an evaluation with evidence?

Which statement about non-verbal communication across cultures is accurate?

In a talking circle, the respectful thing to do while someone holds the object is to:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation B1.4 asks students to identify and use oral and non-verbal strategies (expression, gestures, body language), and to evaluate and compare their effectiveness, including how their use may vary across cultures.

How to help at home: Watch a short speech or news clip together with the sound off, then with the sound on. Ask: What did the speaker's face and hands tell you? Did the voice match the words? When your teen practises a presentation, give feedback on one specific strategy at a time.

Common difficulties:

Reading from notes and forgetting eye contact. Cue cards with key words only help.
Speeding up when nervous. Marking pauses in the script helps.
Evaluating with opinions ("it was boring") rather than evidence.
Overgeneralizing about cultures. Encourage "some people" and "in some settings" language, and curiosity rather than judgment.