Event details

Academic Skills	Digital Literacy	Personal Development	Responsibility	Sustainability	Work Environment

Our hands “talk” to us. Often unnoticed, but always significant. If we separate gestures from what is said, an essential part of communication is lost. Only in the natural combination of language, body and movement does its full effect unfold. Because gestures are far more than just accompanying phenomena: They are an expression of language, thought and relationship. Every time we speak to others and in front of others.

This one-day workshop invites you to rediscover the role of gestures and body language in dialog. Together we will explore the questions:

• What are gestures – and what functions do they fulfill?
• How and when do we use them in conversations?
• What role do context and situation play in their effect?

Through video analysis, combined with physical exercises, participants sharpen their powers of observation and gain a deeper understanding of communicative processes. Supplementary theoretical input provides basic knowledge, which is tested and deepened in group and individual exercises.

Learning objectives:

• To develop a differentiated understanding of the role of gestures and body language.
• Observe, interpret and actively use gestures.
• To make conversations more conscious, clearer and more effective.

Workload for ECTS:

1 ECTS: active participation and completion of an assignment by 4 weeks after the end of the seminar

Lecturer:

Dr. Jana Bressem is a linguist and gesture researcher at Chemnitz University of Technology. She heads the “Gesture Research and Speech Science” department there and researches the interplay between speech and gesture. She also offers training, lectures and consultations on gestures, communication and body language – with a scientifically sound but practical approach.