Abstract

Effective inter-cultural interaction relies heavily upon non-verbal communication. Para/non- linguistic means constitute non-verbal communication. A seminal contribution of Ferdinand de Saussure, the Father of modern linguistics, was the analysis of the word as a verbal sign having two sides; an acoustic image or a sound pattern (signifier) and a concept or meaning (signified). He highlighted the arbitrariness of the verbal sign that necessitates a systematic structure of language. Applying Saussure’s system of language to non-verbal signifier, the paper posits that the non-verbal signifier is a cultural construct. For any given sign, each culture assigns its own meaning. When one is dealing in inter-cultural settings, sensitivity towards these associations is a prerequisite for communication. If these aspects are not manifested properly, the end result may be no/mis-communication. This paper is concerned with sociolinguistic understanding of communication. It cites a few real life experiences from individual, organizational and societal spheres to analyze how non-verbal communication, though potentially one of the strongest modes of communication can act as a barrier to convey the intended message. It extends the Lacanian paradigm to kinaesthetic to infer that body language fails to transcend the limits of language if culture is not taken into consideration. So, non-verbal communication can prove to be more volatile than verbal communication. In this era of cross-cultural learning, one needs to assess the strengths and weaknesses of non-verbal communication to facilitate effective intra- and inter-cultural understanding.

Key words: Non-verbal communication, inter-cultural interaction, communication, a bridge/ a barrier.