Adeola Abdulateef Elega

Signs and symbols: These are nonverbal languages which carries important 
messages. We come across this messages everyday of our life. Signs and symbols 
dates back to time immemorial. Road signs like zebra crossing, narrow bridge, sharp 
bend ahead, and pedestrian crossing are universal languages which are understood 
generally. We see these signs and symbols in all institutions, in schools, hospitals, 
airplane, hotels, airport, ships etc. They automatically inform us about something or 
direct us easily without asking questions. When you enter a bus you see seats with 
symbols of human vector showing a feeble person, pregnant woman and sick person. 
With these symbols if you don’t fall in the category you automatically know you 
shouldn’t seat there. 

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Figure 4: Signs and symbols 
(
http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/elderly-hikers-turn-blind-eye-to-pregnant-
woman-in-subway.html
) 
Some cultures also have their own signs and symbols; which is to say not all signs 
and symbols are known worldwide or solve same problem all around the world. 
Proxemics: This is a communication study about personal space differences in 
cultures. It is not a mouthed kind of communication but it informs us. The makeup of 
every culture resulting from its norms and values form the basis of proxemics. Your 
culture tells you how much distance you should keep when talking with a man or a 
woman. The space you keep with you mum is different from that you will keep with 
your teacher. Edward Hall (1959) has a basic idea on this area of communication 
which he believes we humans are all part of. Keeping space has to do with different 
cultures. An analysis of a table adapted from E.T Hall’s book “Silent Language” 
reads the space you keep in an intimate relationship should start from 18 inches, this 
is for people we are very close with and most times we whisper when we talk. If 
someone who is not in this category comes that close to us we get frightened. Space 
for personal relationship should start from 18 inches to 4 feet, we talk in soft voice 
with handshakes; married couples maintain this space when they are outside. For 
casual relationships, distance starts from 4 feet to 12 feet. This space is a measure of 

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that kind of space kept between an apprentice and a customer and full voice is used 
to communicate. For public relationship, it starts from anything greater than 12 feet, 
these are distance kept in class room (teacher to student), churches (pastor to 
congregation) (Hall, 1959).