Body language is the quiet, secret and most powerful language of all! It is said that our body movements communicate about 50 per cent of what we really mean while words themselves only express 7 per cent. So, while your mouth is closed, your body is just saying...

    Arms. How you hold your arms shows how open and receptive you are to people you meet. If you keep your arms to the sides of your body or behind your back, this suggests you are not afraid of taking on whatever comes your way. Outgoing people generally use their arms with big movements, while quieter people keep them close to their bodies. If someone upsets you, just cross your arms to show you're unhappy!

    Head. When you want to appear confident, keep your head level. If you are the monitor in class, you can also take on this position when you want your words to be taken seriously. However, to be friendly in listening or speaking, you must move your head a little to one side.

    Legs. Your legs tend to move around a lot more than normal when you are nervous or telling lies. If you are at interviews, try to keep them still!

    Posture(姿势). A good posture makes you feel better about yourself. If you are feeling down, you normally don't sit straight, with your shoulders inwards. This makes breathing more difficult, which in turn can make you feel nervous or uncomfortable.

    Mouth. When you are thinking, you often purse your lips(噘起嘴唇). You might also use this position to hold back an angry comment you don't wish to show. However it will probably still be noticed, and people will know you're not pleased.

    "In my country, men usually go to restaurants on their own. They always take their shoes off before they go in. Then they usually sit on the floor around a small, low table. In the evening they often sing songs."

    "You usually take chocolates or flowers. But you always take an odd number of flowers, and you remove the paper before you give them to the hostess. You can also send flowers before you arrive. You don't usually take wine except when you visit very close friends."

    "We always offer our guests something to drink when they arrive, tea, coffee or perhaps water or soft drinks. We think it is polite to accept a drink even if you're not thirsty. If you visit someone you always stay for a few drinks. When you have had enough to drink, you tap your cup or put your hand over it. If you say no, your host will insist that you have more to drink."

    "People's private lives are very important so they never ask you personal questions about your family or where you live or your job. They never talk about religion or matters of finance, education or politics, but usually stay with safe subjects like the weather, films, plays, books and restaurants."

    "It's difficult to know when to leave, but an evening meal usually lasts about three or four hours. When the host serves coffee, this is sometimes a sign that the evening is nearly over, but you can have as much coffee as you want."

"If the invitation says eight o'clock then we arrive exactly at eight. With friends we know well, we sometimes arrive about fifteen minutes before."

    "Obviously it depends on the occasion, but most dinner parties are informal. The men don't usually wear a suit, but they may wear a jacket and tie. Women are usually smart but casual."