Bài thực hành nghe Tiếng Anh nâng cao - Bài 15 - Thẩm Tâm Vy - Năm 2018 (Có âm thanh)

 Thẩm Tâm Vy, November 16th, 2018 PRACTISE LISTENING – ADVANCED – LESSON 15 
PRACTISE LISTENING 15 – ADVANCED 
Presenter: Few people are aware of what is referred to, in psychology circles, as impression 
management - the science of reacting in the right way to someone's body language - and 
even fewer people realise how extremely useful recognising and exploiting body language 
can be. To enlighten us, we have with us today behavioural psychologist, Sidney Parr. Mr 
Parr, thanks for coming. 
Man: My pleasure, Pete. If I could just comment on something you just said? You were 
correct in saying that it is a rare individual indeed who is aware that he is making an 
impression before he has even opened his mouth. The reason for this oversight is that most 
people tend to think of communication as verbal language only. 
Presenter: So, you’re saying that we communicate in other ways as well? 
Man: Exactly. I'm talking about body language. Body language, the way one stands, sits and 
moves, speaks non-verbal volumes about a person. To begin, let's take posture. Now, a 
person who is adopting what we call an open posture stands fully facing his audience. His 
arms hang loosely at his sides and the palms of his hands are clearly visible. Both feet are 
planted firmly on the ground and he holds himself erect. An individual who maintains this 
body posturing is sending out positive signals. He is silently indicating that he is open to 
what the other party is saying. He is relaxed about, and interested in, the other person. 
Presenter: Wow - you've got me thinking about my last few conversations. What does it 
mean if a person seems kind of well, you know, closed in on himself? 
Man: You're talking about a closed posture. A person with a closed posture stands with his 
arms folded, or even wrapped about his torso. His hands are hidden from view and he is 
partially turned away from his audience. If he is sitting, his legs are crossed. Perhaps he is 
slightly hunched over. Bad impression management. This type of stance signals 'I don't want 
to be here’ and that they are on the defensive. They feel uncomfortable and they are 
expecting some sort of attack, most likely verbal. Not particularly conducive for making a 
good first impression, right? 
Presenter: Too right. So does the actual conversation mean anything, or does your body 
language do all the talking? 
Man: Well, let's go one step further and see what body language shows about an ongoing 
conversation. You've just said something. Your listener is leaning forward and looking 
directly at you. Good time for you to ask for a favour or a date. Why, you might ask? Well, 
because this person is open to what you just said. They are actively listening to you and they 
are readying themselves to respond in a positive manner. 
Presenter: What if they aren't particularly impressed with you? 
Man: Let's put it this way - you'll know when it's not the right time to ask for that loan or 
raise if the person you're engaged in conversation with appears to be leaning away from you, 
or is staring at some imaginary spot on the ceiling. This person is not accepting, or even 
listening to what you have to say. At times like this, it's best for you to either be quiet for a 
moment, step back a bit, or politely end the conversation and leave. 
Presenter: I think you'd have to be pretty insensitive if you missed getting that message! 
Man: I know all this must seem perfectly obvious, but surprisingly it isn't. At least that's 
what we have found when doing research under test conditions. People are not reading other 
people's unspoken messages, and they are not exploiting their own body language to 
communicate productively.