I came across an insightful book titled "Thinking With Your Hands” by psychologist Susan Goldin-Meadow that resonated with my personal life and experience! 📚✨ I recommend it as an interesting summer science reading and an idea for mindful observation while on holiday in a foreign country.
The book explores the fascinating connection between our gestures and the expression of our thoughts and emotions. It delves into the profound ways in which our hand movements shape and reflect our innermost ideas. And as someone with a bilingual family, this book struck a chord with me. Creating a family where kids are growing up with two languages that coexist, I've witnessed firsthand how language influences gestures and communication patterns. My bilingual family has enriched my understanding of the intricate relationship between language, culture, and non-verbal communication. It has taught me the importance of context and the power of gestures in conveying subtle nuances and emotions that words alone cannot capture. I can see it when I switch to Spanish: my body language changes, I use gestures more than in my native language, I usually speak louder, I feel more relaxed, I smile more, and my personal space usually gets closer to the one I speak to.
However, I relate to this book in my own personal way; the book really serves as a mindful reminder of the diverse ways in which we communicate and express ourselves. It emphasizes the significance of non-verbal cues, including hand gestures, in conveying meaning and fostering connections between individuals from different linguistic backgrounds. We have to celebrate the richness of multilingualism and embrace the beauty of diverse forms of expression!