Body Language Across Cultures Children, Migration, and the Speaking Body

By Dr. Efrat Tzadik

Imagine a six-year-old girl who has recently arrived in Belgium. In class, she speaks little, frequently scans the room, holds her body tense, and keeps her hands close to her sides. When the teacher addresses her, she offers an uncertain smile, looks down at the floor, and remains silent.

The teacher wonders: Is she shy? Does she not understand? Or has she simply “not yet connected”?

But perhaps she is communicating - just in another language: the body language of home, of culture, of all that is learned without words.

As Erving Goffman reminds us, every social interaction is a form of performance. In a new cultural context, children are actors stepping onto the stage without having received the script. They must learn it on the move - while already in the spotlight.

In one culture, eye contact signifies respect; in another, it may be perceived as defiance.

In one classroom, a child who moves frequently is seen as curious; in another, as undisciplined.

The child is simply attempting to decode the unspoken rules and understand which nonverbal language is spoken here.

When working with migrant children, we must remember: before mastering verbal languages, the children are navigating new body languages - challenges no less significant.

Attuning ourselves to a child’s body language is not merely cultural sensitivity; it is human sensitivity.

It is an invitation for us, as adults, to set aside assumptions and learn to observe with fresh eyes.

The child may not yet speak - but their body has already begun the conversation.