INTERPRETING SILENCE, GESTURE AND GAZE: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION IN HAUSA–IGBO INTERETHNIC INTERACTION
Keywords:
nonverbal communication; intercultural communication; Hausa; Igbo; kinesics; proxemicsAbstract
Nonverbal communication is central to the construction and interpretation of meaning, but the meanings attached to nonverbal behaviour are shaped by culturally learned expectations. This study examines the forms, meanings and communicative functions of selected nonverbal behaviours in Hausa–Igbo interethnic interaction, with particular attention to gestures, facial expression, eye contact, interpersonal distance, touch, silence, posture and vocal characteristics. A convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. Data were obtained from 45 Hausa and Igbo undergraduate students in selected universities in southeastern Nigeria through a structured questionnaire and participant observation. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations and chi-square tests, while qualitative observations and open-ended responses were analysed thematically. The findings indicate a high level of awareness of nonverbal communication (M = 4.44, SD = 0.70) and statistically significant differences between the two groups in the interpretation of silence, touch, eye contact and interpersonal distance. Participants also considered nonverbal communication influential in business, educational and social contexts, with social interaction receiving the highest rating (M = 4.61, SD = 0.55). Learning culturally appropriate greetings was rated the most useful strategy for improving intercultural communication (M = 4.58, SD = 0.51). The study argues that intercultural misunderstanding may arise even where interlocutors possess adequate verbal competence because familiar nonverbal behaviours can carry different culturally grounded meanings. The findings have implications for intercultural orientation and communication training in culturally diverse university and professional settings.References
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