Gesture and speech are co-expressive and complementary channels of a single human language system. While speech carries the major load of symbolic presentation, gesture provides the imagistic content. Thus, a gesture is a form of non-verbal communication made with a part of the body, used instead of or in combination with verbal communication. The language of gesture is rich in such a way for individuals as to express a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and hostility to approval and affection. Most people use gestures in addition to words when they speak, some ethnic groups and languages use them more than others do, and the amount of such gesturing that is considered culturally acceptable varies from one location to another. As the global village continues to shrink and cultures collide, it is essential for all of us to become more sensitive, more aware, and more observant of the myriad motion and gestures that surround us each day. And as many of us cross over cultural borders, it would be fitting for us to respect, learn and understand more about the effective, yet powerful "silent language" of gestures.