This essay is to demonstrate the difference in cultures and how they speak through body language, the actual body language, mostly to do with hand gestures. As I was in exchange in Paris, I came across multiple different hand gestures I had never seen before that people from other cultures used daily. Like the Mexican “Yes” or Italian “Why would I care”. Getting to know the meaning behind these gestures allowed me to interact with people fully and emerge into their culture, at least a bit. I want this essay to open some of the hand gestures I saw and explain what they really mean, so you can navigate through your multicultural future fluently. Because I couldn’t download these videos, form my Instagram with the sound, here are links to my tutorials, showing the different hand gestures and explaining their meanings. Enjoy, practise and take to use!

South Korea:

Video 1: Part one, South Korean Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnRPwuDBpnA/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Video 2: Part two, South Korean Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CngybX2h6Mv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Mexico:

Video 3: Part one, Mexican Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnpKE4ahxMK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Video 4: Part two, Mexican Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnxM4H_hU2B/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Italy:

Video 5: Part one, Italian Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn9ZgxmMc02/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Video 6: Part two, Italian Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoHT6bCLdv6/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Video 7: Part three, Italian Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoURzFGIbTw/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Brazil:

Video 8: Brazilian Hand Gestures

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CohCyUUDWJy/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I was not surprised the Italians had a lot of hand gestures, but I was surprised how much overall there is hand gestures around the world and how one can mean totally different thing in different countries. To me, it was also interesting to find some similarities between cultures and hand gestures. Was any of these gestures familiar to you, or were there some that surprised you?

Written By: Emilia Parikka

latvlatina, 2022. Which one is your go to??!, Instagram Reels, Published: 17.10.2022 Watched: 01.04.2023

Marco in a BOX, 2015, How to talk with your hands, 60 Italian HAND GESTURES, YouTube video, Published 22.04.2025. Watched: 12.01.2023,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8hAOxsTpVY&ab_channel=MarcoinaBOX

Mike En Spanish, 2020, Mexican hand gestures we use in Mexico!!! Teaching a few Mexican gestures for you to know!, YouTube video, Published 20.01.2020. Watched: 11.01.2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jBWZZ8lU8k&ab_channel=MikeEnSpanish

Minji Teaches Korean, 2018, 3 Must Know Korean Hand Gestures & Announcement, YouTube video, Published 01.04.2018, Watched: 10.01.2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKlPqtxr34U

원이어, 2016, 5 Korean Hand Gestures You Have To Know In Korea, YouTube video, Published 29.01.2016, Watched: 10.01.2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKar-Cxhsio