Nowadays, language competences have a strategic role both to establish social relations and favour mental

processes and logical/cognitive capacities, but they are not sufficient to determine the complete acquisition of a

language because other dimensions need to be considered, such as the socio-cultural context. So, a specific

communicative competence is necessary. In the process of language learning, especially in educational settings,

verbal communication is the main and only focus because language itself has several cultural, communal and

of study and encourage the consideration of nonverbal communication clues into a language learning process.

Nowadays, people are continuously involved in social, cultural and interpersonal contacts and numerous

dimensions need to be considered in order to avoid or limit misunderstandings and communicative issues.

Language competences have a strategic role in the relations, language is the primary way people use to

communicate and interact, and these dynamics represent a constant part of their everyday life.

Through language individuals transmit their experiences, thoughts, meanings, intentions, feelings and identity.

Having only appropriate language competences is not sufficient because communication is a complex process

involving several elements: communication is what members of a culture use to share certain perspectives and

through what they say and how they say it; we learn about ourselves through the ways that other people react to

what we say; and we learn about our relationships with others through the give-and-take of communicative

interactions.". Language is the main link with the outside world: through it people can "reliably cause precise

new combinations of ideas to arise in each other's minds”, [3]. Brown [4] affirms that "Language is the

roadmap of culture. It says where its people come from and where they are going". The communicative,

cultural, communal and social functions of a language are relevant and need a specific consideration. Firstly,

language helps to preserve and transmit culture; secondly, it links individuals into communities of shared

identities; thirdly, it manages all human interactions, it serves as social identification aspect unifying speakers

as members of a single speech community. The communicative function of a language is evident: words are

said, pronounced, expressed, declared, narrated and they are also listened, heard, perceived, caught. So, verbal

Language is one of the fundamental capabilities of the human life. The ability of using language allows

humans to communicate, express thoughts, ideas and interact with people in order to understand the

surrounding world. So, it is possible to assume that language is not only a mere means of communication, but

instead a product of the human mind, rendering it a pivotal element for society. According to the German

philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt [5], “an artistic creative principle is formed in a language, and in fact it

belongs to the language itself, because its concepts get tonal embodiment, and thus the harmony of all spiritual

forces is combined here with a musical element, which, once a part of a language, does not lose its nature, but

formed thoughts: it is a creative and dynamic activity allowing to create meaning and express new ideas and

6 months), protoverbal phase (11-12 months), telegraphic language (20-24 months) and finally grammatical

and syntactical acquisition (2-4 years). In the first phase, where the child is very young, crying and vocalising

are the main vocal production and tend to be placed in the pauses made by the adults, with whom the baby is

communicating. This shows that, even if the baby is not able to communicate in the common sense, they are

able to express themselves and to communicate. Taking the newborn's crying as an example, it is a tool to

express emotions and feelings, and the task of a parent is also to try to understand and interpret these small

signals, to understand how to move on a tonic level, expressions and facial expressions. This "baggage" can

then be used to get in touch with the non-verbal communication that children use from an early age,

understanding their needs and emotions. Therefore, making an effort to understand these signals is necessary to

be able to communicate effectively with the child.

cognitive developments of children, which he calls sensorimotor stage.

Different approaches are available about language and communication. Anyway, one point is clear: language

cannot exist without communication and communication cannot exist without language.

Nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in the ability to understand and interpret others and represents

one of the three levels of communication alongside verbal communication, which is the words people say or

write, and paraverbal communication, which is the way they use their voice. Gestures and facial expressions

are key elements of nonverbal communication as they can convey information about people's emotions,

intentions and expectations, leading to deeper and more satisfying relationships, both in the personal and

expressions, touch, proxemics and gaze, we can also list physical attraction, facial morphology, as well as

behavioural choices such as hairstyle, clothing or more generally one's external appearance. Some researchers

have also included material objects, which perform communicative functions within a given society [14].

Therefore, nonverbal communication is the process of conveying meaning without the use of written or spoken

analyses the messages sent by occupying space that tends to be divided into four main zones: intimate zone,

personal zone, social zone and public area; the haptics consists of communicative messages expressed through

physical contact. In this case we also move from codified forms of communication (a handshake, a kiss on the

cheek as a greeting to friends and relatives), to others of a more spontaneous nature (a hug, a pat on the

shoulder), [15]. Nonverbal communication may act as reinforcement, substitution, contradiction, accentuation,

regulation. It often happens that individuals believe they have sent a clear message when, in reality, this is not

the case. Humans overestimate both the intensity of their expressions and the clarity, that is, the ease with

which their expressions can be interpreted, as well as the extent to which they are observed by others [16].

Often referred to as body language, nonverbal communication can take many forms and be interpreted in

multiple ways by different people, especially across cultures. Even the lack of such nonverbal cues can be

culture interprets posture, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, vocal noises, use of space, and time

differently [17].

Knowing, studying and being able to decipher these non-verbal messages can be a concrete help in making the

verbal communication more effective, meaningful and complete as well as respectful of the cultural differences

inevitably present in all the daily relationships [18].

The integration of language and culture should be considered as one of the fundamental purposes of language

teaching and learning and a key element to promote intellectual opening and curiosity, respect for cultural

differences, and the enjoyment in interaction with people from other countries. Consequently, it becomes

necessary to integrate the linguistic code with all the other dimensions that are involved in that linguistic

context. Communication between speakers of different languages is also about understanding the perceptions

and meanings arising from the other speaker, according to their cultural context. Language is, in many aspects,

who approach a different culture, the importance of the signals provided by nonverbal communication can be

underestimated, not fully understood, or hastily judged. In a multicultural context, when our interlocutors do

not share our linguistic and cultural background, nonverbal communication takes on a particularly important

it should be regarded for its capacity of creating and maintaining relations into a specific cultural context.

Taking into account these considerations, we should wonder what the main purpose of teaching and learning a

language is, if it is only the acquisition of new language skills or also about gaining new cultural points of view

and benefiting from them. To communicate with other people, is it enough just to master grammar, vocabulary,

speaking, writing skills, or is it important also to focus on cultural and intercultural aspects? Can a sort of

"linguistic appropriateness" exist according to the cultural context we are in?

Valdes [20] argued that learners can become linguistically and culturally competent if they are aware of

Communication and culture have a strong link and so are linguistic and intercultural competences. As the

Consequently, teachers should become more aware of the fact that enabling learners to communicate

effectively with people coming from various cultural backgrounds could be one of their main goals and could

fall into their teaching methodology. In fact, learners should be committed to turning language encounters into

perspectives. Moreover, teaching a language refers to signs, drawings, artifacts, clothing, and personal

adornment but also an environmental dimension, made up of colors, lights, architecture, space, directions, and

natural elements that communicate to humans about their nature [27]. Within the classroom, teachers need to