Is the face the mirror of our soul?

Teacher education is predominantly concerned with verbal behaviour in the classroom. Non-verbal skill, however, is one of the key competencies in daily living and it is very important for the teaching profession.

It is for this reason that the Italian Department at the University of Malta this year invited Professor H.G. Klinzing from the University of Tübingen and Stuttgart to conduct an in-service course for its teachers on how to accurately interpret students' non-verbal behaviour. He was helped by Ms Bernadette Gerada, subject co-ordinator of Italian at Dun Guzepp Zammit Boys' Junior Lyceum.

After an introductory lecture on background information on the subject, Professor Klinzing provided all teachers present the opportunity to diagnose their own non-verbal perceptiveness. This was followed by a training session in which teachers were divided in small groups and shown how to familiarise themselves with the techniques involved in decoding emotions from facial expressions. The course was evaluated very favourably as it offered an effective and enjoyable experience for both the participants and the organisers.