Manual communication

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Pupils in a traditional classroom situation signal to their teacher that they want to be heard

Manual communication systems use articulation of the hands (hand signs), gestures, body language and facial expressions to mediate a message between persons. Being expressed manually, they are received visually, and sometimes tactually (see tactile signing).

Manual communication is employed in systems that are codes for spoken languages (see Manually Coded Language), and with natural languages, such as in sign languages.

Other, simpler forms of manual communication have also been developed. They are neither natural languages nor even a code that can fully render one. They communicate with a very limited set of signals about an even smaller set of topics and have been developed for situations where speech is not practical or permitted, or secrecy is desired.

[edit] Environments with manual communication used

Some cloistered religious communities (see Monastic sign language)
While scuba diving (see Diving_signal)
In television recording studios
In loud environments (such as a stock exchange, marketplaces (finger counting), sawmill, or at a horse race - see tic-tac)
When signalling across distance to a crane driver, ship or plane (see semaphore).
While hunting (see Kalahari bushmen)
In the game Charades
In Rueda de Casino
In combat where stealth or noise makes other forms of communication impractical.
Between lifeguards