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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Sam. When Neil and I record 6 Minute English face-to-face

in the BBC Learning English Studio, which I'm happy to say we are doing right now,

we look at each other as we speak. We smile and use hand gestures and facial expressions

in a type of communication called body language.

But during the Covid pandemic, everyday meetings with work colleagues, teachers and friends,

and 6 Minute English recordings all moved online.

Video meetings using software like Zoom and Skype became the normal way to communicate

with family and friends. And whatever happens with Covid in the future,

it seems they're here to stay. In this programme, we'll be asking

how has body language changed in the world of online video meetings?

We'll meet the person who wrote the rule book for clear communication in the digital age,

Erica Darwin, author of a new book, Digital Body Language.

But before that, I have a question for you, Sam, and it's about Erica Darwin.

She may be a communications expert now, but growing up in Pennsylvania,

she was a shy and quiet schoolgirl. So how did Erica beat her shyness

and become the confident communicator she is today?

Did she A, attend public speaking classes?

B, copy the body language of the cool kids at school,

or C, raise her hand to answer the teacher's questions,

...