Unfortunately though,body language can just as easily be misunderstood and the wrong message can be sent.
Take an example, the experience of a first time British visitor to Greece. At the end of a meal, the visitor had drunk four cups of coffee before he realized that he had confused his host.

The visitor had thought his host was asking if he had drunk enough coffee and he kept nodding his head up and down to mean."Yes. I've had enough coffee". However,in Greece,this gesture means "no", so the host had thought that the visitorwanted to drink more. Unknowingly,the visitor had used his body language to communicate the wrong message.Not knowing what a particular gesture means indifferent countries or cultures can be confusing.

People do not realize how much significance a gesture can have until it is misunderstood. To non-Germans,and American tourist at a German hotel giving an "OK" sign by making a circle with his index finger and thumb is "saying" everything is fine.However,for Germans that particular gesture can cause offence and is certainly not appropriate. Over the years,scientists have studied hundreds of gestures that have different meanings in different cultures.