Nonverbal phenomena associated with communication can take a variety of forms: kinesic behavior, physical characteristics, touching behavior, paralanguage, proxemics, artifacts, or environmental factors. To be regarded as communication, nonverbal behavior should be intentional and goal-directed, but it need not involve a conscious choice by the speaker. Recently, many scholars have emphasized both the importance of nonverbal behavior in the communicative event and the complexity of communicative signals, both verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal signals are multifunctional, augment verbal signals in unique ways, and are intricately combined with verbal signals in communication. In impromptu speech, both verbal and nonverbal choices made by the speaker are spontaneous, not planned as they might be, to some extent, in non-impromptu speech. In general, the importance of the nonverbal channel depends on the function of the discourse, which also determines the communication style. More informative discourse depends more on the linguistic code, while emphasis on the social and expressive function of the communication means greater dependence on the nonverbal. (MSE)