Secondly, your feet and body must be pointed toward the person you are talking to. It shows you are fully engaged in the conversation. In Mississippi, this rule is more relaxed, but in France, it is taken more seriously to show the other party respect.
Those are the two biggest concerns about non-verbal communication that I encountered in France. It can be hard for an English speaker to talk to a French person because a French person may or may not know English. Also, it is impolite to immediately ask "Can you speak English?" Rather, it is nice to try to speak some French words, and French people would gladly help you finish your sentence or respond nicely in English. As I've learned, immediately speaking English can make French people angry because it looks like you think English is better than French even if you don't mean this. I love to try to speak French and making French friends who help me advance my French-speaking skills. It is helpful to find a friend to speak another language with!
