Verbal and nonverbal communication in France

In France greetings are a very important part of every social interaction. French people all shake hands with everybody they meet and they always do it twice, when they arrive and when they leave. Not doing so will be considered very impolite. On the other hand kissing on the cheeks is a standard greeting practice among family and friends. This can be done in private and in public meetings (called randez – vous) and the double kissing (one kiss per cheek) often starts on the right side.

French people are extremely proud of being French and they like to express some of their thoughts with some very typical gestures. Among them, the most common are the following:

• ´very good´ (il est delicieux) : touch your fingers and thumb all together, kiss your fingertips, and then open your hand, as if tossing something in the air.

• ´Í have finished´ (c´est fini) : cross your arms in front of your body, with your palms out, then move them out, while saying, “C’est fini.”

http://dinolingo.com/blog/2011/05/04/french-culture/#.WDyHQjMrLnA