The Important Role of Body Language in Intercultural Communication肢体语言在跨文化交流中的作用

1、the important role of body language in intercultural communication肢体语言在跨文化交流中的作用outlineabstract1introduction.3some information about body language32.1 functions of body language.42.2 the important role of body language in communication.42.3 necessities of studying body language in intercultural comm

2、unication.53. the classification of the body language.54. the relationship of body language and cultural.64.1 the relationship of body language and cultural.64.2 culture difference of body language .74.2.1 eye contact.74.2.2 gestures.94.2.3 postures104.2.4 touch .114.2.5 facial expression.125. the s

3、imilarities of body language and their causes.135.1 the similarities of body language.135.2 the causes resulting in the similarities of body language.146. the principles of reducing barriers in communication.147. conclusion.15bibliography.17 摘要 身势语是指语言或非语言交际中具有交际意义的身势动作,是非语言交际的重要组成部分,同时也是人们交流思想和感情的重

4、要手段。为了能在跨文化交际中成功地进行交流，我们应该了解不同文化的身势语言，而且必须承认世界各国的身势语与语言和文化一样，也有相似之处。当然,由于地域，种族，文化习俗的差异，不同文化的身势语有许多差异，即使同一身势语在不同的文化背景都有不同的含义，错误地用身势语不仅会使我们在跨文化交际中失败，而且会造成和外国朋友之间的冲突，所以怎样正确地使用身势语，怎样理解身势语的差异都非常重要。本文致力于从目光语，手势语，身体姿态，面部表情，体触语方面对不同文化的身势语进行对比。目的在于通过列举身势语的文化差异与共性，分析各种身势语在不同文化背景下的用法和功能，从而帮助人们传情达意，突破语言障碍，促进交流.

5、关键词 身势语;非语言交际;跨文化交际;文化差异和共性the important role of body language in nonverbal communicationabstract body language is elements of non-verbal language in communicational behavior and it takes a complementary role to help people to transfer idea and express affections. in order to make successful exchang

6、e in intercultural communication, we should master the meaning of the body language from different cultures. and we should realize that body language, like verbal communication and culture, also has many similarities all over the world. however, body language from different cultures has many differe

7、nces because of different regions, races and cultural customs. and even the same body language has great differences in different culture background. using body languages wrongly not only makes you fail in intercultural communications, but also causes conflict and create persistent negative attitude

8、s toward foreigners. so what are the differences of the same body language in different countries? how to apply body language correctly? this becomes very important in human daily life. this article devotes to do a comparison and contrast of body language in different cultures in terms of eye langua

9、ge, gestures, postures, facial expressions and touch. it aims to illustrate the differences and similarities of body language, analyzes the various usages and functions of body language in different culture background, so as to reduce barriers and help people to transfer information to improve commu

10、nication; as the matter of fact, to achieve efficient communication and to avoid misunderstanding.key words body language; nonverbal communication; intercultural communication; culture differences and similarities1. introductionin modern society, most countries in the world communicate with each fre

11、quently, people communicate with each other through not only verbal communication but also nonverbal communication. moreover, the latter plays an essential role in human communication. according to some researchers, nonverbal behavior can cover 70% communication. it is a very important media through

12、 which people communicate with each other just as our verbal language. nonverbal communication is also collected with cultures and it is the result of the culture. for instance, some people think of nodding head means yes and shaking means no, im afraid we can not give a simple answer, because the s

13、ame behavior in different culture has different meanings ; while many people may pay great attention to the acceptance and correctness of the verbal communication and overlook the influence and cultural difference of nonverbal communication. then the misunderstanding and cultural crash often occur i

14、n the intercultural communication. in order to make successful exchange without barrier, we have to know the body language and understand the specific meaning under each background, so as to help us go out of misunderstanding zone in intercultural communication.2. some information about body languag

15、ewhen talking about body language, people often think about standing, sitting, and lying. in fact people can make over 1000 kinds gestures. the commonly used body languages include eye contact, gestures, postures, facial expression and so on. western scholars have made a lot of definitions about it,

16、 the most vivid and specific definition is that body language is the non-verbal language which can express information that language cannot express and the actions most people can understand. “nonverbal communication is a process in which communicators use the natural features of their bodies to del

17、iver information and express the specific meaning instinctively to the other communicator.” (管延祥, 2004: 90).2.1 functions of nonverbal communicationalthough verbal communication is a chief tool people used, yet nonverbal communication cant be replaced by verbal communication, especially in intercult

18、ural communication. the study of psychology shows when two people do faceto-face communication, more than 50% information are finished by nonverbal communication. “in the daily communication, we can see people cant communicate efficiently by verbal language alone. and nonverbal communication will ex

19、press clear meanings in a certain context. and a certain nonverbal communication should be connected with verbal communication or the other nonverbal communication to provide correct information.”(李树刚, 2004: 37) so in communicative activities, nonverbal communication also plays a great role. moreove

20、r, nonverbal communication is international, so people coming from different countries can communicate with each other by body language even if they cant speak each others language, furthermore, “in any case, when verbal communication conflicts with nonverbal communication, people are willing to acc

21、ept the information nonverbal communication delivers. because nonverbal communication sounds more natural, more instinctive and it is hard to pretend.”(徐小丹, 2004: 90) obviously, we should make full use of nonverbal communication to achieve efficient communication. 2.2 the important role of body lang

22、uage in communication“psychologist david aberconbie ever pointed out: we speak with verbal organs but we talk with our body.”( 张建青, 2004: 34). and mr. freud had ever said that “nobody can keep secret completely, if his lip keep silent he will talk by his finger, every gesture of his body will betray

23、 him”. (claire kramsch, 2003: 102). his words mainly explain the important function of gestures during conversation. a famous psychologist have ever advanced a formula: emotion expression = 7% language + 39%voice +83%expression behavior,(曹合建, 1997: 56)which also illustrated the important role of bod

24、y language in interpersonal communication. some scholars think it is not only the indispensable complement of language, but also mutually dependent on each other. language is the component parts and carrier of culture. studying and understanding body language is helpful to study language of foreign

25、countries and avoid mistaking in intercultural communication.2.3 necessities of studying body language in intercultural communicationwith the further opening to the outside world, more and more people go abroad or stay in motherland to go in for the work of intercultural enterprise. in intercultural

26、 communication people often feel confused and baffled because they cant immerge into the same background of culture and then result in failure in communication. this “body language” just like verbal language is also a part of culture. the specific meanings of body language originate from specific cu

27、lture background. people can take advantage in conversation if only they master it well. in most situations, nodding ones head means agreement yes. waving an outstretched hand with open palm is the gesture for goodbye. leaning back in ones seat and yawning at a talk or lecture shows lack of interest

28、, boredom. the meanings of these gestures have come to be accepted by most people, at least by chinese and americans. but the same gesture or body languages have different meaning in different background of culture. even nodding the head may have a different meaning. to nepalese, sri lankan, some in

29、dians and some eskimos it doesnt means “yes” but “no”. so if somebody wants to succeed in international business, if they want to have a good personal relationship with the foreigners, they must learn and master the practical skill of dealing with people coming from different background of culture.

30、because body language is one of the most useful ways to solve the problems mentioned above.3. the classification and culture difference of the body languagewe have addressed the importance of nonverbal communication. and we also know body language reflects a certain cultural background. on the one h

31、and, in a certain tradition, body language is determined by its customs and traditions. violating them will cause communicative disconnection and misunderstanding. on the other hand, the meanings of body language in a certain culture are developing and changing. with the development of technology, t

32、raffic and contact all over the world, the meanings of body language are renewing every day. in this essay, we intend to make a comparison and contrast of the similarities and differences on body language in order to avoid misunderstanding and make efficient communication. just like verbal language

33、have symbolic features. some parts of body language are innate, some are acquired and others are conscious. for instance, when we are excited, our pupils will enlarge distinctively. our eyebrows will move rapidly when we greet. and we will frown when we are unsatisfied. while acquired body language

34、is greatly affected by social environment and accepted through common practice. it often becomes a distinctive culture. every country, every nation, and even every region has its own historical and cultural background. so the body language people use is quite different. for example, americans like t

35、o shrug when they have no idea about something. but chinese dont do the same thing. stretching out ones tongue means contempt in america, but in china it means surprise and respect for guests in tibet. 4. the relationship of body language and cultural differences4.1 the relationship of body language

36、 and culturalbody language and culture are inseparable, the forming of body language is decided by a certain culture background, the relationship between them is close and complicated. people can know and understand the cultural value and exclude the narrow feeling of cultural superiority by studyin

37、g the action of body language, and at the same time, they can guess peoples gesture or body language by knowing their culture. the most difficult and meaningful things of studying body language is to solve the culture conflicts. people always pay more attention and show more sensibility to the other

38、 nations body language than to their own. the misuse of body language can take more serious conflicts than culture can take, and if the speakers speak other nations language frequently but use improper body language, which means they take more serious mistake because body language stand for motion e

39、xpression. samovar thinks people must keep some principles in their mind to solve the conflict between body language and culture in intercultural communication. firstly, people cant forget there are several non-verbal behaviors acting together at the same time and use body language to cooperate with

40、 verbal language during communication. secondly, people cannot remember the meanings of all kinds of body language, but if they can correctly distinguish them and remember the meanings of some often used body language, also can help them understand easily during communication. thirdly, and the most

41、important thing is to understand correctly the non-verbal behavior of their own culture. however, the culture differences take many obstacles to people during intercultural communication. if people want to use body language properly they should learn and remember a lot about the ways about body lang

42、uage using in different culture. (samovar, 1981: 45) 4.2 culture difference of body languagedifferent believes are the causes of the differences of body language. according to the theories proposed by american anthologists barnettt pearce, verrion cronent, peoples behavior, the way of thinking and s

43、o on are affected by their believes. and every culture has its distinctive belief system. a normal action in this culture will be abnormal in another one. a positive behavior in one culture will be negative in another. people from eastern world advocate modesty, tolerance, mutual-support and respons

44、ibility for the group. but western people admire independence, self-respect, free development, and requiring individual space and so on. next, we will go to the differences of body language from five parts.4.2.1 eye contactas saying goes “the eyes are the window of the soul”. that is to say, we can

45、read ones mind through his/her eyes. eye language can express complicated feelings and it is an important way to judge the intimacy of communicators. people from english speaking countries have more eye contact when they are in conversation. according to american tradition, communicators must gaze a

46、t each other. “but there are many rules about eye language: whether to look at the other communicator or not; when it is the time to look at them, how long we can look at; who we can look at and who we cant; they all imply different meanings in communication.”(喻硕丰, 2005: 94) in juliets fasters book

47、“body language”, there is a paragraph which can explain the problem. “two strangers sit face to face in the dinning room in a train; they can introduce themselves to each other. when they are eating, they can talk anything else. they also can avoid eye contact and do not show interest in each other.

48、 a writer described this situation in an article “they look over the menu again and again, play with knives and look at their nails. it seems that they look at them for the first time. if their eyes meet, they will turn away immediately and look out of the window.”americans pay great attention to th

49、e time and the way of eye contact. in common conversation, they will look at each other about one minute and then they will look away. if two americans gaze at each other, which indicate they are intimate. in north america, the children there have learned to look at the other communicator directly.

50、if they dont, they are regarded lack of enthusiasm or confidence. they believe the saying “never trust a person who cant look you in the eyes.” ( 黄红霞, 2000: 36).while in conversation of two arabians, they will look at each other warmly. because they think eyes are the key of their existence. but in

51、american eyes, they think this behavior is unsuitable or a homosexual behavior. the educated englishmen believe direct eye contact with our communicators is gentlemanly. but swedenians use eye language more often than englishmen. and the french especially like to look attentively at the other commun

52、icators with admiration. japanese often look at the other communicators neck when they are in conversation. they believe eye contact is impolite. and chinese consider gazing people is an unfriendly behavior and it is a challenge. some south american indians used to look at different directions when

53、they are talking. in the middle east, it is considered extremely provocative for a woman to let a man catch her eyes, let alone, return his gaze. another example, the story is told of a teenage puerto rican girl in a new york high school who was taken with a number of other girls to the principal fo

54、r suspected smoking. although there was no proof of any wrongdoing and although she had a good record, the principal decided she was guilty and suspended her. “there was something sly and suspicious about her,” he said in his report. “she just wouldnt meet my eye. she wouldnt look at me.” when she w

55、as questioned by the principal it was true that she kept staring at the floor and refused to meet his eye. and it is quite normal that most people feel uneasy and uncomfortable under the strong staring. when people always stare at us, we will feel we are threatened or suspect their sincerity. from w

56、hat is mentioned above we can conclude that different cultural background has a great influence on body language. and eye language also reflects different cultures and believes. so we need to observe and compare and contrast carefully so as to improve cultural exchange and to blend well.4.2.2.2 gest

57、ures “gesture means we communicate and express by the movement and manners of our hands and fingers.” ( 范杏丽, 2000: 123) “without gestures, our world will be static and colorless. we may literally roll up our sleeves when talking about cleaning up the room and run to meet the person we are eager to see. it seems natural to clench our fist or perhaps even pound to the lectern to let every one realize the importance of our message when trying to communicate a strong feeling, which emphasize our words.”( li li-na li hua