比较中西方身势语在沟通中的应用

比较中西方身势语在沟通中的应用

Ⅰ.Introduction

Whenpeoplespeakofthecommunicarion,firsttheywillthinkofthelanguage,whichistheverbalbehavior.Theverbalbehaviorisaprocessrelyingonthelanguageinstrument,includingtext(writtenlanguages)andverbal(orallanguage)tocarrythroughcommuniondeliveringideaandtransferringinformation.Languageisanimportanttoolofhumancommunication,butitisnottheonlytoolofcommunication.Infact,inadditiontolanguage,thereisamoreabundantcontentofthemeansofcommunicationthatisnon-verbal.Thenon-verbalcommunicationisthelanguageofalltheactsofcommunication,itisveryfrequentinthefrequencyofdailylife.Asmile,alook,andagesturebelongtobenon-verbalbahavior(huang,2003:16).Itisdifficulttofancyandcannotbeprocessedthatthecommunicationbetweenthepeoplejustdependonwordswithoutanyaccompanyinggesturesorpostures.That,atleast,isnotasufficientcommunication.Itisimpossibilitynottohavetheverbalbehaviorinhuman’scommunication,butthenon-verbalcommunicationgoeswiththeverbalcommunication.Bothofthemformedthecompleteprocessofcommunicationandalsohavetheirownfeaturesandfunctions.Non-verbalcommunicationcanrepresentpeople’spsychologicalactivitiesrichlyandaccurately.

Asthemaincomponentofnon-verbalcommunication,bodtlanguagehasitsowntrait,effect,andfunction.Itmustcomplywiththe“principlesofcooperation”justasverbalcommunication(Yang,1994:16).

Ⅱ.TheDefinitionandImportanceofBodyLanguage

2．1DefinitionofBodyLanguage

Bodylanguageisnotalanguageinthestrictsenseoftheword“language”.“Bodylanguage”isexpressinghowonefeelsbyone’ssitting,standing,moving,etc,ratherbywords(OxfordAdvancedLearnersEnglish-ChineseDictionary,1997).

2．2TheImportanceofBodyLanguage

Aninvestigationintothefunctionsofthefactorsofverbalandnonverbalcommunicationsshows:35%informationistransferredbylanguage;theother65%arebynonverbalpatterns(Samovaretal,1981).Otherstudyindicates:only7%emotionsinpeople’scommunicationarepassedbylanguage.Theother93%arebynonverbalpatterns.AmericanscholarsDeleig•Bronan(1991)pointedoutthat“Human’scommunicationconsistsofwriting,oralandbodythreeparts.Becauseofcultureprejudices,agreatmajorityofeducatedpeopleoftenthinkthatwrittenlanguageismostimportant;theorallanguageisthesecond.Thebodylanguageisrankedlast.However,whetherfromthecontinuouslyevolutionofwholehumanityorfromapersonalpointofview,thestudyindicatethattheeimportantpositionamongthethreearepartopposition.Thisshowsthenecessityandimportanceofbodylanguage.

Humansociety’slonghistoricalevolutionconfirmedthatlaborplayedadecisiveroleinthecourseofhuman’sevolution.Atbeginning,humanancestorsrelyonallsortsofgesturesandposturesformutualcoordinationandcommunicate.Sobodylanguageisactuallythemostprimitiveinstrumentofcommunication.Thephoniclanguageisgraduallydevelopedwiththecontinuousdeepeningofcommunication.Humangraduallylearnedverbalcommunicationafterafar-flungnonverbalcommunication.Thisshowsthatthenon-verbalcommunicationcameintobeingearlierthanverbalcommunication,itistheoriginandbaseofverbalcommunication,bodylanguageistheearliestcommunicationtoolofhuman.

Ⅲ.TheRoleofBodyLanguageinCommunication

3．1ToExchangeIdeasToexchangeideasisthemostbasicsocialfunctionofthelanguage.Indailyverbalcommunication,bodylanguagealsoparticipatesinverbalcommunicateactuality.Speakersconsciouslyorunconsciouslyusebodylanguagetomatchthelanguageforexpressingideas;thelistenersalsounderstandideastransferredbybodylanguage(Yang,1994:26).Sometimesbodylanguageevencanexpressideasdirectly,especiallyatthekindofoccasionthatisinappropriatetospeakorsomebodydoesn’twanttospeak.Forexample,attheplacewhereisasquietasthereadingroom,itisinappropriateforpeopletotalk.

3．2ToCoveySentimentBodylanguageisoftenaffectedbytheimpactofpersonality;differentpeopleusethesamebodylanguagecanexpressdifferentfeelings.Ifemotionhasevenalittlechange,itwillbereflectedinpeople’sfaceimmediately.Laughterisakindoffacialbrow,ingeneralthelaughterisbehavedwhenpeoplefeelbuoyant(Zhang,1990:26).Usuallythesentimentsexpressedjoy.Butindifferentcontexts,differentlaughersexpressdifferentsentiments.Sometimeslaughersexpresscompletelyreversesensibility.Forexample,“forcedsmiled”,“awansmile”,“anartificialsmile”,“sneer”,“sinistersmile”,“bemock”andsoon(Zhang,2000:32).“Theeyesarethewindowtothesoul”,eyesismostgoodatbehavingpeople’sinneremotion.Sometimesapairofeyeswhichlookscanspeakcanconveyverydelicateandcomplexemotions.Theeyesthatconveypeople’semotionalwaysgowitheyebrow.Eyebrowalsoisanimportantpartofexpression.3．3ToBringForthPeople’sPsychologyandtoBehavePeople’sCharacterInfact,besidesverballanguage,thebodylanguageofgesyures,facialchanges,meningfulglanceareallreflectionofpeople’sinnermostmovementandcharacter.FrenchliterarytheoristTurnersaid:“Becarefullystudyinghis(Shakespeare)everyrole,youwilldiscoveratanymomentthatthereisakindofecho,akindofomensmongonewording,onegesture,onetouchofidea,oneripandonespeakmodetoleakcharacter’swholebosom,...”(Chen,2001:38)

Speakingofthehumanity,eachpersoncanexpressourinnermostfeelingsthroughtthebodytheidea,butWest’sexpressionalsodiffersfrom.Forinstancewesplitoutrentacar,wecanusetheentirepalmofthehandtosummon,buttheweaternerissurelyisstretchesoutthethumbtosummon,butalsohasusandotherskississurelytherelationalnotcommonfriendandthefamilymember,butwesterner’skissonlyisandthefriendgreets.

3．4ToDenoteSocialRelationsPeoplewhocommunicatewiththeotheronehavedifferentidentity,status,seniorityandsex,sotherearesomedifferencesinthebodylanguagetheyused.Therefore,thesocialrelationsbetweenthemcanbereflectedbytheirbodylanguage.Asmileandshakinghandswiththeinitiativearethecommonlyusedbodylanguagewhentheyfirstmeetsomebody.Butthatisnotsuitabletostretchoutinitiativewhenmeetingapersonwhohasstatusthatismuchhigherthanyou.Nootherthanthepersonoffershishand,youcanbeapproachedtoshakehands.Thepeoplewhoaremorefamiliaroftenholdeachother’shandsaftershakinghands.Butmostwomendonotshakehandswhenregardingwitheachother,theydrawtheirfingerstogetherlightly.InEuropeandtheUnitedStatespeopleoftenusekissingceremony.Theformandplaceofkissingisdifferentbecausestatusandlongevityisdifferent.

ThewaywhichbutwhenChina’sverymanyplaces,themajoritypeoplemeetgreetsallareshakehand,certainly,alsohassomeyoungpeoplerunsintotheveryfamiliarfriendperhapsfamilymember’stime,canusethehugthewaytocomebiggreeting.

Ⅳ.TheCharacteristicsandtheReasonforDifferenceofBodyLanguageBetweenWesternandChinese4．1TheCharacteristicsofBody

Onemeaningcanbeshownbymorethantwobodylanguages.Forinstance,gesturesofshakinghands,nodding,orraisehandcanshowgreeting.Lookslikeusmeetstheacquaintancethetimewetobeabletoshakehand,inustosomematterexpressedsatisfactorytimewecannod,atnotsatisfactorytimecanshaketheheadandsoon.

expertsinkinesicscannotnamepreciselyallthevocabularyofgestures,forexample,whenanAmericanrubshisnose,itmaymeanheisdisagreeingwithsomeone.Butthereareotherexplanationstoo.Whenthisoccurs,wemusttrytogetfurtherinformationorguessthemeaningfromthecontextofthesituationg.Inaword,allbodylanguageshouldbeexplainedinacertaincontext.Toignorethesituationthatcouldcausemisunderstandings.Actuallythemeaningofsomebodylanguageshouldbeinferredinaspesificconsent,butmanymoregestureshavetheirmeaning.

symboliccharacteristicisanimportantsignfordistinguishingthebodylanguageandbodyphysiologicalactions.Althoughbodylanguagehasthesamephysicalattributeasbodymovements,butbodylanguageexpressesanuniqueideainsomelanguagecondition,itisdoingsomecommunicate.Inpeople’sdailylife,bodylanguagenotonlycanexpressavarietyoffrondoseemotions,butalsocanexpressvariouskindsofunderstandordon’tcare,powerless;Knockingonthetablashowsangry,warningorimpatient.Numerousfactshaveshownthatasanon-verbalcommunicationsymbols,bodylanguageisakeylinkinthecommunicationspeakofcommunicationsymbolssystemandtheimportantpartofpurportsystem.

DifferenceRoundor“OK”hasbeenwidelyusedintheUnitedStates,butonthe“OK”meaning,therearesomanydifferentviews.

Themeaningof“OK”isallthesameinalloftheEnglish-speakingcountries.However,afteritquicklyexpandedtoEuropeandAsia,themeaningchanged.Forexample,inFrance,itdenoted“zero”or“nothing”;inJapan,ithasthemeaningof“money”;insomeMediterraneancountries,itisoftenusedtoexpressthatthemaleisahomosexual.

Thisshowthatbodylanguagehasastrongculturalidentity.Inadifferentcultureitshouldhaveadifferentunderstandingofbodylanguage;somedifferentbodylanguagecanexpressthesamemeanings.Someofthesamebodylanguageindicateddifferentsignificanceorconcept;itaffectstheeffectofcommunicationandevencanmakethemisapprehensionandconflictofcross-culturalcommunicationifwecannotunderstandthespecialmeaningofthenonverbalsignofcommunication.Thisisalsoembodimentofthedialecticalrelationshipbetweennonverbalcommunicationandculturedifference.Infact,inthesamecommunitybosom,theculture,societystatusandevendifferenceofoccupationallhaveadistinctnessembodimentbybodylanguage.

4．2TheReasonforDifferenceofBodyLanguageBetweenWesternandDifferenceoftheTraditionalCultureThedifferenceofthetraditionalculturalinthedifferencharacteristics.Historiansconsideredthatcultureistheentireformofmovementofanation.ChinaandWesterncountrieshavetheirowndifferentsocialsoilandculturalatmosphere.Theyhavetheirownlonghistoryofindependentdevelopmentandspecialspace,andeachofthemhasitsowndistinctethniccharacteristics.Bodylanguagereflectsthecharacteristicsofanation,itnotonlyincludesthenation’shistoricalandculturalbackground,italsocontainstheattitudeforlifeofthenation;itisaconcretemanifestationofpeople’slifestyleandwayofthinking.Chinesecivilizationsystemisaccuratelycalled“Chineseculturalcircle”,peoplecallit“circle”meansthatitstaysinanobdurateandself-sufficiencystatusforlengthymillenniumbecauseofthegeographicalfactorsandprofoundinfluenceofConfucianthought.Intheinward-looking“circle”,theChinesepeoplecameintobeingarespectedfamily-centeredculturesystem.Lookingbackoverhistory,theirhomesare“Siheyuan”;theboardis“cubiccity”,andhasthegreatwall.Itfashionsafamily-stylecountry,itadvocates“reunification”,pursuing“cooperation”,likelivingtogether.Thestronglyfamilyconceptiaverydim.Althoughtheyalsosay:“East,west,homeisbest”.Butwhattheyexpressisprobablyakindof“maritimecivilization”and“nomadicthatisoutwardexpansionandlateralextension,gototheouterworldistheonlywayfortheirsurvivalanddevelopment.Therefore,occidentalpursueakindofautocephaly,outward“ontheroad”spirit,itengendersakindof“discrete”actionmode.ThisculturaldifferencehasclearlyreflectedintheirbodylanguagebetweenChinaandtheWest.Forexample,weaternpeoplecan’tdothis,iftheyhavetocrowedsitinthenarrownessspace,theywilluse“specialskills”theywillneverseethepeoplewhotooclosedtothemandneverhaveanybrow.

EthnicCharacterTraits

Thenationcharacterisacomparativelyjarlesscharacteristicthatisformedintheprocessofalonghistoryofculturaldevelopment.Thischaracteristicislikeabrightbrand.Itmakeseachnationhavetheirowncharacteristicanddifferentiationwitheachother.ThereisahugecontrastbetweenChineseandWesternethniccharactertraits,sotheirbodylanguageisalsodifferent.Chinaisaproprietiescountrythathasalonghistory,itisacountrythatthefeudalismcentralizationofstatepowerpatternandthetraditionprincipalpartculturearemostfixednessandcontinuethelongest.ItmakeChinese’sethniccharactertraitscareful,modest,followcrowd,continence,andthinkalotofceremony,ethic,andexpressionconnotationandsoon.InWesterncountriesbecauseofmoreupgrowthgeographicaltraffic,differentracesinbreakandsocialstatusmakethewesternsaboundinadventure,upholdautocephalyandpeace,extroversion,assuredness,candorandvoluntaries.Twodifferentcharactertraitsbringontwodifferentbodylanguages.WesternmaybeputtingChina’smodest,connotationasshortofassurednessorself-contemptuous.Chinesemaybeputtingwestern’semotionalexposureasarrogantattitude.

DifferentSocialCustomsFolk-customisakindofspecialcultureform,itisthesedimentationoftraditionalculture,itisakindofculturalphenomenonthatgoesalongfromgenerationtogeneration.Bodylanguageandfolkculturearecloselycorrelation;itisaconcreteexpressionoffolkculture.Therefore,bodylanguagehasspecialcolorofdifferentfolk-custom.Manyoftheearlyhistoryofbodylanguagehavebeenoblivion,butitdoesn’tpreventnewgenerationfromusingthesebodylanguage.Theyaccumulateinthefolkcustomandwereretained,butmanyuserswerenotawareofthesebodylanguages’source.Forexample,theword“matzo”,thisposeusesopenpalmsextendedtoothersface.ThisnevermeanshostilitytoChinesepeople,butthisisanoutrageousinsult,ridiculedsignaltoAchaean.ItoriginatedintheByzantineperiod;formerlyitisaninsultingactionthatpeoplechuckfeculencetoprisoner’sface.Severalhundredyearsago,howmodernGreeksdothisactionistosymbolicallyopenemptyhands,butthecontumeliousmeaningsisnotchanges.

UseofBodyLanguageinCommunication

DifferencesofExertionBetweenChineseandcommunicatejustaslanguagedoes.Wehavefoundthatpostureoffersinsightintoaculture’sdeepstructureandreflectsaperson’sattitudetowardpeopleheiswith.InmanyAsiancultures,thebowismuchmorethanagreeting,anditsignifiesthatculture’sconcernwithstatusandrank.Forexample,inJapanlowpostureisanindicatorofrespect.Themannerofsitting,standingandmovingcanalsocommunicateamessageandreflectacertainculture’slifestyle.Asweknow,intheUnitedStates,wherebeingcasualandfriendlyisvalued,peopleoftenfallintochairsorslouchwhentheystand;anditisalsocommontoseeanAmericanwomansitwithherlegscrossedevenduringpublicmeetings.Whereasinmanyothercountries,suchasGermanyandSweden,wherelifestyletendtobemoreformal,suchposturesareoffensiveandareoftenconsideredsignsofrudenessorpoormanners.

LanguageTheeye,thewindowrevealingwhatisdeepinone’smind,isfullofrichexpressions.Eyelanguage(includingsightdirectionanddurationofeyecontact),likeotherelementsinbodylanguage,alsohasculturaldifferences.WehavefoundthatpeopleinWesterncountriesexpectthepersontheyareinteractingwithtolookatthemintheeyeduringaconversation;however,staringatpeopleorholdingaglancetoolongisconsideredtobeimproperinmostEnglish-speakingcountries,evenwhenthelookmaybeoneofappreciation,becauseitmaymakepeopleuneasyandembarrassed.ButArabs,ontheotherhand,lookdirectlyintotheeyesoftheircommunicationpartner,anddosoforalongperiodoftime,astheybelievesucheyecontactshowsinterestintheotherpersonandhelpsthemassessthetruthfulnessoftheotherperson’swords.

Themanneroftouchmayserveasareflectionofthatculturesattitudesandvalues.Wefindthatcultures(German,English，Scandinavian)believinginemotionalrestraintsandrigidstatusdistinctionwilldoverylittletouchingascomparedwithcultures(LatinAmerican,MiddleEastern,Jewish，Greek,EasternEuropean)thatstresscollectivismandoutwardsignofaffection.AndKimobserves,"SoutheastAsiansdonotordinarilytouchduringaconversation,especiallyonebetweenoppositesexes,becausemanyAsianculturesadheretonormsthatforbidpublicdisplaysofaffectionandintimacy".

Besidesthevariationintouchamount,typesoftouchpreferredalsovaryamongculturesdifferentlocationofthetouch(arm,leg,breast,face,andsoon)mayhavedifferentmeanings,andeachculturetellsuspreciselywhatitmeanswhenwetouchcertainpartsofthebody.Herearesomeexamples.InGermany,womenaswellasmenshakehandsattheoutsetofeverysocialencounter;intheUnitedStates,womenseldomshakehands;intheArabculture,menoftengreeteachotherbykissingandhugging.Wehavealsofoundthatsomepartsofthebodyarenotallowedtotouchinsomecultures.Forexample,inThailandandotherplacesofAsia,theheadissacredanditisoffensivetotouchsomeonethere.AndinKorea,youngpeoplearesociallyforbiddenfromtouchingtheshouldersoftheirelders.

Theproximaldistance(Sometimes,wecallit“personalspace”)preferredbypeopleofaculturedosenotcorrespondtothosepreferredbypeopleofothercultures.Andpeoplefromdifferentcultureshavedifferentideasabouttheproperdistancebetweenpeopleconversing.WehavefoundthatmostEnglishspeakingpeopleliketheEnglish,AmericansandAustraliansdonotlikepeopletobetoocloseunlessthereisareason,suchasshowingaffectingorencouragingintimacy.Germans,too,regardprivatespaceassacred.Thereasonisthatalltheseaboveculturesstressindividualism.WhileinculturessuchastheGreek,African,ItalianandArab,whereprivacyislessimportant,peopledemandlessspace.AndinsomeAsiancountries,itisquitecommontoseepeopleshovingandcrowingonbusesandinmostpublicplaces,whichmightstartletheEnglishspeakingpeoplegreatil.Therefore,thelackofknowledgeofculturaldifferencemayleadtoconsiderablemisunderstanding.

5．2CountermeasuresCommunicationneedsbothverbalcommunicationandnonverbalcommunication.Bodylanguageistheimportantcomponentpartofnonverballanguage,sothedifferenceofbodylanguagebetweenChineseandWesternwillaffecthuman’scommoncommunicationbehavior,ifpeoplewanttoreduceorabstainthebadinfectionbythesedifference,itneedstoadvertthesepointshereinafter:Fir