中西方肢体语言的比较研究Word文件下载.docx
《中西方肢体语言的比较研究Word文件下载.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《中西方肢体语言的比较研究Word文件下载.docx(10页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
Acknowledgements
Firstofall,myappreciationgoestomyaffectionateparents,andtherestofmyfamily.Throughoutthedevelopmentofthispaper,theyhavebeenthereandalwaysgivingmecontinuoussupport,encouragementandunderstanding.Theirloveandsupportencouragemetomakeprogressallthetime.
Iwouldalsoliketoextendmysincerethankstoallotherteacherswhogavemelecturesduringthepastthreeacademicyears.Ihavebenefitedsomuchnotonlyfromtheircoursesandlecturesbutalsofromtheirconstantencouragement.Mysincerethanksshouldgotomystudentsandfriendsaround,fortheirconstantencouragementandsupportthroughoutthecourseoftheresearch.
Finally,ImustshowmygratitudetomysupervisorMs.LuLi,whosehelpfulsuggestionshavecontributedgreatlytothecompletionofthisthesis.Ioweherspecialthanksforprovidingmepreciousadviceandsuggestionthatthispapersappearsinthepresentform.
Abstract
Bodylanguageisanimportantpartofnonverbalcommunicationanditisconnectedwithculture.Inordertomakesuccessfulcross-culturalcommunication,weshouldknowthebodylanguagefromtheperspectiveofcultures.Bodylanguage,likeverbalcommunicationandculture,hasmanysimilaritiesallovertheworld.However,bodylanguagefromdifferentculturesalsohasmanydifferencesbecauseofdifferentregions,racesandculturalcustoms.Anditisrestrictedbyitscultureandhasdifferentculturalconnotations.Thatistosay,thesamebodylanguagehasdifferentmeaningsindifferentculturesandhasdifferentsocialfunctions.Thisarticledevotestoacomparisonandcontrastofbodylanguageindifferentculturesintermsofeyelanguage,gestures,postures,facialexpressionsandtouch.Itaimstoillustratethedifferencesandsimilaritiesofbodylanguageandputforwardtheprinciplesofreducingbarriersincommunicationsoastoachieveefficientcommunicationandtoavoidmisunderstanding.
Keywords:
BodyLanguageinChinaandwestcountries;
Culturalconnotations;
cross-culturalcommunication
摘要
肢体语言是非言语沟通的重要部分并与文化紧密相连。
为了能成功的进行跨文化交流,我们应该明白肢体语言在不同文化中的意义。
就像语言和文化一样,肢体语言也有一些是全球通用的。
然而在不同地区,种族和文化习俗中肢体语言的意义也不一样。
也就是说,同一个肢体动作在不同的文化和社会背景下会有不同的意思。
本文致力于比较眼睛、手势、姿势、面部表情和接触等不同的肢体语言在不同文化中的意义,目的是解释其产生的原因,加深人们对两种不同文化的理解,促进中西文化的交流,避免跨文化交际中的误会。
关键词:
中西方肢体语言;
文化根源;
跨文化交际
Contents
Introduction………...…………………………………….......................1
.Theconceptofbodylanguage………………………...…..............….2
1.1Classificationofbodylanguage……………...………......................2
1.2Eyecontact…………………………..............….…………………...3
1.3Smileandlaughter……………………………………….................3
.SomegestureswhichhavedifferenceconnotationsinChinaandwesterncountries………………………….................................……....4
.SomegestureswhichhavethesamemeaninginChinaandWesterncountries…………………………………….......................….4
.Somegestureswhichhavenoequivalentsinothercultures….....5
.Culturalrootsforthedifferenceofgestures……….................…...5
5.1Differentcustoms………………………...………………...............5
5.2Differentreligionbeliefs…………………………………...............6
5.3Differenthistory………………………...…………….…................6
.Bodylanguageinpractice………….……………....……...............7
.Theconsequencesofwronginterpretationofgestures.................7
Conclusion
Introduction
Humancommunicationconsistsofverbalcommunicationandnonverbalcommunication.Nonverbalcommunicationplaysaveryimportantroleinthewholecommunication.Someexpertssaymorethan60percentofcommunicationcomesfromnonverbalbehaviors,suchasfacialexpression,postureandsoon.Thesenonverbalbehaviorsalwayshavemanymeaning.
Bodylanguageisanimportantpartofnonverbalcommunication,andthusarticleintendstopresentitsmeaningandtalkitbrieflysothatwecanimproveourcommunicationskillsandabilitiesbyunderstandingitwell.Bodylanguageisknownasnon-verbalbehaviorwhichtransmitsinformationthroughgestures,actionsandfacialexpressions.Butindifferentculturesbodylanguagemeansthedifferentthings.Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.UnderstandingthedifferentculturalimplicationofEnglishandChinesebodylanguagecanpromotepeople’scross-culturalcommunicationcompetence,reinforcetheheart-to-heartunderstandingandintheendwillbenefitthecommunicationbetweenEnglishandChinesepeople.
Peoplecancommunicatewitheachotherthroughnotonlyverbalcommunicationbutalsononverbalcommunication.Moreover,thelatterplaysanessentialroleinhumancommunication.Nonverbalcommunicationisconnectedwithculturesanditistheresultofcultures.Butmanypeoplepaygreatattentiontotheacceptanceandcorrectnessoftheverbalcommunicationandoverlooktheinfluenceandculturaldifferenceofnonverbalcommunication.Thenthemisunderstandingandculturalcrashoftenoccurinthecross-culturalcommunication.Sointheprocessofcommunication,itisnotacompletecommunicationwhileignoringtheculturaldifferencesofnonverbalcommunication.
.Theconceptofbodylanguage
“Nonverbalcommunicationisaprocessinwhichcommunicatorsusethenaturalfeaturesoftheirbodiestodeliverinformationandexpressspecificmeaninginstinctivelytotheothercommunicator.”[4:
90]
Peoplecommunicatewitheachotherbytheirbodylanguageinthewaysofnodding,waving,eyecontacting,shruggingandsoon.Asweknow,inacertaintradition,bodylanguageisdeterminedbyitscustomsandtraditions..Ontheotherhand,themeaningsofbodylanguageinacertainculturearedevelopingandchanging.Weintendtomakeacomparisonandcontrastofthesimilaritiesanddifferencesonbodylanguageinordertoavoidmisunderstandingandmakeefficientcommunication.
Ingeneralsense,thestudyofbodylanguagebeganin1950s.Andduring1970s,thestudyofbodylanguageenteredafullydevelopingperiod.Fromthelateof1970stotheearlyperiodof1980s,bodylanguagecontainedmorecontents,andhadagreatinfluenceontheotherfields.AndDoctorR.L.BirdWhitellisthereprehensiveofstudyofbodylanguage.Hisresearchindicated:
eyebrowscouldchangefor23positionsandpeoplecouldmake250,000differentfacialexpressions.AndpsychologistDavidAberconbiealsopointedout:
‘wespeakwithverbalorgansbutwetalkwithourbody.’
AfamousanthropologistE.T.Hallpointedout“Silentlanguageexpressesmoreinformationthanverballanguage.Becauseitcontainsmuchinformation.”Accordingtosomeresearchersabroad,inpeople’sdailylife,nonverbalcommunicationtakespartover65%inallofinformationexchange.Andbodylanguageisanimportantpartofnonverbalcommunication.Manyexpertshaveshowntheimportanceofbodylanguageinthecross-culturalcommunication.“Apsychologistproposedaformula:
thetotalimpactofmessage=7%verbal+38%vocal+55%facialexpressionsandbehavior.”[6:
89]Usuallybodylanguageoccursunconsciously.Yetthebodylanguageweusedextentthequalityofourcommunication.Anditisimportanttonotethatbodylanguagehasdifferentmeaningsindifferentcultures.Howwecaninterpretbodylanguagedependsonthesituation,theculture,therelationshipwehavewiththeperson.Inotherwords,thereisnoonesignalthathasthesamemeaningallovertheworld.Aswellasthat,variousbodylanguagesignscancomplementeachothertomakeaparticularmeaningcrystalclearorstrengthenthemeaningofwhatwecommunicate.
1.1Classificationofbodylanguage
Bodylanguagecontainseyelanguage,gestures,postures,facialexpressions,mannersandbehaviorsandtouchandsoon.
Gesture,asanotherimportantpartofbodylanguage,meanswecommunicateandexpressbythemovementandmannersofourhandsandfingers.Inourdailylife,everyonemakesgestures,butmanygestureshavedistinctregionalandculturalfeatures.“Gesturemeanswecommunicateandexpressbythemovementandmannersofourhandsandfingers.”[7:
123]
Facialexpressionisthemostexpressivepartofthebody.It’scapableofconveyingemotions.Differentcultureshavemanydifferentorsamefacialexpressions.Laughingmeanshappinessandcryingindicatessadness.
Eyecontact,Englishdramatist“Shakespearesaid,‘Thereislanguageinhereye,hercheek,herlip.’TheChinesesayinggoes,‘Theeyeisthewindowofthesoul.’”Fromthesetwosentences,peoplecanseethateyecontactisquiteimportantintheirinteraction.
“Postureisamatterofhowpeoplesit,walk,standandmove.”Posturereferstothegeneralwaypeoplecarrytheirbody,especiallytheback,shouldersandheadwhilestanding,lying,etc.Itoffersinsightintoaculture’sdeepstructureandoftenreflectsaperson’sattitudetowardpeoplehe/sheiswith.[8:
58]
1.2Eyecontact
Eyecontactisanimportantaspectofbodylanguage;
itisnotquitethesameinChinaandEnglish-speakingcountries.Inconversationswithpeoplewhoknoweachother,Americancustomdemandsthatthereshouldbeeyecontact.Thisappliestoboththespeakerandthelistener.Foreitheronenottolookattheotherpersoncouldimplyanumberofthings,amongwhicharefear,contempt,uneasiness,guilt,indifference,eveninpublicspeakingthereshouldbeplentyofeyecontact.Foraspeakerto“burryhisnoseinhismanuscript”,toreadaspeechinsteadoflookingatandtalkingtohidaudience,assomeChinesespeakersareinthehabitofdoing,wouldberegardedasinconsiderateanddisrespectful.
InJulietsFaster’sbook“BodyLanguage”,thereisaparagraphwhichcanexplaintheproblem.“Twostrangers