body language between Chinese andAmericanWord格式文档下载.docx

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1.Anintroductiononbodylanguage

What’sthebodylanguage?

Ithasthedefinitionsinbothnarrowandbroadsenses.Inthenarrowsense,bodylanguageincludesbodymovementandfacialexpression,whichcansendmessages.Astothebroadone,itincludesgesture,posture,facialexpression,timbreofthespeaker,distancebetweenspeakerandlistener,andclothesofthespeaker（胡文仲1988.10.）.

Inthesocialinteraction,whenweconversewithothers,wecommunicatebymuchmorethanwords.Byourexpressions,gesturesandotherbodymovements,weconveymessagestotheotherpeople.Bodylanguageexistsineveryculture,butnotallbodylanguagesmeanthesamethingindifferentcultures.Differentpeopleshavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.Theanswerstothequestionsofthispaperatthebeginningareall"

no"

.Astheglobalvillagetendstobecomesmallerandsmaller,itismoreimportantforpeopletocommunicateacrosscultureandlanguagebarriers,particularlytothosewhohaveverballanguagebarriers.Infact,bodylanguageismoreimportanttopeoplefromotherculturethanitistothenative.Tonative-bornpeople,thespokenwordisbyfarthemostimportantcommunicationaltool.Inotherculture,however,thewaywordsarespokenalongwiththegestures,posturesandthefacialexpressionsthataccompanythosewordsisofgreatersignificance.

1.1Theimportantmeaningoflearningbodylanguage

Althoughwemaynotrealizeit,whenconversewithotherswecommunicatebymuchmorethanwords.Byourexpressions,gesturesandotherbodylanguagestosendmessagestothesearoundus.

Bodylanguageisimportantbecauseweusetheactionsofotherstolearnabouttheiraffectiveoremotionalstates.Researchindicatesthatsometimesnonverbalsignalsplayamoredecisiverolethanverbalmessagesindeterminingcommunicativeeffects.Nonverbalcommunicationisalsoimportanttothestudyofinterculturalcommunicationbecauseagreatdealofnonverbalbehaviorspeaksauniversallanguage.Butitisalsoimportanttoknowthedifferentmeaningofsamebodylanguageindifferentcultures.Onlywhenwegetafullunderstandingofbodylanguageindifferentcultures,canwemakeaneffectiveinternationalcommunication.

Bodylanguageistheextensionofthought.Ithasbeenusedforcenturies-predatingcommonlangragebetweencultures.It’sanimportantpartofeffectivecommunication-bothingettingyourownmessageacrossandindeterminingthemessagesofothers.Bodylangrageishowweknowwhensomeoneisbeinghonestorfeelinganemotion,it’showweknowsomeoneisreactiontowhat’sbeingsaid.Knowledgeispowerandtheeyeshaveit-takethetimeandefforttobecomefamiliarwithothers’exhibitionsofbodylanguage,especiallyintheglobalcontext,andtobecomefamiliarwithyourown.[3]

Bodylanguagehasthreemajorfunctions:

assisting,substitutingandexpressingorhidingemotionalfeelings.（胡文仲,1998.10）Emotionisthemostcomplicatedthingofhumanbeing.Toexpressone’sinnerfeelingsisevenmoredifficult.Astheconveymadebyexperts,humanbeingsseldomexpresstheircomplexfeelinginwords,andinsomesituation,itismorethanwordscanconveyexactly.Andeventhoughtheyexpressitbyspokenwords,theyusuallyperformgesturesalongwithit.Thisisbecausethebodylanguageismorearticulatethanwordsincommunicatingemotion.Forexample,theChinesethatsays,“Yes”,whileloweringtheeyesmaymean,“No”,becausesometimestheyfeelreluctanttodisrupttheharmonyoftherelationshipbydirectlysayingso（forexample,whenfatheraskyoutodosomethingwhichyoudon’tlike,youmayalsosay“Yes”inordertokeeptheharmoniousrelationwithDad）.InthemainstreamAmericanculture,thefoldedarmsofresolve,thegrimaceofpainoranger,thehandwringingofanxiety,arepowerfulcommunicatorsofemotions.Whenpeoplearesad,cryingmaybemoresuitablethanwordstoexpressit.Thinkabouthowmuchmoreconvincedyouare,forexample,thatagroupofchildrenareexcitedwhentheyjumpupanddownthaniftheysimplystate,“Weareveryexcited.”

2.Abriefintroductionofgesture

Gesturesareaformofbodylanguagesinwhichvisiblebodilyactionsareusedtocommunicateparticularmessages,eitherinplaceofspeechortogetherandinparallelwithspokenwords.[1]Gesturesareculture-specificandcanconveyverydifferentmeaningsindifferentsocialorculturalsettings.Althoughsomegestures,suchastheubiquitousactofpointing,differlittlefromoneplacetoanother,mostgesturesdonothaveinvariableoruniversalmeaningsbutshowsspecificmeaningsinparticularcultures.Asingleemblematicgesturecanhaveverydifferentsignificanceindifferentculturalcontexts,rangingfromcomplimentarytohighlyoffensive.[2]

2.1Cultureinfluenceongestures

Nonverbalcommunicationisinfluencedbyanumberoffactors,includingculturalbackground,socioeconomicbackground,education,gender,age,personalpreferenceandsoon.

Andhereculturebackgroundplaysacrucialroleinnonverbalcommunication.Peoplefromdifferentculturesattachdifferentmeaningstononverbalsignals.InChina,whensomeonemakesacirclenearhistemple,itisasigntomakesomeonethinkaboutaquestion.WhileinAmerica,itmeanstheotherisweirdorevencrazy.

2.1.1Chineseculturalinfluenceongestures

Asawell-knownancientcountry,Chinahasmorethanfivethousandyearsmagnificentcivilization.History,whichhasgreatinfluenceonthedevelopmentofgesture,cannotbeignored.HerewewillhaveadiscussionofcultureinfluenceongesturesthroughtheaspectsofreligionandConfucianisminChina.

2.1.1.1Thereligiousinfluenceongestures

Buddhismisoneofthethreemajorreligionsintheworld,originatedinIndiainthe6thcenturyBC.Itbegantospreadabroadin3rdcenturyBC.Accordingtotherecords,BuddhismwasintroducedinChinaattheendoftheEasternHanDynasty.BuddhismhasplayedanenormousroleinshapingthemindsetoftheChinese.WiththeintroductionofBuddhism,the“salutewithputtingpalmstogether”introducedinChinaaswell.

The“salutewithputtingpalmstogether”,whichwasseenasanimportantetiquetteinBuddhism,hasitsownconnotation.

Thejoininghandsmeanspeace,friendship,solidarityandcooperation.Thefistorhandswithweaponsmeansfight.Oneraisedhisbarehandsmeansheisnotwillingtofightwithothers.Onecouldhurtothersbyonehand,butwhenhejoinedtwohandstogether,itmeansheistotallynotwilingtobringharmtoanyone.Thetenfingersjointtogethermeansthepowerfromtendirectionsareunitedandcoherenttogether.Thetenfingersjointatone’schest,meansfaithfulnessandsincerity.

The“salutewithputtingpalmstogether”isstillusedbyBuddhistsandworshipersinChinathesedays.Thejoiningofhandssymbolizesthemostdevoutgreetingandharmonyinthedepthofsoul.

2.1.1.2TheinfluenceofConfucianism

ChineseweredeeplyinfluencedbyConfucianismdatingbacktoancienttimes.NootherphilosopherintheworldhadmoreenduringinfluencethanConfucius.Forovertwothousandyearshisideasaboutpersonalconductandmorality,permeatedChineselifeandculture.

TheChinesecharacterfor"

rites"

or"

ritual"

previouslyhadthereligiousmeaningof"

sacrifice"

.ItsConfucianmeaningrangesfrompolitenessandproprietytotheunderstandingofeachperson'

scorrectplaceinsociety.Externally,ritualisusedtodistinguishbetweenpeople;

theirusageallowspeopletoknowatalltimeswhoistheyoungerandwhotheelder,whoistheguestandwhoisthehostandsoforth.Ritualcanbeseenasameanstofindthebalancebetweenopposingqualitiesthatmightotherwiseleadtoconflict.Itdividespeopleintocategories,andbuildshierarchicalrelationshipsthroughprotocolsandceremonies,assigningeveryoneaplaceinsocietyandaproperformofbehavior.

SoinChina,onewillusebothhands（whenonewouldbeenough）inofferingsomethingtoavisitororanotherpersontoshowone’srespect.RelationshipsarecentraltoConfucianism.Particulardutiesarisefromone'

sparticularsituationinrelationtoothers.Theindivid