On Cultural Differences of Body Language between English and ChineseWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Lecturer:
XUHao
COLLEGEOFFOREIGNLANGUAGES
CHONGQINGUNIVERSITYOFPOST&
TELECOMMUNICATION
SUBMITTEDASPARTIALREQUIREMENTFORTHEASSESSMENTOFTHECOURSEOFCULTUREOFUKANDUSA
24thMay2014
THESISSTATEMENT
Bodylanguagecommunicationisaseffectiveaswords—maybeevenmore.Bodylanguageexistsineveryculture,butitisalsodiverseineverycultureiswoveninextricablyintooursociallives.
Outline
I.Introduction
II.Demonstration
A.CulturaldifferencesbetweenChinaandAmericaninbodylanguageconveyingemotionalfeelings.
1.Toshowfriendliness.
2.Toshowcuriosity
3.ToshowBitterness
4.Toshowindifference
5.Toshowanger
6.Toshowantipathy
7.Toexpressaffection
8.Toshowembarrassment
9.Someotherdifferences
III.Conclusion
I
ABSTRACT
Bodylanguageisoneofthemostimportantmeansinhumancommunication,andincertaincircumstancesitismoreeffectiveinexpressingoneemotionthanspokenandwrittenlanguage.Becauseoftheculturaldifferences,bodylanguagehasevidentnationalcharacteristics,andthesamebodylanguageindifferentculturesmayshowdifferentorevenoppositemeaning.Inthispaper,IattempttocomparebodylanguagebetweenChineseandEnglishculturetohelpusunderstandeachothereasierandbetter.
KEYWORDS:
bodylanguage;
ChineseandEnglishculture;
interculturalcommunication
II
CulturalDifferencesinBodyLanguage
WhenaChineseconversewithanAmericanfriendoftheoppositesex,woulditbeindecenttolookingattheotherperson?
AnAmericansays,“yes”,whileloweringtheeyes.Dosehereallymean“yes”?
IftwoyoungChinesefriendsofthesamesexwalkwiththeirarmsaroundeachother’sshoulderorholdhands,wouldEnglish-speakingpeopleregardthisasproper?
Thesearenotquestionsaboutlanguage,butaboutbodylanguage,aboutnonverbalcommunication.
What’sthebodylanguage?
Ithasthedefinitionsinbothnarrowandbroadsenses.Inthenarrowsense,bodylanguageincludesbodymovementandfacialexpression,whichcansendmessages.Astothebroadone,itincludesgesture、posture、facialexpression、timbreofthespeaker、distancebetweenspeakerandlistener,andclothesofthespeaker.Inmypointofview,bodylanguageshouldincludefacialexpressions,bodymovements,andbodycontact.
Inthesocialinteraction,whenweconversewithothers,wecommunicatebymuchmorethanwords.Byourexpressions,gesturesandotherbodymovements,weconveymessagestotheotherpeople.Bodylanguageexistsineveryculture,butnotallbodylanguagesmeanthesamethingindifferentcultures.Differentpeopleshavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.Theanswerstothequestionsofthispaperatthebeginningareall"
no"
.Astheglobalvillagetendstobecomesmallerandsmaller,itismoreimportantforpeopletocommunicateacrosscultureandlanguagebarriers,particularlytothosewhohaveverballanguagebarriers.Infact,bodylanguageismoreimportanttopeoplefromotherculturethanitistothenative.Tonative-bornpeople,thespokenwordisbyfarthemostimportantcommunicationaltool.Inotherculture,however,thewaywordsarespokenalongwiththegestures,posturesandthefacialexpressionsthataccompanythosewordsisofgreatersignificance.
IIDemonstration
Bodylanguagehasthreemajorfunctions:
assisting,substitutingandexpressingorhidingemotionalfeelings.Emotionisthemostcomplicatedthingofhumanbeing.Toexpressone’sinnerfeelingsisevenmoredifficult.Astheconveymadebyexperts,
1
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.”
Accordingtotheabovedescription,wecanseethatbodylanguagediverseindifferentcultures,sodoesitusedinexpressingemotionalfeelings.Therefore,inthispaper,IattempttomakeacomparisonthedifferencesofbodylanguageusedinexpressingtheemotionalfeelingsbetweenChinaandAmerica.
1.Toshowfriendliness
Youmayseetwomenwalkhandinhandorwithanarmaroundanother'
sshoulder.ItisasignoffriendshipinChina.However,Americansstronglydisapproveit.ThesituationisregardedashomosexualinAmericanculture.
InChina,iftwooldfriendsmeetsomewhereafterseveralyears.Theymaypullorpusheachother,ortheymaypatother’sshouldertoshowtheirclosefriendship.Americansseldomdothis.ItisrudetotouchotherswildlyeventhoughheistheintimatefriendinAmericanculture.
IfaChinese,attemptingtoshowhisfriendlinessstandstoclosetoanAmerican.TheAmericanwillstepback,wantingtokeepacertaindistance.ThisisbecauseAmericabelongsnon-touchingcultures.Theyliketokeepabout30inchesapartfromoneanother,whichisconsideredtheirpersonal"
comfortzone"
.
InChina,acommoncomplaintofAmericanmothersisthatChineseoftenfondletheirbabiesandverysmallchildren.Suchbehavioursliketouching,patting,huggingorkissingmaybeconsideredrude,intrusiveandoffensiveinAmericanculture,eventhoughthosebehavioursaremerelysignsoffriendlinessoraffectioninChineseculture.
Whenmeetingothers,toshowrespectorfriendliness,Chineseusuallyshakehandsornod.InAmerica,youcanseepeopleoftenhugorkisstoshowfriendliness,whichisquiteembarrassingandawkwardforChinese,especiallybetweentheoppositesex.InChina,kissingisonlyforloversorparentstochildren.
IfyouinviteanAmericanfriendtodinnerinyourhouse,toshowhospitality,youmayservefoodconstantlyinhisplate.Buthemayfeeluncomfortableorembarrassed,becauseinAmericancustom,onemusteatupfoodinhisplate,ifnot,hemightberegardedasagrandioseman,letalonetomentiontheydonotlikesomecertaindishes(forexamplevisceraofanimals).
2
Whenpeople(bothAmericansandChinese)findsomethingiscurious,theymayglareblankly.ButwhenChineseglaresatanAmerican,itmaymakesthelatterangry,becauseinAmericanCulture,staringatpeopleorholdingaglancetoolongisconsideredimproper.
Thereisalsoadominantcuriosityintheclass,whereanAmericanteacherteachesinaChineseschool.Chinesestudentswillfeelunaccustomedwhentheyseetheirforeignteachersittingonthedesktoteach.Theyconsideritasarudemanner,andthegesturemaybreaktheteachingrule.ButtoAmerican,theactionisonlytominimizethetenseatmosphereoftheclassandshortenthedistancefromstudents.SothemostcommoncomplaintofAmericanteacheristhattheyfeeltooconservative,tooformal,andtoodullatChineseclass.Inthisaspect,itcanshowabigculturalgapbetweenChineseandAmericans.
Greyface,shoutingandgnashingetc.usuallypresentone’sanger.InChina,stampingone'
sfootalsoshowone'
sanger,butinAmerica,itshowsone’sfeelingofimpatience.
InChina,peoplewillcrysadlyatthefuneralrites.AccordingtoChineseculture,peoplewhodon’tcrywhenattendingthefuneralarenotfilialpersons.ButinAmerica,peoplerarelycryloudlyatthatmoment,becauseaccordingtoAmericancustom,cryinginfrontofthepublicisakindoflackingaccomplishment.
Toshowone'
sindifference,peopleusuallyignoretheexistenceofothers.Butinsomesituation,itmaycausesomeproblems.InAmerica,whentwopersonsaretalking,theymustlookateachother.Ifnot,onewhodoesn’tlookmaybeconsideredthatheisindifferentandmayberegardedasarudemanner.InChina,lookingatpeopletoolongwhentalkingmaymaketheothersveryuncomfortable,especiallytalkingtoladies.
Armsakimboisacommongesturetoshowone’srageinbothculture.Besides,Americanusuallyusedagesture--extendingtheforefingerandmakesacircularmotionnearthetempleoreartoshowthatsomeoneiscrazy,becausetothepsychology,crazymanissomethingwrongwithhisbrain.ButwhenAmericansdothis,itmaybeembarrassedtoChinesepeople,becauseitisjustagestureofthinkinginChina.
Americanalwaysavoidmakingsoundwhichspuroutfrombody,suchas,sneezing,cough,snuffle,spitting,fart,blowingnose,clearingthroat,makinggurgleofstomachandsoon.Theyalwaystrytoconstrainmakingthiskindofsoundatthefaceofothers,ifnot,theywillmakeapologytoothers.ButChinesedon’tviewthosegesturessoseriousasAmericans.Chinesetakeitasanormalpresentationofphysiology.Itusedtoberegardedasriddingthebodyofawaste-anactofpersonalhygiene.SotoCh