The Meaning of Body Language in Different CultureWord格式文档下载.docx

The Meaning of Body Language in Different CultureWord格式文档下载.docx

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ProfessorJiangPing

February27.2006

EnglishDepartmentofTheHangKongGangCampusofSiChuanNormalUniversity

Outline

Introduction

1.Acomparisonofbodylanguageindifferentcultures.

1.1Spacedomination.

1.2Eyecontact.

1.3Bodycontact:

1.3.1Holdinghands.

1.3.2Hugandkiss.

1.3.3Othertouches.

1.4Gestures.

1.5Thefacialexpression.

2.Thenecessityandimportanceoflearningbodylanguage.

Conclusion

Abstract

“Bodylanguage”,likeourverballanguage,isapartofculture.Butnotallbodylanguagemeansthesamethingindifferentcultures.Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.Forexample:

differentpeoplehavedifferentideasabouttheproperdistancebetweenpeoplewhoisconversing;

andtheappropriatenessofphysicalcontactvarieswithdifferentcultures.Onecoulddrawupquitealistof“rules”abouteyecontact:

tolookornottolook;

whentolookandhowlongtolook;

whoandwhonottolookat.Smileandlaughterusuallyconveyfriendliness,approval,satisfaction,pleasure,joyandmerriment,and,thisisgenerallytrueinChinaaswellasinotherEnglish-speakingcountries.However,therearesituationswhenasmileofChinesepeoplewillriseanegativereactionofthewesterners.Gesturescanalsobeparticularlytroublesome,foraslightdifferenceinmakingthegesturecanmeansomethingquitedifferentfromthatintended,besides,awronginterpretationofagesturecanarousequiteunexpectedreactionsandsoon.Thereforeinordertocommunicateeffectivelyinaforeignlanguage,oneshouldalsoknowspacedomination,eyecontact,bodycontact,gestures,thefacialexpressionandetc.thataccompanyaparticularlanguage.Inasense,allbodylanguageshouldbeinterpretedinagivenculture,andtoignoretheoverallsituationcouldbemisleading.AcomparisonofbodylanguageofChineseandEnglishspeakingCountryshowsanumberofdiversitiesofbodylanguage.Itshowstheimportanceofstudyingthespecificgesturesthatgowithalanguage.

Keywords:

nonverbalcommunicationbodylanguagemeaning

differentculture

摘要

“身势语”同语言一样，都是文化的一部分。

在不同文化中，身势语的意义并不完全相同。

各民族有不同的非语言交际方式。

例如：

不同的民族在谈话时，对双方保持多大距离才合适有不同的看法。

谈话双方身体接触的次数多少因文化不同而各异；

在目光接触这一方面也有许多规定：

看不看对方，什么时候看，看多久，什么人可以看，什么人不可以看。

在某些场合下，在中国和其他在讲英语的国家无论微笑还是大笑，通常表示友好﹑赞同﹑满意﹑高兴﹑愉快，但是在某些场合，中国人的笑会引起西方人的反感。

打手势时动作稍有不同，就会与原来的意图有所区别，对某种手势理解错了，也会引起意外的反应等等。

因此，要用外语进行有效的交际，在说某种语言时就得了解说话人的空间支配、目光接触、身体接触、手势、面部表情等所表示的意思。

从某种意义上说，一切身势语都要放在一定的文化中理解；

忽视这点就会发生误解。

而通过对不同文化下身势语不同含义的对比研究显示了身势语得多样性,表明了了解另一种语言中身势语的重要性.

关键词:

非语言交际身势语含义不同文化

Introduction:

Everybodyknowsthatwordscancarrymessages.Peoplecommunicatewithwords.Books,magazines,TV，radioandfilmsallhelpustocommunicatewithothers.Theyallhelpustoknowwhatisgoingonintheworldandwhatotherpeoplearethinkingabout.Doyouthinkyoucancommunicatewithoutwords?

Asmileonyourfaceshowsyouarehappyorfriendly.Tearsinyoureyestellothersthatyouaresad.Whenyouputupyourhandinclass,theteacherknowsyouwanttosaysomethingoraskaquestion.Youshakeyourhead,andpeopleknowyouaresaying“No”.Younodandpeopleknowyouaresaying“Yes”.Therearealotofotherthingswhichcanalsocarrymessages.Whatwecallthatis“bodylanguage”.Likeverballanguage,“Bodylanguage”,expressesthesilentandrealfeelinginone’sinnerworld.Isalsoapartofculture.Itconcludesspacedomination,eyecontact,bodycontact,gestureactionandthefacialexpression.Itplaysanimportantroleinthenonverbalcommunication.Withthepopularizationofinterculturalcommunication,thenonverbalcommunicationalsobecomesmoreandmoreimportant.Therefore,weshouldpaymoreattentionto“bodylanguage”.Ontheotherhand,notallbodylanguagemeansthesamemeaningindifferentculture,andallbodylanguageshouldbeinterpretedinagivenculture,otherwisetheoverallsituationcouldbemisleading.Therefore,acomparisonofthedifferentmeaningofbodylanguageindifferentcultureisnecessary.

1.1Spacedomination.

People’scontrolandapplicationofspaceasawayofcommunicationiscalled“Proxernics”.Animals,birds,fishallhas“safedistance”.Humanbeings,likethoseanimals,alsohavethefellingofthesphereofinfluence.Astothisphenomenon,HoerDoctorhasposed4kindsoflimitation.

（1）.Intimatedistance（0-45cm）.Itissuitableforrelationbetweencoupleorlover.

（2）.Personaldistance（45-120cm）.Itislimitedtothecommunicationoffriends,acquaintancesorrelations.（3）.Socialdistance（120-360cm）.Itisusedintheoccasionoftacklingpublicaffair.（4）.Publicdistance（360-750cm）.Itissuitablefornon-formalparty.Fromthe4kindsoflimitation,mankindprotecteachotheraccordingtotheintimatedegreeofrelation.

Differentnationanddifferentcultureconstitutedifferentspace.ManyEnglishspeakersdon’tlikethattheircounter-partiesgettooclosetothemwhentheyaretalking.Theywanttokeepcertaindistancefromthetalker.Onthecontrary,whenaSpaniardandanArabianaretalking,theycouldkeepcloseandneardistance.And,whenanAmericanandaJapanesearetalking,theformermaystepbackbutthelattermaystepforwards.Inthecarortheothervehicles,theChinesecantoleratethestrangerwhokeepsnodistancewiththem,butthewesternpeoplecannotdoso.Thatisbecausethewesternpeoplepursuemorefreedomandmorebroadspace.

Studieshaveshownthatindividualthatdonotrespectothers’spacearelesspopularandoftenrejectedbyothers.Soweshouldknowthespaceofpeopleindifferentculture,orwemaymakemistakesduringtheinterculturalcommunication.

1.2Eyecontact.

ThemodernSpanishphilosopherAotagasaid“thespeakers’eyescantellyoutheirinnerworld”.Manandwomanexchangetheirlovebyeyes.From“Thewholesoulishiddeninhiseyes”to“Don’tsay,youreyeshavealreadytoldmewhatyouwanttosay”,wecanseetheimportantfunctionofeyecontactincommunication.

Eyecontactisanessentialpartofanycommunication.Withoutitpeopleareunlikelytorelatetothemessageinameaningfulway.Notmanypeoplerealizehowimportanteyecontactis,orhowsensitivepeoplearetoit.Eyecontactshouldbeapositiveformofbodylanguagecommunication,butifitisnotusedcorrectlyitcaneasilybecomenegative.

ThedoctorFastersaid,oncehisfriendandhecamedownstairsintheelevator,hisfriendlookedupanddownatabeautifulgirl,whenthedoorofelevatoropened,thegirlacrossedoutoftheelevatorandreturnedtoroartohisfriend:

“Didn’tyouseeawoman?

Youareanoldlady-killer!

”HisfriendaskedDoctor.Faster“what’swrongdidIdo?

”awkwardly.Infact,hisfaultwastoogreedytoseestaringatpeople,whichmeanstouchingthebodyofothers.Itobeysthemostimportantrulerofnonverbalcontacting.

InEnglishspeakingcountry,itisimpropertostaringattheothersortoolong.Itiseveninappropriatetoseepeoplewiththeappreciativesightthattheothersidelooksbeautiful,whichwillmakepeopletogetangrytoo.Alotofforeignerstakeatriptoothercountries,andsometimestheyfeelveryangryandawkwardbecausethelocalsarestaringatthem,thinkingthatthepeopleareimpolite,andhardlyrealizingthatitisanordinaryaffairtoseeothersbecauseofcuriosityinthiscountry.AlotofforeignerswhospeakEnglishinChinahaverevealeddiscontentedmoodtothisproblem.Agoodfriendoftheauthor'

sisayoungwomanfromU.S.A.,andshedecidestocomebackhomebecausepeopleoftenstareather.ShelikesteachinginBeijingverymuch,havingdeepemotionstoChinaandChinesepeople,butshereallycannotstandbytheimpolitescenethatsheisoftensurroundedandwatchedeverywhere.Infact,herstatureisverytallandbig,andisapttocausethepasserby'

scuriosity.Butthiscannotbetakenasthereasontoimpolitelysurroundandwatchforeigners.SheisreluctanttopartwithuswhenleavingChina,butshehasstillcomebackhomeaheadoftime.Whatastrongdisgustcausedbybeingseenandsurrounded!

Avoidingshiftingeyesandheadquicklyduringconversationwhensomeoneasksyouaquestion.Donotlookdownorlooktotheside.Lookdirectlyatthepersonwithasenseofconfidencebutnotoverbearinglythreateninginnature.

Indifferentcountries,theeyecontacthasdifferentmeanings.Forexample,twoArabswilllookateachotherenthusiasticallywhentheytalkwitheachother.Becausetheythinkeyesarethekeyofexistenceoflife.Butiftwomenstareateachotherforalongtime,theymaybethoughtasgays.ThegentleEnglishwilllookatyoureyes,andtheFrenchliketheappreciatedcontactwitheyes.TheeyesshowthatalthoughIdon’tknowyou,Iappreciateyouheartfromheart.SoFrenchmanisgazingatwomaninpublicisthepublicculturalcriterion.TheJapanesewilllookatyourneckwhentheytalkwithyou.Theydon’tlookatyoureyes,fortheythinklookattheothers’eyesisnotpolite.WhilewhenyoustareattheChinese,theywillfeelthatyouareoneviloritisanobviouschallenge.

1.3Bodycontact.

Likelanguageandgesture,bodycontactcanalsosendthemessage.

Theanthropologistdividesthecultureintotwoparts:

thetouchcultureandnon-touchculture.Fromchildrentoadults,dif