英语专业论文A Contrastive Analysis of Body Language in Between Chinese and American Culture.docx

英语专业论文A Contrastive Analysis of Body Language in Between Chinese and American Culture.docx

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英语专业论文AContrastiveAnalysisofBodyLanguageinBetweenChineseandAmericanCulture

AContrastiveAnalysisofBodyLanguageinBetweenChineseandAmericanCulture

AContrastiveAnalysisofBodyLanguageinBetweenChineseandAmericanCulture1

1.Introduction2

Peoplecommunicatewitheachothernotonlybyverbalmeans,butalsobynonverbal.Non-verbalcommunicationmainlyexpressesrealemotionandattitudethroughfacialexpression,gesture,eyebehavior,clothes,sound,etc.Forinstance,wavinghandistoshowfarewell;offeringourhandwithaslightsmiletoothersmeanswelcome.Whenlisteningtoareport,peopleleanagainstthechair,whichsuggeststhattheyarenotinterestedinthereport.2

2.ThedifferencesofbodylanguageinbetweenChineseandAmericanculture3

2.1Eyecontact3

2.2Touch5

2.3Facialexpression8

2.4Gestures10

2.4.1Thesamegestureswithdifferentmeaningsinthetwocultures11

2.4.2Differentgestureswiththesamemeaningsinthetwocultures11

2.4.3Gestureswithcertainmeaningsinoneculture,noequivalentintheotherculture12

2.5Postures13

Posturesareusuallyclassifiedintothreecategories:

stance,bent-kneeposition（whichincludessitting,squatting,andkneeling）andlying.13

TherearemanysimilaritiesbetweenChineseandAmericanpeopleinstanceandsittingposition.Still,thereexistdifferenceswhichmayconfusebothparties.InChina,aslouchingpostureisasignofpoormanneronmanyoccasions,forChinesevalueproperstanceandsittingposition.However,Americansoftenfallintochairsorslouchwhentheystand,becausebeingcasualandfriendlyisvaluedinAmerica.Therearealsoculturaldifferencesasfarasgaitisconcerned.ChinesepeoplemayreproachAmericansforbeingarrogantbecauseoftheirlongstrides.Ontheotherhand,Chinesepeople’sgaitmaybethoughtasshyandtimid.ThedifferencesarecausedbythesimplereasonthatAmericansneedmorespacethanChinesedo.Besides,thereisanotherunderlyingreason:

Chineseculturestressesmodesty,soitisimpropertoswagger.StandingwitharmsakimboiscommoninAmericawithneutralmeaning.Suchaposturemaybeadoptedbothbymenandwomen.Womenadoptthisposturetoshowtheirimpatience.However,suchapostureisregardedasathreatinChina.13

Sittingpostureisaconstantsourceofculturalmisunderstandings.Forexample:

Americansfeelveryrelaxedathomeandintheirprivateoffices.Theymaysometimessitonthecarpetedfloorortheground.ThisistakenasadirtyhabitinChina.WhenChinesehavetositonthefloorortheground,theyinvariablyspreadahandkerchieforanewspaper.Americansinturnwouldinterpretthistobeadirtyhabitbecausetothem,handkerchiefsshouldnotbeusedtomopthefloor,norshouldnewspapersbelitteredhereandthere.WhenAmericanteacherssitonthedeskinclasstocreatealightatmosphere,Chinesestudentsareoftenshockedbythat.Besides,anAmericaninhisprivateofficemayleanfarbackinhischairorevenputhislegsupondeskwhentalkingonthephoneortootherpeople.Tothem,itisasignofbeingrelaxed.Amaleleadermayputhislegsuponthedesktoshowhisamicabilityandfriendliness.Nevertheless,suchapostureisextremelyoffensivetoChinese.14

Fromthesedifferences,wemaynotethevalues,norms,andbeliefsofChineseandAmericanofculture,whichisreflectedinthenonverbalcodes.IntheUnitedStates,theemphasisisuponinformality,butChineseemphasizethegoodmannerreflectedinstandingorsitting.Awell-knownsayingmayproveit:

（weshould）standasstraightasapineandsitasuprightasabell.15

2.6Distance15

3.ThesimilaritiesofbodylanguageinbetweenChineseandAmericanculture16

4.Conclusion17

1.Introduction

Peoplecommunicatewitheachothernotonlybyverbalmeans,butalsobynonverbal.Non-verbalcommunicationmainlyexpressesrealemotionandattitudethroughfacialexpression,gesture,eyebehavior,clothes,sound,etc.Forinstance,wavinghandistoshowfarewell;offeringourhandwithaslightsmiletoothersmeanswelcome.Whenlisteningtoareport,peopleleanagainstthechair,whichsuggeststhattheyarenotinterestedinthereport.

Allofusfeelthatitismoredifficulttocommunicatewiththeforeignersbytelephonethantodoitfacetoface.Thisisjustbecausethereisnohelpfromnonverbalorbodylanguage.Psychologistestimatesthatsixtytoeightypercentofallcommunicationisconductedthroughnon-verbalcommunication.It’sbelievedthattheinformationdeliveredbyaperson’sappearanceandactionismuchmorethanthatofaperson’swords.Birdwhistell,anAmericanscholar,deemsthatamongallmeansofexpressingmeaningandemotion,morethansixty-fivepercentisfinishedthroughfacialexpression,action,gesture,posture,etc.SomestudiesinAmericaindicatethatinexpressingemotionandattitude,intonationandfacialexpressioncanconveymorethanninety-threepercentofinformationwhilelanguagecanonlydeliveraboutsevenpercentofinformation.Fromthefingersmentionedabove,weknowthatnon-verbalcommunicationplaysanimportantroleininterculturalcommunication.Itcantransmitmuchmoreinformationandemotion.Bodylanguageisameansofnon-verbalcommunication.

Withtheglobalizationofeconomyandcultureintheworld,communicationbetweendifferentcultureshasbecomeaninevitabletrend.Owingtoculturaldifferences,thesamebodylanguagehasdifferentmeaningsindifferentcultures,whichcausesalotoftroubleininterculturalcommunication.Therefore,itisofgreatimportanceforustobeawareoftheculturaldifferencesofbodylanguageininterculturalcommunication.ThisthesisfocusesonthecontrastiveanalysisofbodylanguageinbetweenChineseandAmericanculture.

2.ThedifferencesofbodylanguageinbetweenChineseandAmericanculture

2.1Eyecontact

Eyesareaveryimportantcommunicationtool.They’re“thewindowofsoul”,becauseeyescangiveusalotofrealinformation.Eyecontactisoneofthemostimportantaspectsofdealingwithothers.Ithappensbetweentwopersons.Thesenderusesthemtoconveyinformationandthereceiverusesthemtogetinformation.Indrama,fiction,poetryandmusic,eyeshavealwaysbeenafascinatingtopic,fromShakespeare’s“thoutalk’smethereismurderinmineeye”toBobDylan’s“Youreyessaidmoretomethatnightthanyourlipswouldeversay”tothelyric“yourlipstellmeno,no,butthere’syes,yesinyoureyes”Gazeandglancearespecialuseofeyecontact.Theyareimportantinallcultures,andcansignalinterest,attraction,approval,challenge,orturn-taking.

ThemaindifferenceofeyecontactinbetweenChineseandAmericanculturefocusesoneyeetiquette.TheChinesedonothavemucheyecontactinconversationbecauseinChineseculture,staringatanotherforalongtimeisconsideredasaninvasionofprivacy,anactofdefianceordemonstrationoflackoftrust.Contrasttothat,Americanadultdemandchildrenlookatthemwhiletheyarespeaking.Americancustomdemandsthereshouldbeeyecontacttoindicateattention.Toolittleeyecontactmaybeseenimpolite.Thisappliestoboththespeakerandthelistener.Iftheydon’tdoso,itwouldimplyanumberofthings,suchasfear,contempt,uneasiness,guilt,andindifference.Thesaying“nevertrustapersonwhodarenotlookyouintheeyes”confirmstheimportanceofeyecontactinconversation.

InAmerica,eveninpublicspeaking,thereshouldbeplentyofeyecontact.Ifthespeakerburyhisnoseinhismanuscriptinsteadoflookingatandtalkingtohisaudiences,whichsomeChinesespeakersareinthehabitofdoingandthelistenerscanchoosetolisten,takenotesandevenglanceoverthedatainthepast,itwouldberegardedasinconsiderateanddisrespectful.InAmericanculture,peopleareexpectedtopaytheirattentiontothepeopletheytalktobymaintainingcorrespondingeyecontact.

StaringatpeopleorholdingaglancetoolongisconsideredimproperinAmerica.Itmaymakepeopleuneasyandembarrassed.However,itwasinterestingthattheordinaryandimplicitChinesestaredatthestrangeforeignerscuriouslyintheopentime.Infact,thebehaviorhadviolatedthetabooofcommunication.Americanscanonlystareatnon-personslikeanimals,pictures,andscenery.Ifpeoplearestaredat,theyarenotregardedashumanbeings.Beingunawareofit,Chinesepeopleoffendthemmanytimes.ManyAmericanstravelingtoChinafindbeinglookedatisanunnervingexperiencebecausetheirculture’sdefinitionofitisbeingrudeandunwelcoming.However,accordingtoChineseculture,thispracticeisquitecommonanditisnothingmorethancuriosity.

2.2Touch

Likeourwords,movementsaremessagesaboutwhatwearethinkingandfeeling.Itistruewithtouch.Touchcanindicatemanythings,includingaffection,aggression,andthetypeofstatusorrelationshipwhichexistsbetweenpeople.Thewayadentist,doctor,orbarbertouchessomeonewilldifferfromthewayhe/shetouchesoristouchedbyhis/herfriendsandfamilies.

Generallyspeaking,wecanregardAmericaasnon-contactculture.Americanstrytheirbesttoavoidtouchingstrangersinpublic.WhenAmericansstandinline,theyalwaystrytokeepadistancefromothers.Ifsomeoneistooclosewithhim,thefirstreactionisfallingback.Ifnot,hewillinclineasideandcontracthismuscle.Iftheinvaderhasn’treactedtothesignal,hewillusethebagwhichhetakeswithhimorotherthingstoprotecthim.Incontrast,Chinaisacountryoftogetherness,andChinabelongstocontactculture.InChina,thesenseofprivatespaceiscomparativelyweak.Crowdednessisquiteordinarybecauseofthelargepopulation.Pe