Body Language on Nonverbal Communication.docx

Body Language on Nonverbal Communication.docx

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BodyLanguageonNonverbalCommunication

非言语交流中的身体语言

摘要：

语言和文化都属于社会现象。

不同的语言反映了不同的国家文化。

身体语言，和我们的口语一样，也是文化的一部分。

但并不是所有的身体语言在不同的文化中都表达同样的意思。

不同的人们有不同的非言语交流方法。

因此，为了有效的用外语交流，我们必须要知道身体语言中的姿势，身体活动，方式等。

从某种意义上说，在一定的语境中，所有的身体语言都应该被翻译过来。

忽视身体语言就会导致误解。

中西方身体语言有相同点也有很多不同点，不同的文化对非言语交流也有很大的影响。

关键词：

非言语交流；身体语言；不同文化；不同方式

Body Language on Nonverbal Communication

Abstract：

Boththelanguageandtheculturebelongtothesocialphenomenon.Differentlanguagesreflectthedifferencesofnationalcultures.“Bodylanguage”,likeourverballanguage,isalsoapartofourculture.Butnotallbodylanguagemeansthesamethingindifferentcultures.Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.Soinordertocommunicateeffectivelyinaforeignlanguage,oneshouldknowalsothegestures,bodymovements,andmannersetc.thataccompanyaparticularlanguage.Inasense,allbodylanguagesshouldbeinterpreted,withinagivencontext;toignoretheoverallsituationwouldbemisleading.AcomparativestudyofChineseandwesternbodylanguagesshowanumberofsimilaritiesanddiversitiesofbodylanguages,which havedifferentinfluenceonnonverballanguageafterstatingdifferentcultures.

Keywords:

 nonverbalcommunication;bodylanguage;differentculture;differentways

1.Introduction

Cultureconsistsofthevalues,attitudes,behaviorsandbeliefssharedbyagroupofpeople.Differentcountrieshavedifferentcultures.Cultureisthecollectiveprogrammingofthemind,whichdistinguishesthemembersofonecategoryofpeoplefromanother.（Hofstede,1991）toliveinanewcenturymeansexperiencingthedifferentwaysofcommunication.Thisisveryexcitingandinteresting,butitcanalsobealittlechallengingattimes.Theculturesofallcountriesareunique,whichmeansthatpeoplewhohavegrownupindifferentplaceswillhavedifferentwaysofbehaving,differentwaysofthinkingaboutthingsanddifferentwaysofexpressingthemselves.Thismeansthatcultureislikeakindofgluethatholdssocietytogether.Welearnaboutthecultureofourownsocietyinaverynaturalwayaswegrowup--itisinthe"do's"and"don'ts"abouthowwetreatpeople,howwebehaveandwhatwebelieveinthatwelearnaschildren.

Nonverbalcommunication,composedofpictures,dresses,eyecontact,spatialsignals,gesturesandsoon,isasimportantasverbalcommunication.Thestudyofnonverbalcommunicationshouldbecomplementarytothestudyoflanguage.Theunderstandingofoneshouldbehelpfulinthefurtherunderstandingoftheother.Someauthoritiesfeelthatthetwoaredependentoneachother.Thisiscertainlytrueinmostsituations.Butitisalsotruethatinsomecertainsituationbodyactioncontradictswhatisbeingsaid,justasthespokenwordsmaymeansomethingquitedifferentfromwhatnonverbalcommunicationcommunicates.Whenthisoccurs,onemusttrytogetfurtherinformation,orguessthemeaningfromthecontextofthesituation.Inacase,allnonverbalcommunicationshouldbeinterpretedwithinacertaingivencontext;toignoretheoverallsituationcouldbemisleading.Therefore,inthispaper,weattempttodiscusstheinterculturaldifferencesinbodylanguage,especiallythoseingesture,posture,eyelanguage,touchanddistance.

2.TheNecessityandImportanceofLearningBodyLanguageonNonverbalCommunication

Althoughwemaynotrealizeit,whenweconversewithotherswecommunicatebymuchmorethanwords.Byourexpressions,gesturesandotherbodymovementswesendmessagestothosearoundus;asmileandanoutstretchedhandshowwelcome.Aformisasignofpleasure.Noddingone’sheadmeansagreement—“Yes”.Wavinganoutstretchedhandwithopenpalmisthegesturefor“goodbye”.Leaningbackinone’sseatandyawningatatalkorlectureshowslackofinterest,boredom.Thesegestureshavecometobeacceptedingeneralashavingthemeaningsmentioned,atleasttoChineseandAmericans.Therearepartsofthewayinwhichwecommunicate.This“bodylanguage”,likeourverballanguage,isalsoapartofourculture.Butnotallbodylanguagemeansthesamethingindifferentcultures.Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysofmakingnonverbalcommunication.Soinordertocommunicateeffectivelyinaforeignlanguage,oneshouldknowalsothegestures,bodymovements,mannerismsetc.thataccompanyaparticularlanguage.

Bodylanguageisanimportantwaythroughwhichpeoplecommunicatewitheachother.Sometimebodylanguageprevailsoverwords.Itreferstothepatternsoffacialexpressionsandgesturesthatpeopleusetoexpresstheirfeelingsincommunication.Thespecialistonbodylanguageresearch—Fen·Lafle·Angles,oncesaid:

"Onceitwaslost,ababycouldn’thavegrownintoanormalperson".It’salsotruetothejuveniles.Inschooleducation,bodylanguageplaysapositiveroleincultivatingthestudents’characters.

3.TheConcreteTypesandApplicationoftheBodyLanguage 

3.1  Typesofbodylanguage

3.1.1 Distancebetweenpeopleconversing

Distancebetweenthetwoisthekeyfactor.Differentpeoplehavedifferentideasabouttheproperdistancebetweenpeopleconversing.WehavefoundthattheimportantthingtokeepinmindisthatmostEnglish-speakingpeopledonotlikepeopletobetooclose.Beingtoofarapart,ofcourse,maybeawkward,butbeingtooclosemakespeopleuncomfortable,unlessthereisareason,suchasshowingaffectionorencouragingintimacy.Butthatisanothermatter.InsomeAsiancountries,itisquitecommontoseepeopleshovingandcrowdingonbusesandinmostpublicplaces,whichmightstartletheEnglish-speakingpeoplegreatly.Therefore,thelackofknowledgeofculturaldifferencesmayleadtoconsiderablemisunderstanding.       

3.1.2 InEnglish-speakingcountries,physicalcontactinconversationisgenerallyavoidedamongordinaryfriendsoracquaintances.

Theappropriatenessofphysicalcontactvarieswithdifferentcultures.InEnglish–speakingcountries,physicalcontactisgenerallyavoidedinconversationamongordinaryfriendsoracquaintances.Merelytouchingsomeonemaycauseanunpleasantreaction.Ifonetouchesanotherpersonaccidentally,he/sheusuallyuttersanapologysuchas“Sorry’’,“Oh”,“I’msorry”,“Excuseme”,etc.

In China,acommoncomplaintofwesternmothersisthatChineseoftenfondletheirbabiesandverysmallchildren.Suchbehavior—whethertouching,patting,huggingorkissing—canbequiteembarrassingandawkwardforthemothers.Theyknowthatnoharmismeant,andthatsuchgesturesaremerelysignsoffriendlinessoraffection,thereforetheycannotopenlyshowtheirdispleasure.Ontheotherhand,suchactionsintheirownculturewouldbeconsideredrude,intrusiveandoffensive,andcouldarouseastrongdislikeandevenrepugnance.Sothemothers oftenstandbyandwatchinawkwardsilence,withmixedemotions,evenwhenthefondlingis required byChinesefriendsoracquaintances.

ThematterofphysicalcontactbetweenmembersofthesamesexinEnglish-speakingcountriesisadelicateone.Oncepastchildhood,theholdingofhands,orwalkingwithanarmaroundanother’sshoulderisnotconsideredproper.Theimplicationishomosexuality,andhomosexualitygenerallyarousesstrongsocialdisapprovalinthesecountries.

3.1.3 Eyecontact

Eyecontactisanimportantaspectofbodylanguage.Onecoulddrawupquitealistof“rules”abouteyecontact:

tolookornottolook;whentolookandhowlongtolook;whoandwhomnottolookat.

Inconversationswithpeoplewhoknoweachother,however,Americancustomdemandsthatthereshouldbeeyecontact.Thisappliestoboththespeakerandthelistener.Foreitheronenottolookattheotherpersoncouldimplyanumberofthings,amongwhicharefear,contempt,uneasiness,guilt,indifference…eveninpublicspeakingthereshouldbeplentyofeyecontact.Foraspeakerto“bury hisnoseinhismanuscript”,toreadaspeechinsteadoflookingatandtalkingtohiddenaudience,assomeChinesespeakersareinthehabitofdoing,wouldberegardedasinconsiderateanddisrespectful.

Inconversations,apersonshowsthatheislisteningbylookingattheotherperson’seyesorface.Iftheotherpersonisspeakingatsomelength,thelistenerwilloccasionallymakesoundslike“Hmm”,“Ummm”,ornodhisheadtoindicatehisattention.Ifheagreeswiththespeaker,hemaynodorsmile.Ifhedisagreesorhassomereservations,hemayslanthisheadtooneside,raiseaneyebrow,andhaveaquizzicallook.

Theeyescommunicatemorethananyotherpartofthehumananatomy.Staringorgazingatotherscancreatepressureortensionintheroom.Gangshavefoughtoverthewaysomeonelookedatthem.Shiftyeyes,toomuchblinkingcansuggestdeception.Peoplewitheyemovementsthatarerelaxedandcomfortable,yetattentivetothepersontheyareconversingwithareseenasmoresincereandhonest.

“Thelanguageoftheeyes”—oneofthemostcommonandancientwaysofexchangingfeelingsbetweenboysandgirls,menandwomen—isespeciallyelaborateinthe UnitedStates.Muchstudyhasbeenmadeofthis:

howpeopleoftheoppositesexshowinterestorindifference,encouragementordiscouragement,approvalordisapproval,affectionoraversion.However,therearemanydifferencesevenwithinthe UnitedStates. Menusetheireyesindifferentwayswomendo;therearedifferencesofage,classorsocialstatusandgeographicalregion;therearedifferencesofethnicbackground.

ThestoryistoldofateenagePuertoRicangirlina NewYork highschoolwhowastakenwithanumberofothergirlstotheprincipalforsuspectedsmoking.Althoughtherewasnoproofofanywrongdoingandalthoughshehadagoodrecord,theprincipaldecidedshewasguiltyandsuspendedher.“Therewassomethingsl