Body-language肢体语言.doc

内蒙古工业大学外语类本科毕业论文
THESIS PAPER OF STUDENTS FROM FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE

摘 要

中国与美国由于地域，种族，思考方式等方面的不同造成了不同的文化差异，而这种不同的文化差异体现在跨文化交际上。人类的交际包括语言交际和非语言交际。其中非语言交际在交际起着十分重要的作用。身势语作为非语言交际的一种方式，和文化紧密联系在一起。它们由文化制约并拥有独特的文化内涵,又因不同的社会和文化导致了人们的误解与误用。为了在跨文化交际中能够成功地进行交流，我们应该了解不同文化的身势语，也就是说，身势语在不同文化背景下有不同的含义，行使着不同的社会功能。本文从跨文化交际的涵义引出非语言交际的重要性，接着从非语言交际引出身势语。阐述了身势语的重要性。本文致力于从目光语，手势语，身体姿态，面部表情，体触语方面对不同文化的身势语进行对比，从而进一步说明身势语社会性、民族性、可控制性的基本特点和伴随性、象征性以及流露情感的功能。下文接着分析如果在跨文化交际中运用不当的身势语会产生什么歧义和后果。要尽量避免运用错误的身体语言。本文目的在于通过列举研究中美身势语的不同分析了解中国与西方国家在文化、交流、习俗、思想等各方面文化差异，发掘不同文化下体现具有差异的外在表现，分析其不同的根源，并提出交际中遵循的原则，从而促进有效交流，避免误解。
关键词：非语言交际；身势语；文化差异；功能；特点

Abstract

There are some cultural differences between Chinese and American because of different regions, races and methods of thinking, etc. All these different cultures embody on intercultural communication. Human communication is conducted through verbal communication and non-verbal communication, of which non-verbal communication plays a very important role. Body language is an important part of non-verbal communication and it is connected with culture, and it is restricted by its culture and has different cultural connotations. Misunderstanding and conflicts sometimes occur in the process of intercultural communication due to cultural differences and improper uses of body languages. In order to make successful exchange in intercultural communication, we should know the body language from different cultures. That is to say, body language has different meanings in different cultures and has different social functions. This paper begins with the definition of the intercultural communication, and it leads the non-verbal communication out. All this chapter tells the importances of body language. This paper makes a study of the cultural differences and devotes to analyzing the cultural differences between Chinese and American with comparison of body languages in hand gesture, eye contact, touching, and posture, etc. Its three features have been illustrated, it includes sociality, nationality, and controllability. Its three main functions include accompanying, being symbolic, revealing the feeling of body language between Chinese and American. The study of body language makes us understand others very well. It aims to show the differences of body language and put forward the

principles of reducing barriers in communication so as to achieve efficient communication and to avoid misunderstanding.
Keywords：non-verbal communication; body language; cultural differences; functions; features

Table of Contents

Outline….…….………………………………………………………………………………...1
Introduction………………………………………………………………………….…….…...3
Chapter I The Importance of Body Language………….…………………………………....5
1.1 Definition of the Intercultural Communication………………………………….…5
1.2 The Significance of Non-verbal Communication……………………………….….5
1.3 The Significance of Body Language………………………………………………..7
Chapter II The Features and Main Functions of Body Language and the Cultural Differences between Chinese and American…………………………….…….……………….9
2.1 The Features and Functions of Body Language………..…………………..………9
2.2 Analyze Cultural Differences of Body Language…………..……………..………11
2.2.1 The Differences of Facial Expression….…….….………..……………11
2.2.2 The Differences of Eye Contact………….…….…………………………13
2.2.3 The Differences of Touching…………………………….………………..14
2.2.4 The Differences of Gestures and Movement………………………….….15
Chapter III The Results of Using Body Language Improperly between Chinese and
American…………………....…………………………..……………….……...17
Conclusion……………………………………...…………………………………………….19
Bibliography ………………………………………………...……………………………….20
Acknowledgements……………………………………………..…………………………….22

Outline

Thesis statement: Body language plays a very important role in communication. We can make a better understanding of the cultural differences between Chinese and American when analyzing the different cultures with comparison of body language in hand gesture, eye contact, touching, and posture, etc. It is possible for us to exchange information successfully and to behave in proper ways without making too many mistakes. As a result, Chinese and American can understand each other better, achieving effective communication.
I. Chinese and American have many different cultures because of their different histories, regions, races and methods of thinking, etc. Body language is the most natural part of non-verbal communication and it helps verbal-communication achieve effective communication.
A. Intercultural communication is the methods of communication between Chinese and American. Intercultural communication can be divided into verbal communication and non-verbal communication.
B. Nonverbal communication plays a very important role in the whole communication.
C. Body language is the most natural part of non-verbal communication and it helps verbal-communication achieve effective communication.
II. Cultural differences can be analyzed with introducing the features and main functions of body language.
A. To introducing the features of body language including sociality, nationality, and

controllability, and the main functions of body language including accompanying, symbolic and revealing the feeling.
B. To analyze cultural differences between Chinese and American in four aspects.
1. Facial Expression between American and Chinese is different.
2. Eye Contact between American and Chinese is different.
3. Touching between American and Chinese is different.
4. Gestures and movement between American and Chinese is different.
III. The results of using body language improperly between Chinese and American are producing more conflicts and misunderstanding.
Ⅳ. Conclusion: When analyzing the Chinese and American culture, it just to pay attention to how people use non-verbal cues. Body language bears relations with cultures. It is also the carrier of cultures, and varies from culture to culture. So the aim of studying and researching non-verbal communication is to help us exclude the interference of cultural differences. As a non-verbal communication, body language can help us solve a lot of problems in intercultural communication between people and people, or western countries and our country. In order to make a successful intercultural communication, we should know the body language of different cultures.

Introduction

Chinese and American have many different cultures because of their different histories, regions, races and methods of thinking, etc. All these different cultures embody on intercultural communication. It is the process of communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. Intercultural communication can be divided into two types: verbal communication and non-verbal communication. The non-verbal which is connected with cultures and it is the result of cultural communication. As an important part of non-verbal communication, it is important to note that body language has different meanings in different cultures.
Body language is one of means of non-verbal communication. It is the most natural part of non-verbal communication and it helps verbal-communication achieve effective communication. Body language is also interlinked with spoken language and a whole pattern of behavior from a person. Because Chinese and American have their own historical, cultural background and the different cultures, the Chinese and American express differently and it is quite different when the people using body language. The differences bring many communication problems in the non-verbal reality about a lot of obstacles, misunderstanding and conflicts.
When analyzing the Chinese and American culture, it just to pay attention to how people use non-verbal cues. This paper makes a study of the cultural differences and comparison of body language in different cultures in terms of hand gesture, eye behavior, facial expressions, and posture, etc. between Chinese and American. Different cultures have different ways of

using non-verbal communication. Being a branch of the means of non-verbal communication, body language can help us solve a lot of problems we meet. The study of body language makes us understand others very well and behave in proper ways without making too many mistakes, only in this way, can we break down obstacles, which, in turn, Chinese and American can understand each other better and achieve effective communication.

Chapter I The Importance of Body Language

1.1 Definition of the Intercultural Communication
Chinese and American have many different cultures because of their different histories, regions, races and methods of thinking, etc. It is restricted by its culture and has different cultural connotations. All about these different cultures embody on communications which the culture influences. Different countries have different cultures, so the way people in different countries communicate is different too. The intercultural communication is the methods of communication between Chinese and American. What is intercultural communication? Intercultural communication is the process of communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. It can be divided into two types: verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Using language to communicate is called verbal communication. “When we speak, we use much more than just words. We also communicate with our face, our hands, and even our own bodies. This kind of communication can be called ‘body language’ or‘non–verbal communication’.” (Joseph A 229). So another kind that is often overlooked by us but plays a very important role in communication is non-verbal communication.

1.2 The Significance of Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication mainly expresses real emotion and attitude through facial expression, posture, eye behavior, clothes, sound, etc. For instance, waving hand is to show
farewell; offering our hand with a slight smile to others means welcome. When listening to a

report, people lean against the chair, which suggests that they are not interested in the report. Non-verbal communication has a close relationship with historical culture of nations, so, the meaning it expresses differs from nation to nation and the differences bring about a lot of obstacles, misunderstanding and conflicts. “Edward T. Hall claims that the reason why we meet so much trouble in communicating with foreigners is we know only a little about intercultural communication” (Xiao 98). This indicates that it is important for us to have a good command of communication including verbal and non-verbal. Generally speaking, non-verbal communication can make effects independently in communication and it can be a complement of verbal communication too. Because of the language barrier, people communicate with one another not only through verbal communication but also through non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication, like verbal communication is also a part of culture and the carrier of a certain culture. The function of non-verbal communication in the whole communication can’t be overlooked. “In the daily communication, we can see people can’t communicate efficiently by verbal language alone. And non-verbal communication will express clear meanings in a certain context. And a certain non-verbal communication should be connected with verbal communication or the other non-verbal communication to provide correct information.”(Li 37). So in communicative activities, non- verbal communication also plays a great role. Of course, we should pay close attention to the functions of non-verbal communication. “In any case, when verbal communication conflicts with non-verbal communication, people are willing to accept the information non-verbal
communication delivers. Because non-verbal communication sounds more natural, more

instinctive and it is hard to pretend.”(Xu 90). Obviously, we should make full use of non- verbal communication to achieve efficient communication.

1.3 The Significance of Body Language
Body language is one of means of non-verbal communication. It is the most natural part of non-verbal communication and it helps verbal-communication achieve effective communication. Body language also takes a complementary role to help people transfer information to improve communication, which will be an indispensable power to break up language obstacles in intercultural communication. In the 21st century, as the economic and cultural exchanging of all countries becomes more and more frequent, there appear more obstacles caused by the differences of language and culture. In intercultural communication, one of the most useful ways to deal with the obstacles is to learn the importance of body language.
Usually body language occurs unconsciously. Yet the body language we use lead to a large extent the quality of our communication. It follows that therefore it would be good to become conscious of our own and others' body language. It is important to note that body language has different meanings in different cultures. How we can interpret body language depends on the situation, the culture, the relationship we have with the person as well as the gender of the other. Body language is also interlinked with spoken language and a whole pattern of behavior from a person. As well as that, various body language signs can complement each other to make a particular meaning crystal clear or strengthen the meaning

of what we communicate. Body language is greatly affected by social environment and accepted through common practice. It often becomes a distinctive culture. Every country, every nation, and even every region has its own historical and cultural background, so the body language people use is quite different. Body language is also called Kinesics, including eye contact, gestures, posture, facial expressions, and physical distance. As an important way of nonverbal communication, gestures are the silent and authentic language that can express people’s inner emotions. They are part of national culture. In order to understand a culture well and make the communication more effective, it is necessary to discuss the pragmatic features and functions of body language.

Chapter II The Features and Main Functions of Body Language and the Cultural Differences between Chinese and American

2.1 The Features and Functions of Body Language
Body language is so universal that it has the following common features and functions:
The first feature is called sociality. Many linguists think that “many body languages have a close relationship with our society and it will change as the society develops”(Jia 426). “Different age: kids like to be embraced by adults, but they hate it when they grow up; dif