Abstract: Humans communicate in two ways: verbal and nonverbal. Body language, as the most important part of nonverbal communication, plays an important role in humans’ communication.With the apparent tendency of globalization, cultural exchange is becoming more and more extensive. The cultural differences between one nation and the other nation affect directly the communications of the two nations.Body languages, as important parts of nonverbal communication, include gestures, facial expressions, postures, eye contacts, touch, body movements, etc.. There are similarities between body languages, but most of the body languages vary culturally. With the development of intercultural communication, the contacts between Chine and English people are on the increa, and the differences between body languages have been the major barriers to efficient communication. The cultural differences between one nation and the other nation affect directly the communications of the two nations. On the basis of differences in cultural backgrounds which are reflected in differences in every day's life, I hope that this article will arou some respons with tho who are interested in the cultures between the U.S and China.
Key words: body language. different culture.
Body Language in Life
on Cultural Differences of Body Languages between American
世界自然奇观
and Chine
Chapter I Introduction
生活中的身体语言—中美身体语言文化差异
1.1 The definition of Body Language
Body language, which includes gestures, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, touch, body movements and so on, is a most important part of nonverbal communication. It has five main communicative functions: repeating, complementing, regulating, contradicting and substituting. (Larry A. Samovar 2000:149) Body language should not be confud with the term nonverbal communication and gesture. The relationship between the three concepts can be illustrated by Figure 1.
1.2 the Overview of Previous Studies of Body Language
The scientific study of body language can be traced back to the time of ancient Greece. The famous philosopher Aristotle first made an analysis on humans’ actions by which humans expresd their ideas and wishes. As time goes on, body language has developed into an veral subject concerning biology, linguistics, sociology, pedagogy, political science and the most important of all, anthropology and communicative science. (Larry A. Samovar 2000:149)
Since the 1950’s, many works on body language have appeared in the area of sociology and anthropology. Many anthropologists, such as American scholars Ray L. Birdwhistell and Julius Fast, basically focud their studies on the relationship between body languages and communication. In USA in 1959, Edward T. Hall published his book “The Silent Language”, which is taken as the first and foundational book of a new discipline“ Intercultural Communication”. The study of body language has become an important component of the discipline Intercultural Communication becau of the significant roles it plays in communication and its cultural variations.
On the one hand，the further sociological studies have proved that the body language plays an important role in humans’ communication. It is said that in the
conversation , only 30% information is from the talk , the other messages are all
conveyed by nonverbal means (basically body language). Psychologist Albert Mehrabian even propod a formula: “the total effect of a piece of conveyed message ＝7% of words＋38% of voice＋55% of facial expressions” (Yang Zijian, 1990:577). On the other hand, scholars have found that body language is also a part of culture and is characterized by nationality. Its cultural variations already become a chief barrier to intercultural communication.
Finally the paper puts forward three principles of studying cultural differences of body languages and propos some concrete ways of introducing rearch achievements into foreign language teaching in order to help teachers and students understand the cultural connotations of body languages such as value system, moral standard, customs, historical background and mode of thinking of a nation and cultivate students’ all-round intercultural communicative competence.
Chapter II Cultural Differences of Body Languages between
Americans andChine
About the cultural differences of body languages between English and Chine, first of all, let us e
the relationship between the two languages in the language families of the world illustrated by Figure 2.
石上柏佩金Figure2. the Language Families of the World (Larry A. Samovar 2000:149)
The study of cultural differences can be conducted from various perspectives. To be general it can be conducted from the perspective of the East and the West; to be specific it can be conducted from the perspectives of race, nationality, national area, social rank, occupation, x, age, environment, and it can even be conducted from the perspective of any two individuals. According to some scholars’ opinions such as Marshall Singe r—everyone’s cultural background is individual.
孜然鱿鱼的做法2.1 Differences in Religious
Most people in the U.S believe in Christianity, and Bible is the canon in the U.S. Its content includes creeds of Christianity. It is Bible that constitutes the U.S culture. Every American whether old or not, has to read Bible, and study it. Many English idioms come from Bible.
In China, Buddhism and Taoism are the dominant beliefs. Confucius affected most Chine people and society. Being united and lf-surrendered are the points of Confucius, which plays the key role in forming Chine culture.
花朵贺卡Take the gesture for praying for example (e Figure 3)
Figure 3
The gesture for swearing can rve as another typical example of the difference of religious beliefs. (See Figure 4)
Figure4
头晕目眩的意思
Figure 5
创业的含义
There are still many other body behaviors varying culture in this category. For instance, almost every
one has the experience of pointing a way for others. Have you ever noticed the difference of making this gesture between people from different countries? This concept is also reflected in language. As we know, the Chine idioms “指指点点”, “指手画脚” and “指桑骂槐” contain the derogatory n. However, as for British or American people the name of the forefinger is “index finger”, so they do not think it is a rude gesture.
Another similar example that can be prented is the gesture for beckoning someone to come (See Figure 6).
reachingFigure 6
