比較中西方身勢語在溝通中的應(yīng)用

1、比較中西方身勢語在溝通中的應(yīng)用. IntroductionWhen people speak of the communicarion, first they will think of the language, which is the verbal behavior. The verbal behavior is a process relying on the language instrument, including text (written languages) and verbal (oral language ) to carry through communion del

2、ivering idea and transferring information. Language is an important tool of human communication, but it is not the only tool of communication. In fact, in addition to language, there is a more abundant content of the means of communication that is non-verbal. The non-verbal communication is the lang

3、uage of all the acts of communication, it is very frequent in the frequency of daily life. A smile, a look, and a gesture belong to be non-verbal bahavior (huang, 2003:16). It is difficult to fancy and cannot be processed that the communication between the people just depend on words without any acc

4、ompanying gestures or postures. That, at least, is not a sufficient communication. It is impossibility not to have the verbal behavior in humans communication, but the non-verbal communication goes with the verbal communication. Both of them formed the complete process of communication and also have

5、 their own features and functions. Non-verbal communication can represent peoples psychological activities richly and accurately.As the main component of non-verbal communication, bodt language has its own trait, effect, and function. It must comply with the “principles of cooperation just as verbal

6、 communication (Yang, 1994: 16).The Definition and Importance of Body Language21Definition of Body LanguageBody language is not a language in the strict sense of the word “l(fā)anguage. “Body language is expressing how one feels by ones sitting, standing, moving, etc, rather by words (Oxford Advanced Le

7、arners English-Chinese Dictionary, 1997).22The Importance of Body LanguageHuman societys long historical evolution confirmed that labor played a decisive role in the course of humans evolution. At beginning, human ancestors rely on all sorts of gestures and postures for mutual coordination and commu

8、nicate. So body language is actually the most primitive instrument of communication. The phonic language is gradually developed with the continuous deepening of communication. Human gradually learned verbal communication after a far-flung nonverbal communication. This shows that the non-verbal commu

9、nication came into being earlier than verbal communication, it is the origin and base of verbal communication, body language is the earliest communication tool of human.The Role of Body Language in CommunicationSpeaking of the humanity, each person can express our innermost feelings throught the bod

10、y the idea, but Wests expression also differs from. For instance we split out rent a car, we can use the entire palm of the hand to summon, but the weaterner is surely is stretches out the thumb to summon, but also has us and others kiss is surely the relational not common friend and the family memb

11、er, but westerners kiss only is and the friend greets.34To Denote Social RelationsPeople who communicate with the other one have different identity, status, seniority and sex, so there are some differences in the body language they used. Therefore, the social relations between them can be reflected

12、by their body language. A smile and shaking hands with the initiative are the commonly used body language when they first meet somebody. But that is not suitable to stretch out initiative when meeting a person who has status that is much higher than you. No other than the person offers his hand, you

13、 can be approached to shake hands. The people who are more familiar often hold each others hands after shaking hands. But most women do not shake hands when regarding with each other, they draw their fingers together lightly. In Europe and the United States people often use kissing ceremony. The for

14、m and place of kissing is different because status and longevity is different.The way which but when Chinas very many places, the majority people meet greets all are shake hand, certainly, also has some young people runs into the very familiar friend perhaps family members time, can use the hug the

15、way to come big greeting. The Characteristics and the Reason for Difference of Body Language Between Western and Chinese41The Characteristics of Body Language4.1.1SynonymyOne meaning can be shown by more than two body languages. For instance, gestures of shaking hands, nodding, or raise hand can sho

16、w greeting. Looks like us meets the acquaintance the time we to be able to shake hand, in us to some matter expressed satisfactory time we can nod, at not satisfactory time can shake the head and so on.4.1.3SymbolicThe symbolic characteristic is an important sign for distinguishing the body language

17、 and body physiological actions. Although body language has the same physical attribute as body movements, but body language expresses an unique idea in some language condition, it is doing some communicate. In peoples daily life, body language not only can express a variety of frondose emotions, bu

18、t also can express various kinds of understand or dont care, powerless; Knocking on the tabla shows angry, warning or impatient. Numerous facts have shown that as a non-verbal communication symbols, body language is a key link in the communication speak of communication symbols system and the import

19、ant part of purport system.4.1.4Cultural DifferenceRound or “OK has been widely used in the United States, but on the “OK meaning, there are so many different views.The meaning of “OK is all the same in all of the English-speaking countries. However, after it quickly expanded to Europe and Asia, the

20、 meaning changed. For example, in France, it denoted “zero or “nothing; in Japan, it has the meaning of “money; in some Mediterranean countries, it is often used to express that the male is a homosexual.This show that body language has a strong cultural identity. In a different culture it should hav

21、e a different understanding of body language; some different body language can express the same meanings. Some of the same body language indicated different significance or concept; it affects the effect of communication and even can make the misapprehension and conflict of cross-cultural communicat

22、ion if we can not understand the special meaning of the nonverbal sign of communication. This is also embodiment of the dialectical relationship between nonverbal communication and culture difference. In fact, in the same community bosom, the culture, society status and even difference of occupation

23、 all have a distinctness embodiment by body language.42The Reason for Difference of Body Language Between Western and China4.2.1The Difference of the Traditional CultureThe difference of the traditional cultural in the differen characteristics. Historians considered that culture is the entire form o

24、f movement of a nation. China and Western countries have their own different social soil and cultural atmosphere. They have their own long history of independent development and special space, and each of them has its own distinct ethnic characteristics. Body language reflects the characteristics of

25、 a nation , it not only includes the nations historical and cultural background, it also contains the attitude for life of the nation; it is a concrete manifestation of peoples lifestyle and way of thinking. Chinese civilization system is accurately called “Chinese cultural circle, people call it “c

26、ircle means that it stays in an obdurate and self-sufficiency status for lengthy millennium because of the geographical factors and profound influence of Confucian thought. In the inward-looking “circle, the Chinese people came into being a respected family-centered culture system. Looking back over

27、 history, their homes are “Siheyuan; the board is “cubic city, and has the great wall. It fashions a family-style country, it advocates “reunification, pursuing “cooperation, like living together. The strongly family concept ia very dim. Although they also say: “East, west, home is best. But what th

28、ey express is probably a kind of “maritime civilization and “nomadic that is outward expansion and lateral extension, go to the outer world is the only way for their survival and development. Therefore, occidental pursue a kind of autocephaly, outward “on the road spirit, it engenders a kind of “dis

29、crete action mode. This cultural difference has clearly reflected in their body language between China and the West. For example, weatern people cant do this, if they have to crowed sit in the narrowness space, they will use “special skills-they will never see the people who too closed to them and n

30、ever have any brow.4.2.2Different Ethnic Character TraitsThe nation character is a comparatively jar less characteristic that is formed in the process of a long history of cultural development. This characteristic is like a bright brand. It makes each nation have their own characteristic and differe

31、ntiation with each other. There is a huge contrast between Chinese and Western ethnic character traits, so their body language is also different. China is a proprieties country that has a long history, it is a country that the feudalism centralization of state power pattern and the tradition princip

32、al part culture are most fixedness and continue the longest. It make Chineses ethnic character traits careful, modest, follow crowd, continence, and think a lot of ceremony, ethic, and expression connotation and so on. In Western countries because of more up growth geographical traffic, different ra

33、ces in break and social status make the westerns abound in adventure, uphold autocephaly and peace, extroversion, assuredness, candor and voluntaries. Two different character traits bring on two different body languages. Western may be putting Chinas modest, connotation as short of assuredness or se

34、lf-contemptuous. Chinese may be putting westerns emotional exposure as arrogant attitude.4.2.3 Different Social CustomsFolk-custom is a kind of special culture form, it is the sedimentation of traditional culture, it is a kind of cultural phenomenon that goes along from generation to generation. Bod

35、y language and folk culture are closely correlation; it is a concrete expression of folk culture. Therefore, body language has special color of different folk-custom. Many of the early history of body language have been oblivion, but it doesnt prevent new generation from using these body language. T

36、hey accumulate in the folk custom and were retained, but many users were not aware of these body languages source. For example, the word “matzo, this pose uses open palms extended to others face. This never means hostility to Chinese people, but this is an outrageous insult, ridiculed signal to Acha

37、ean. It originated in the Byzantine period; formerly it is an insulting action that people chuck feculence to prisoners face. Several hundred years ago, how modern Greeks do this action is to symbolically open empty hands, but the contumelious meanings is not changes.V.The Use of Body Language in Co

38、mmunication5.1The Differences of Exertion Between Chinese and Western5.1.1PosturePostures communicate just as language does. We have found that posture offers insight into a cultures deep structure and reflects a persons attitude toward people he is with. In many Asian cultures, the bow is much more

39、 than a greeting, and it signifies that cultures concern with status and rank. For example, in Japan low posture is an indicator of respect. The manner of sitting, standing and moving can also communicate a message and reflect a certain cultures lifestyle. As we know, in the United States, where bei

40、ng casual and friendly is valued, people often fall into chairs or slouch when they stand; and it is also common to see an American woman sit with her legs crossed even during public meetings. Whereas in many other countries, such as Germany and Sweden, where lifestyle tend to be more formal, such p

41、ostures are offensive and are often considered signs of rudeness or poor manners.5.1.3TouchThe manner of touch may serve as a reflection of that cultures attitudes and values. We find that cultures (e.g. German, English，Scandinavian) believing in emotional restraints and rigid status distinction wil

42、l do very little touching as compared with cultures (e.g. Latin American, Middle Eastern, Jewish，Greek, Eastern European) that stress collectivism and outward sign of affection. And Kim observes, "Southeast Asians do not ordinarily touch during a conversation, especially one between opposite se

43、xes, because many Asian cultures adhere to norms that forbid public displays of affection and intimacy".Besides the variation in touch amount, types of touch preferred also vary among cultures different location of the touch (arm, leg, breast, face, and so on) may have different meanings, and e

44、ach culture tells us precisely what it means when we touch certain parts of the body. Here are some examples. In Germany, women as well as men shake hands at the outset of every social encounter; in the United States, women seldom shake hands; in the Arab culture, men often greet each other by kissi

45、ng and hugging. We have also found that some parts of the body are not allowed to touch in some cultures. For example, in Thailand and other places of Asia, the head is sacred and it is offensive to touch someone there. And in Korea, young people are socially forbidden from touching the shoulders of

46、 their elders.5.1.4DistanceThe proximal distance (Sometimes, we call it “personal space) preferred by people of a culture dose not correspond to those preferred by people of other cultures. And people from different cultures have different ideas about the proper distance between people conversing. W

47、e have found that most English speaking people like the English, Americans and Australians do not like people to be too close unless there is areas on, such as showing affecting or encouraging intimacy. Germans, too, regard private space as sacred. The reason is that all these above cultures stress

48、individualism. While in cultures such as the Greek, African, Italian and Arab, where privacy is less important, people demand less space. And in some Asian countries, it is quite common to see people shoving and crowing on buses and in most public places, which might startle the English speaking peo

49、ple greatil. Therefore, the lack of knowledge of cultural difference may lead to considerable misunderstanding.52CountermeasuresCommunication needs both verbal communication and nonverbal communication. Body language is the important component part of nonverbal language, so the difference of body la

50、nguage between Chinese and Western will affect humans common communication behavior, if people want to reduce or abstain the bad infection by these difference, it needs to advert these points here in after: First, conscious cognize the body language in your own folk culture. Second, comprehensively study the target culture and the nonverbal language in the target culture. Third, in the process of communication, people need adopt “empathy strategy, spurn “the ism of national center, “cultural