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1、An Analysis of Body Language Between Chinese and Western Cultures中西方肢体语言简析Literature ReviewAbstract: People communicate with each other not only with language but also with body language. Body language is a form of nonverbal communication. It can be applied to many fields, such as education, busines
2、s, and politics, etc. Nowadays, globalization promotes intercultural communication. With the Chinese-western cultural communication getting wider and deeper, intercultural communication attracts more attention. Therefore, its important to discuss the body language between Chinese and Western culture
3、s.摘要:人们与他人交流不仅通过语言也通过肢体语言。肢体语言是非语言交际的一个重要形式。它能被运用于教育、商业以及政治等领域。在当今世界，全球化使跨文化交际变得越来越频繁 ，随着中西文化交流的逐渐加深，跨文化交流也吸引了更多的关注。因此，探讨中西方肢体语言就显得尤为重要。Nonverbal communication is a process in which communicators use the natural features of their bodies to express specific meaning instinctively to the other communic
4、ator. Body language, as a form of nonverbal communication, plays a very important role in communication. Some scholars even considered it as the basis of nonverbal communication. In general, the study of body language began in 1950s. And during 1970s, the study of body language stepped into a fully
5、developing period. From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, body language includs more contents and has a great influence on the other fields. In current intercultural communication, the most accepted means to classify body language is by the movement of human body. “Body language” is used by Samovar
6、, who classifies body language into appearance, body movement, facial expression, eye management, touching, sub-language, olfactic behavior, and so on. Meanwhile, the classification made by Knapp is that body language contains gesture, body movement, extremities movement, hand movement, facial expre
7、ssion, eye management, posture, and so on. Brosnahan thinks “gestures” are touching, space, appearance posture, body behavior, arm movement, leg movement, hand movement, facial expression, eye management, noisy and silent decorations, the environment, and so on. Hu Wenzhong thinks body language has
8、the definition in both narrow and broad senses. In the broad sense, it contains gesture, posture, facial expression, timbre of the speaker, distance between the speaker and listener, and clothes of the speaker. As to the narrow sense, it includes body movement and facial expression, which can send m
9、essages. From all these ways of classification, we can know that body language mainly includes the movement of every part of a human body, instead of the limits to the body movement.Recently, there has been huge interest in studying human behavioral clues that could be useful for developing an inter
10、active and adaptive human-machine system. Unintentional human gestures have been found conveying some useful information in specific context. Some researchers have tried to extract such gestures in a specific context of educational applications.In Guo Pinglis The Use of Body Language in English Teac
11、hing, she discussed the possibility and effect of using body language in English teaching. For rapid changes in education reform, many teachers, students and parents face great stresses. As we know, the classroom teaching is one of the most important ways that the students learn English. Body langua
12、ge is a way to arouse students interest and help them learn better. In school education, body language plays a positive role in cultivating students characters. As a matter of fact, teachers friendly appearance can greatly encourage students enthusiasm. Besides, knowledge also requires the vivid and
13、 accessible gestures to make it figurative. English teaching is a key part of the school education. According to students present level, body language is required. Students play an active role in teaching. Their excellent competences come from daily practice. Therefore, teachers should improve stude
14、nts competence and create the learning atmosphere with body language.Body language is the most common and universal nonverbal behaviors. Because of different gender cultures, body language has different meanings and communication varies from people to people. In On Body Language in Nonverbal Communi
15、cation from the Perspective of Gender Culture by Yang Chenxia, despite the definition of body language, the author also gave us the gender differences in body language. Gender is known as the social classification of masculine and feminine. So gender is a social creation. In gender cultures, men and
16、 women in general have different perspectives on these matters. The difference in feminine and masculine styles frequently leads to misunderstandings in cross-gender interaction. It is said that women have the tendency to resort to nonverbal expressions more frequently. Scholars also found out that
17、men use more gestures than women, and men do not discriminate. Smiling is a specific facial expression. People attribute many positive characteristics to others who smile. Compared with men, women smile more, are more apt to returning smiles, and more attracted to others who smile. These indicate th
18、at consciously or unconsciously, women just use smile as a responder of politeness, or just to keep the interaction flowing smoothly. Research shows that females smile more often than males. The studies related to eye contact show that women look more at the other person than men do. Moreover, women
19、 hold eye contact longer with each other than men do. Many studies seem to show females are touched by others more than males are. It seems that women value touching more than men do. Body language changes when it comes to gender culture. We should learn the differences of body language in different
20、 gender.Human beings are not the only ones who communicate. Animals use body language and facial expressions to tell each other how they feel and what they think. Some scholars find the origin of body language. The relation of body language to animal communication has been discussed. Human paralangu
21、age may represent a continuation of forms of communication that our non-linguistic ancestors already used, or it may be that it has been changed by co-existing with language. Some species of animals are especially adept at detecting human body language, both voluntarily and involuntarily. Body langu
22、age is a product of both genetic and environmental influences. The ethologist Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt claimed that a number of basic elements of body language were universal across cultures and must be fixed action patterns under instinctive control. Some forms of human body language show continuiti
23、es with communicative gestures of other apes. More refined gestures, which vary between cultures, must be learned or modified through learning, usually by unconscious observation of the environment.Body language is now widely used in the field of selling, where sales personnel are trained to observe
24、 and read the body language of their potential customers. Sales personnel trained to read body language can now utilize this skill to read the subliminal cue exhibited by the customers to close a deal. Consequently, many companies such as insurance companies, direct-selling companies, and internatio
25、nal car-showrooms now engage body language experts.Body language is shaped by culture. Different cultures make people behave different body languages. And every culture has its unique historical background. In Wang Shas On Body Language Differences from Intercultural View, she explains in details ab
26、out the body language in different countries from the intercultural view, especially about posture differences, gesture differences, facial expression differences and eye contact differences. Body language is a term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of verbal language. It in
27、cludes the most delicate movement of eyebrows. Moreover, body language can combine the use of facial expressions. A psychologist proposed a formula: the total impact of message=7% verbal + 38% vocal + 55% facial expressions and behavior. There are some characteristics of body language. First, some b
28、ody language is not inborn but also unconscious and subconscious. However, other body languages are postnatal. Second, the same body language conveys different meanings due to different cultures. Third, the same body language represents same meaning in different cultures. Fourth, some body language
29、behaviors may have different meanings in the same culture. Sixth, the using of body language is influenced by the situation where a person is.Body language is necessary in the communicating activity. China plays a vital role in the whole world, therefore it is critical for us to learn intercultural
30、communication. With the Chinese-western cultural communication getting wider and deeper, intercultural communication attracts more attention. In my view, we shall pay more attention to the differences of body language between Chinese and Western cultures. From these scholars classifications, we can
31、conclude that body language mainly includes the movement of the parts of a human body, not just limits to the body movement. In this essay, the eye language, posture, gesture, touch and facial expression in Chinese and Western cultures are to be studied. Chinese people are more modest, tolerant, and
32、 responsible. However, people from western countries advocate independence, freedom, individual space and self-respect. Eye contact is important because too little eye contact causes communication problems. It is crucial in relationships because it helps to show intimacy, attention and influence. In
33、 some cultures, looking people in the eye is assumed to indicate honesty and straightforwardness; in others it is seen as challenging and rude. All cultures have their special rules about their eye language and these differences can make people feel uncomfortable without knowing the reason. Posture
34、is a matter of how people sit, walk, stand and move. Posture can deliver everyones hidden information no matter how hard he tries to cover his feelings. Gesture is another kind of body language. Touch is the means by which people communicate via bodily contact. It also plays a vital role in nonverba
35、l communication and conveys physical intimacy. Communication is a central part of everyday life. Human beings exchange information not only with words but also with facial expressions. Although different cultures shape different body languages, there are still some similarities. Body language varies
36、 from culture to culture. Conflicts and differences are inevitable in the intercultural communication. Therefore, it is necessary to use the body language to make communications better and easier. BibliographyBirdwhistell, Ray. Kinesis in Context. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,1970.
37、Jones, Yarbrough. A Naturalistic Study of the Meaning of Touch. California: Communication Monographs, 1985.Kendon, Adam. Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.Leathers, Dale. Successful Nonverbal Communication. Boston: Alyyn&Bacon, 1986郭萍利. The Use of Body Language in English Teaching. 北京：科学教育家，2008（2）.胡文仲.文化与交际.北京：外语教学与研究出版社,1994.杨晨霞. 从性别文化的角度研究非语言交际中体态语. 北京：商品与质量，2010,(11).王莎. On Body Language Differences from Intercultural View. 山东：科技信息, 2009(2).
