Facial Expression Plays in Intercultural Communication

2010 年 12 月刊 商品与质量 理论研究 跨文化交际中的面部表情交流简析 □陆桥达 （山西财经大学 山西太原 030006） 摘 要: 本文讨论了非语言交流在跨文化交际中的重要作用，重点分析了面部表情的不同文化含义及应用。旨在使读者通过对非语言交际中的面 部表情的文化差异的进一步了解，减少或者避免因文化冲突而造成的误解和不便。 关键词：非语言交流；面部表情；文化差异 Abstract：This paper studies the vital role that facial expression plays in intercultural communication, which emphasizes the impor- tance of nonverbal communication, focusing on the use of facial ex- pression. This paper first provides a definition of nonverbal communi- cation and then makes a comparison between verbal and nonverbal communication. Then it presents the readers a clearer idea about cul- tural variations of facial expression in nonverbal communication so people can avoid unnecessary misunderstanding. Key Words: nonverbal behaviors; facial expression; cultural vari- ation An Analysis of Non-verbal Communication with the Focus on Facial Expression in Intercultural Communication Ⅰ. Introduction As the globalization goes deeper and deeper, intercultural com- munication will become more and more important. It is critical to comprehend the information carried by facial expression, which plays a significant role in intercultural communication. The effective use of facial expression can not only facilitate communication and avoid mis- understanding, but also save unnecessary talking time. Ⅱ. Comparisons between Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Communication among people occurs in many forms. People can communicate with each other through not only verbal communication but also nonverbal communication. Moreover, the latter plays an es- sential role in human communication. 1. The inseparable nature of verbal and nonverbal signals Even though the paper focuses on nonverbal communication, the inseparable nature of verbal and nonverbal