Body Language in Cultures
Sean E.
English 102
Body language is not language in the strict sense of the word language; it is in fact, a broad term for forms of communication using body movements, gestures, facial expressions and eye behaviors in addition to sounds, verbal language, or other forms of communication. Although we may not realize it when we talk with others, we make ourselves understood not only by words but also by our body language. Body language sometimes helps make communication easy and effective. In order to improve the quality of our communication, we should pay more attention to nonverbal communication. Culture has great influence on communication, body language is a cultural signifier that each culture has developed differently to help them communicate nonverbally within there culture. Communication is an essential part of one’s life. One must understand how to communicate with words and through body language. Some scholars treat body language as an equivalent to nonverbal communication. Although we may not realize it when we talk with others, we make ourselves understood not only by words. Louis Forsdale, writer of “Perspectives on Communication” states that “In 1972, a research made by American linguists showed that only 35 percent communication message is sent by verbal communication, while 65 percent is sent by nonverbal communication.”(340) It is obvious that nonverbal communication plays an important role in our communication. We can understand it well by some functions and different cultural instances of body language.
When we communicate with people from other cultures, the body language sometimes help make the communication easy and effective, such as shaking hands is such a universal gesture that people all over the world know that it is a signal for greeting. But sometimes the body language can cause certain misunderstanding since people of different cultures often have different forms of behavior for sending the same body signals. Each country has a
English 102
Body language is not language in the strict sense of the word language; it is in fact, a broad term for forms of communication using body movements, gestures, facial expressions and eye behaviors in addition to sounds, verbal language, or other forms of communication. Although we may not realize it when we talk with others, we make ourselves understood not only by words but also by our body language. Body language sometimes helps make communication easy and effective. In order to improve the quality of our communication, we should pay more attention to nonverbal communication. Culture has great influence on communication, body language is a cultural signifier that each culture has developed differently to help them communicate nonverbally within there culture. Communication is an essential part of one’s life. One must understand how to communicate with words and through body language. Some scholars treat body language as an equivalent to nonverbal communication. Although we may not realize it when we talk with others, we make ourselves understood not only by words. Louis Forsdale, writer of “Perspectives on Communication” states that “In 1972, a research made by American linguists showed that only 35 percent communication message is sent by verbal communication, while 65 percent is sent by nonverbal communication.”(340) It is obvious that nonverbal communication plays an important role in our communication. We can understand it well by some functions and different cultural instances of body language.
When we communicate with people from other cultures, the body language sometimes help make the communication easy and effective, such as shaking hands is such a universal gesture that people all over the world know that it is a signal for greeting. But sometimes the body language can cause certain misunderstanding since people of different cultures often have different forms of behavior for sending the same body signals. Each country has a
Cited: Axtell, Roger E. "Gestures: The Do 's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. New York: Wiley, 1991. Booher, Dianna. "Communicate With Confidence And Make Your Body Language Say The Right Thing." Women In Business 51.6 (1999): 36. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. Forsdale, Louis. Perspectives on Communication. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1981. Goman, Carol Kinsey. "Cross-Cultured Business Practices." Communication World 19.2 (2002): 22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. Gudykunst, William B. and Young Yun Kim. “Communicating with Strangers: An Approach to Intercultural Communication.” New York: Wiley, 1997. Hall, Edward T. "Beyond Culture." The Reference Librarian 4 (1997): 42-50. Lopaz, Annetta. "Did I See You Do What I Think You Did? The Pitfalls of Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures" Journal of Academic Library Studies 20 (1994): 100-15. Pease, Allan, and Barbara Pease. The Definitive Book of Body Language. London: Orion, 2005. Print.