身势语的比较

A Contrastive Study of Body Language Between Chinese and

English-speaking Countries

[Abstract] In human communication, people use body language to

communicate, as well as verbal language. Body language is also

called Kinesics. It belongs to the scope of nonverbal communication.

Body language plays an important role in complementing, accenting,

symbolizing or substituting utterance meaning. Body language, like

verbal language, is also a part of culture. But in different cultures

body language means the different things. Different people have

different ways of making nonverbal communication. Understanding

the different cultural implication of English and Chinese body

language can promote people’s cross

-cultural communication

competence, reinforce the heart-to- heart understanding and in the

end will benefit the communication between English and Chinese

people. This paper mainly expounds the features and functions of

body language in pragmatics, presents the meanings of body

language in different cultures from the point of cultures, researches

body language’s cultural differences between English and Chinese,

especially those in gesture, posture, facial expression_r_r_r, eye

contact and physical distance, and discusses the importance of

knowing cultural meanings. The research of English and Chinese

body language in nonverbal communication is helpful for people to

diminish or avoid misunderstandings caused by the cultural

differences of body language.

[Key Words] body language; English-speaking countries; China;

contrast

英汉身势语的对比研究

[

摘

要

]

人们在进行交流的过程中，除了 运用语言这种普遍的方

式外，也经常运用身势语。身势语又称体态语，是人类交际中最< /p>

常见的一种非语言交际手段。

身势语对话语意义起着补充，

强调，

表情，

象征或替代作用。

身势语同语言一样，

都是文化的一部分。

在不同文化 中，

身势语的意义并不完全相同。

各个民族有不同的

了解英汉身势语的不同文化内涵，

有助于英汉

国家的人民之间更好地交流，

提高跨文化交际能力 ，

增进感情与

心态的理解，做到

“

入乡随俗

”

，传情达意。本文重点论述了身 势

语的语用特征，

功能，

并从文化角度 对身势语在不同的文化背景

中的含义作了介绍，探讨了中国和英语国家在手势，姿态，面 部

表情，

眼神与体距等方面的文化差异，

论述了了解文化含义在非

语言交际中的重要性。对跨文化交际中的英汉体态语进行探讨 ，

有助于人们减少或避免在跨文化交际中因体态语的文化差异而

引起的误解。

[

关键词

]

身势语；英语国家；中国；对比

uction

Human communication consists of verbal communication and

nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication plays a very

important role in the whole communication. Some experts say more

than 60 percent of communication comes from nonverbal behaviors,

such as facial expression, posture and so on. These nonverbal

behaviors always have many meanings. One expert estimated that

verbal communication occupied about 30 percent of the whole

communication behaviors. “American linguist Samovar affirms that

in a face-to-face communication, only about 35 percent of messages

are sent by verbal behaviors and others are sent by nonverbal

behaviors.” [1] Verbal and nonverbal behaviors, which are both the

important parts of human communication, can express feeling,

interact ideas and send messages. They are the indispensable tools

that can satisfy human communication.

Body language is also called Kinesics, including eye contact,

gestures, posture, facial expression, and physical distance. As an

important way of nonverbal communication, gestures are the silent

and authentic language that can express pe

ople’s inner emotions.

They are a part of a national culture. In order to understand a culture

well and make the communication more effective, it is necessary to

discuss the pragmatic features and functions of body language.

2. Pragmatic features

of body language.

2.1Emblems

Emblems substitute for words. “Emblems are gestures that have a

specific meaning that is same for both the sender and the receiver of

a particular nonverbal message.” [2] For example, the nonverbal

signs for “OK,” “Victory,” “come here,” “be quiet,” and “it’s cold.”

2.2Illustrators

Illustrators help to complement or depict spoken words. “They make

your communications more vivid and help to maintain your

listener’s attention. They also help to clarify and make more intense

your verbal m

essages”[3] “by punctuating and displaying the

structure of our verbal messages, by emphasizing certain phrases, by

signaling continued interaction, and by providing information in

addition to the words that we use.” [4]

2.3Regulators

Regulators are body movements that aid in the actual flow of

conversation. They monitor, maintain, control the speaking of

another individual. Regulators tell others when people’s

conversational turns will be yielded or maintained. At the same time,

they also allow people to deny or request a speaking turn within

conversations

2.4Affect displays

Affect displays are the movements of the face that convey emotional

meaning. “Affect displays may be unintentional (as when they give

you away) or intentional (as when you want to show anger, love or

surprise).” [5]

2.5Adaptors

Ekman and Friesen classify three types of adaptors based on their

focus, direction, or target: self-adaptors, alter- directed adaptors, and

object-adaptors.

(i)Self-adaptors

Self- adaptors are generally not directed at others but serve some

personal need. They usually satisfy a physical need, especially to

make people more comfortable, for example, biting lip when anxious,

pushing hair out of eyes, scratching head to relieve an itch or

moistening lips when they are dry. In general, the more nervous one

feel, the more and clearer such behaviors are.

(ii) Alter-directed adaptors

Alter-directed adaptors are body motions directed at others and they

are learned from past experiences and from the manipulation of

objects. “T

hey include gestures used to protect oneself from others,

such as putting the hands in front of the face; movements made to

attack others, such as assuming a fighting position……”[6]

(iii) Object-adaptors

Object-adaptors are those that involve the use of an object, for

example, chewing on a pencil or clicking a ballpoint pen. Most

object-adaptors are unconscious. They would be elicited from verbal

behaviors in certain context.

tic functions of body language

Body language has its own unique pragmatic functions in human

interaction. It falls into five types of functions: complement,

substitution, emotional expression_r_r_r, accentuation and

symbolization.

3.1Complement

Body language can be used to complete, describe, or accent verbal

cues. Body language adds some information to the verbal message.

For example, when talking about the big house one bought, he/she

indicates how big it is with his/her hands.

3.2Substitution

Using body language in place of verbal messages is known as

substitution. Body language can replace verbal behaviors to convey

certain meaning. People often nod their head to express “yes”

without saying the word.

3.3Emotional expression_r_r_r

The most obvious function of body language is to express emotions.

When people are communicating, they can express their feelings

through various signs or behaviors. When they are conversing, they

will make various facial expression_r_r_rs and gestures without

self-consciousness, which often leak their affects or thoughts.

3.4Accentuation

The accompanying body language very often can add force to the

verbal messages. A forceful gesture, exaggerated facial

expression_r_r_rs all give “accent” to the intended messages. Body

language also can be used alone to express certain meaning.

3.5Symbolization

Symbolizing gestures are usually common formalities. They are

conventional ones. Since they are restrained by certain traditional

culture and belong to some nation, they can only be used in some

specific culture.

Above are the pragmatic functions of body language. But they only

have definite meanings in certain context.

4.A comparative study of body language between Chinese and

English- speaking

countries

Because the cultures of different nations are rooted. Further, it’s not

easy for people to absorb the signs which are contrary to their habits.

So, they can’t ignore the influence exerted on body language by

cultures and they must pay attention to the different meanings of

body language in different cultures and contexts.

Body language is an important part of nonverbal communication. If

people don’t understand its cultural connotation, they will not

interact properly. Sometimes they will make themselves or others

embarrassed.

A well-known case is a gesture made by Winston Churchill, the

doughty prime minister who led Britain through the Second World

War. As he appeared before a large crowd, he was greeted with

cheers and applause. The occasion was a momentous one and

Churchill flashed the “V” for “Victory” sign—

with the forefinger

and middle finger raised to form a

“V”, whether by mistake or

ignorance, instead of facing the palm of his hand to the front, he

made the “V” with the back of his hand towards the audience. Some

in the crowd applauded; some gasped; some broke out in laughter.

The prime minister’s gesture,

as given, meant quite something else.