As a communicative tool, language is very important in many situations. However, body language also takes a complementary role to help people transfer information to improve communication, which will be an indispensable power to break up language obstacles in intercultural communication. In the 21st century, as the economic and cultural exchanging of all countries becomes more and more frequent, there appear more obstacles caused by the differences of language and culture. In intercultural communication, one of the most useful ways to deal with the obstacles is to master the meaning of body language. However, even if we understand the meaning of some general body language, there are also some difficulties to master. Because even the same body language have great differences in different couture background. Using body languages wrongly not only makes you fail in interpersonal communications, which would cause conflict in international communication. So what are the differences of the same body language in different country? How to apply body language correctly? In this essay, after borrowing and studying the experience of the forefathers, the author analyzes the various usages and functions of body language in different culture background.
Key Words
Body language; intercultural communication; cultural difference
Ⅰ. Some Information about Body Language.......................................2
A. Functions of Body Language..................................................2
B. The Important Role of Body Language in Communication......................2
C. Necessities of Studying Body Language in Intercultural Communication........3
Ⅱ. The Relationships Between Body Language and Culture........................3
Ⅲ. Analysis on Some Commonly Used Body Language in Intercultural Communication5
A. Eye Contact.................................................................5
1. Indirect and Direct Eye Contact.........................................5
2. Eye Contact in Various Cultures ........................................6
B. Body Distance...............................................................7
1. The Kind of Body Distance...............................................7
2. Culture Difference about Body Distance...................................8
C. Physical Contact............................................................9
1 .The Scope for Physical Contact..........................................9
2. The Different Views about Physical Contact between Chinese and American.10
D. Facial Behavior.............................................................11
1. Interesting ‘Smile’ and ‘Cry’.........................................11
2. The Different Understanding of Smile between China and the Western.......12
E. Hand gesture................................................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................14
